General Discussions

[PaulP]

Not “old growth” Paul, old plantations that were established to provide timber for wooden warships.

I don’t believe “old growth” forests are a thing in much of Western Europe.

We can argue about what constitutes "old growth" but wikipedia still lists several old growth forests in France, a number of which include Oak species.

The flying buttresses were great structural innovations (there's debate about whether they started as that, or evolved into it). Instead of simply copying the massive walls and small openings of Romanesque architecture, the Gothic builders tried advancing the form. The walls were no longer load bearing, and thus not only became thinner, but also allowed for more glass, in larger openings. Part of the inspiration for this was indeed the forest - flying buttresses mimicking the trees, and the glass mimicking the light between the tree canopies.

The French should take a cue from those masons and builders.