The Owner-Built Log House: Living in Harmony with Your Environment

James A. Love is a professor of architecture in the Faculty of
Environmental Design and an adjunct professor of mechanical engineering
at the University of Calgary. His latest publication is the Illuminating
Engineering Society’s Recommended Practice of

Allan Mackie has been teaching log construction since 1970 and has a
wealth of experience. This book has more and better illustrations,
including both sketches and photographs, than his previous publication
on the subject. From selection of trees and site planning to details of
windows, Mackie provides very thorough explanations right down to the
axe cuts required to fit the various components of the walls and roof
together.

The weaknesses in the book lie in the early sections on the benefits of
log construction. The assertion that a log house costs less to heat and
cool merits justification, considering that 300 mm of wood provides less
insulation than 25 mm of fibreglass. Similar gaps are evident in
Mackie’s reasoning regarding ecological issues. However, from a
construction perspective, this is an extremely informative book.