As someone who has lived in the US and Europe, I have made similar jokes. That said I've come to realize there's many advantages to the US way and in some resp

As someone who has lived in the US and Europe, I have made similar jokes. That said I've come to realize there's many advantages to the US way and in some respects the house I grew up in was massively overbuild: Advantages of timber frame: * Safer in earthquake * Easier to do remodeling tasks like changing layouts, plumbing, wiring * Easier to DIY * Cheaper Most of the apparent disadvantages can be offset: * I've never seen it happen, but you are right drywall is easily damaged. It's also easily replaced though. * Noise and thermal insulation can be added * Flammability is mitigated with firestops, fire resistant drywall and codes that require multiple points of egress. Larger wood buildings have sprinklers. At this point I mostly have aesthetic complaints.