We are still across the pond, but we hope that these photos of other construction methods will stir something inside of you. The patio floors are just stones (black and white) arranged in patterns, and without using a design first - what I mean is that they do it by eye, not following some pre-drawn pattern.
The next image is of an old Portuguese house, stone walls, tile/brick arched ceilings (covered with lime), and rammed earth walls for the second floor. Probably wouldn't meet code in Oregon.
Finally, the last image is of an 800 year old stone barn near Brugge in Belgium. The interior beam work is amazing, and the thick stone walls have obviously withstood the test of time.
