[brudgers]

1. In the winter trees don’t freeze solid, and firewood burn rate has an inverse relationship to log diameter.

2. Wood durability (species and quality being equal) depends on cyclical moisture exposure. Submerged timber can remain intact for centuries. In the rain forest the same wood might rot in a few decades.

From a construction standpoint, the glass in the house would dominate the conductive heat losses of the wall assembly.

From a maintenance standpoint, one piece of old wood is fungible with a new piece and two 2x4’s properly nailed together are stronger than a single 4x4…that’s why light frame construction uses double top plates, jack studs, etc.

Aesthetically the potential for patina is a reason an architect might choose wood finishes.