It is hard to walk through Venice, Italy without wondering how the place was built, its architecture rising inexplicably out of the dark water below, or how water, power and internet traverse its myriad canals. The Rialto Bridge is a great place to begin unpacking these mysteries.

Making this bridge possible is a forest of over 12,000 tree trunks burrowing below the surface. Dating back centuries, these foundations are embedded through loose soil below the waterline and into solid clay below, and support over 10,000 tons worth of structure above.

The whole city sits on over 10,000,000 tree trunks. The wood doesn’t rot because the poles are protected by surrounding mud, away from oxygen that would lead to decay.

Meanwhile, bridges like the Rialto serve a function beyond just connecting people — they also help water and utilities flow around the city, without needing to burrow underground or displace space in shallow canals.

The city still faces threats from structural decay, sinking structures and rising water levels, but perhaps the most amazing thing is that it is still standing at all hundreds of years after it was built.

Applying architectural logic to a bird’s eye view, these natural-material dwellings utilize fallen trees to create familiar and eco-friendly habitats for your feathered friends.

With concept and design development by Moger Mehrhof Architects, log quarter-sawing by Brandywine Woodworks, metal from John Madarasz and photos by Barney Leonard, this was a collaborative project taking into account the skills and abilities of all parties.

As with so many great designs, the end product is surprisingly simple – it recalls traditional pie-shaped birdhouses and uses a minimal amount of materials and effort to achieve its results.

And though birds may not make the same requests as human clients demanding unique abodes, the resulting semi-organic structures are necessarily unique, following the form of the logs from which they are cut. Log cabins for birds, if you will.

Another great aspect of the result: the plans and sections are relatively simple and the materials readily available, making for great do-it-yourself inspiration for anyone with a cabin in the woods.

As with human homes, these spaces are also designed to weather various conditions – the roofs are sloped and will shed excess weight as well.

Logs typically conjure images of remote cabins and plaid-clad workers felling trees. As these seven creative designers and craftspeople show, though, log furniture can be cool, clever and contemporary, too.

Rather than presupposing a finished shape, Mth Woodworking uses logs individually to inspire and guide each unique piece they create.

Their addition of a resin surface largely leaves the natural shape of the stump or trunk alone, and highlights the cross-section showing through the top. Until the resin dries around the log, the end result always remains something of a mystery.

With a combination of roughness and care, Kaspar Hamacher chops logs into sections, strips the bark away and places smaller burning logs on top to create legs from the charred remains.

Given the natural ingredients of both raw timber and burning embers, the results, while clearly of a kind when set next to each other, are nonetheless always unique.

Hilla Shamia casts logs into liquid aluminum, burning the edges and creating a dark interstitial zone between the dull gray metal and bright near-white interior of each log.

Since the logs are cast on the surface side, they provide a warmer texture to those sitting (benches or chairs) or leaning (tables) on them, while providing sturdy and predictable support below.

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Redefining Rustic Materials 6 Modern Log Furniture Makers