balkwerk

Balkwerk is a Dutch architectural term that refers to the structural skeleton of a building formed by horizontal wooden beams (balken) supported by vertical posts and, in some cases, diagonal braces. The balkwerk serves as the load-bearing framework for floors, ceilings and walls, and it may be exposed on the exterior or hidden behind infill materials. In traditional timber-framed construction, the main beams span between posts and are connected by joints such as mortise-and-tenon or pegged connections. The spaces between the main beams can be left open as half-timbering or filled with brick, plaster, or nogging.

Historically, balkwerk is a common feature of Dutch and other Northern European timber-framed buildings from the Middle Ages through the early modern period. In urban houses it is sometimes visible as a decorative element, while in other instances it lies concealed behind plaster or brick infill. With the advent of brick-and-masonry construction and later steel or concrete framing, the term Balkwerk is mainly used by historians, restorers and archaeologists to describe traditional wooden framing.

In modern contexts, balkwerk is primarily of archaeological, architectural-historical, or restoration interest rather than a prevailing contemporary construction method. It remains a key concept for understanding how historic timber-framed buildings were engineered and how their interiors and facades were organized.