A wooden module may include four cross-sectionally square longitudinal pieces of timber, at least six cross-sectionally square transverse pieces of timber, and at least two cross-sectionally square plugs, which may be connected to one another via a plurality of connection plugs. The four longitudinal pieces of timber may be arranged parallel to and spaced apart from one another such that the four longitudinal pieces of timber span a square. The at least six transverse pieces of timber may be arranged over a length of the four longitudinal pieces of timber and may be arranged between the four longitudinal pieces of timber. The at least two plugs may be arranged vertically parallel to one another and to at least four vertical transverse pieces of timber on at least two horizontal transverse pieces of timber and may project from a lateral face of the wooden module.

A wall construction formed of solid wood members. The wall construction provides for a heating and cooling system that synergistically works with the inherent insulative properties of solid wood members. The wall construction comprises channels formed in the solid wood members to accommodate conduits for heating and cooling. The conduits are routed through multiple solid wood members of a wall and are positioned to efficiently heat and cool the interior of a building. Other grooves may be formed in the top side of the solid wood members to accommodate conduits for heating, cooling electrical service and communications carriers.

A masonry block set is disclosed that includes a first block having a first rectangular body and a first rectangular protrusion from a front face of the first rectangular body. A second block has a second rectangular body and a second rectangular protrusion from a front face of the second rectangular body. The first block and the second block can be combined to form a nested block pair where a front face of the first rectangular protrusion abuts the front face of the second rectangular body and a front face of the second rectangular protrusion abuts the front face of the first rectangular body.

A modular wall building system includes a plurality of course modules which can be connected to form a wall such as a wall of a building structure. A course module includes inner and outer wall panels connected by upper and lower panel connectors via connector pins which are received by receiving rails extending from interior surfaces of the inner and outer wall panels. The course modules include wall course modules, bottom course modules and top course modules. Door and window modules can be installed to the building structure by attachment to the course modules. The panel connectors include structural openings for receiving vertical structural members. The wall building system includes a bottom plate structure and tie down system for attachment of the wall structure to a foundation, and a top plate structure including truss connectors for attaching a roof structure.

A brick for masonry construction, including: first and second identical rectangular cuboids; and a third rectangular cuboid fixed between the first and second rectangular cuboids, wherein the fixing disposes the first and second rectangular cuboids parallel to one another, and wherein size of the third rectangular cuboid and the fixing thereof forms at least one niche being parallel to at least one thin facet of the first rectangular cuboid and being disposed between the first and second rectangular cuboids.

A dry-stack masonry wall supported on hollow piles includes a wall having a plurality of stacked rows of masonry blocks that form a hollow interior grid of horizontal and vertical channels. The wall is supported on piles having hollow interiors, each of which is in communication with one of the vertical channels of the wall. Hardened grout filling the grid of the wall and the interiors of the piles monolithically binds the blocks into a wall which is bonded to and supported by the piles.

In some embodiments, a building block includes alignment elements that interlink with a similar block with a positional offset. For example, the positional offset may be linear and/or rotational. For example, the second cinder block may be rotated with respect to the first block on which it is supports. Optionally, protrusions from the top of the block are positioned to interlink to the vertical slots at a fixed offset between the blocks. Optionally, the protrusions are formed by channels on a mold and/or a mold head. In some embodiments, a structure may be built stacked blocks. Optionally, a decorative face is configured to form a continuous decorated surface across offset blocks. In some embodiments a building block includes a calibration feature. For example, the block may include a ridge on the top of the block that may be shaved and/or ground to adjust the height of the block.

A modular wall building system includes a plurality of course modules which can be connected to form a wall such as a wall of a building structure. A course module includes inner and outer wall panels connected by upper and lower panel connectors via connector pins which are received by receiving rails extending from interior surfaces of the inner and outer wall panels. The course modules include wall course modules, bottom course modules and top course modules. Door and window modules can be installed to the building structure by attachment to the course modules. The panel connectors include structural openings for receiving vertical structural members. The wall building system includes a bottom plate structure and tie down system for attachment of the wall structure to a foundation, and a top plate structure including truss connectors for attaching a roof structure. A method of forming a wall structure is provided.

A concrete building block for masonry block walls is formed with first, second and third spaced parallel rectangular face shells, where the second face shell is intermediate the first and third face shells. First and second vertical end cross webs connect the first and second face shells and first and second spaced intermediate vertical cross webs connect the second and third face shells. Insulating inserts include end protrusions extending outwardly at the top edge thereof to fit into notches of the cross webs and include cutouts to accommodate mortar crumbs. The inserts further include longitudinal notches along the entire bottom edges and longitudinal notches along the entire top edges wherein said longitudinal notches along a bottom edge are dimensioned to mate with longitudinal notches along a top edge of neighboring ones of the insulating inserts creating an overlap that serves to (i) insulate against temperature transfer and (ii) provide a sound barrier.

A system for building a load bearing structure for supporting a compressive load, the system including a plurality of wooden members; wherein a protrusion of a second member is locatable within a recess of a first or third member to interconnect the first and second or third and second members together to form the loading bearing structure, wherein the protrusion is not rotatable within the recess, and; wherein the third member has a recess with a depth greater than the height of the protrusion of the second member such that a cavity is formed between an upper inner wall of the third member and a top portion of the protrusion of the second member when the second and third members are interconnected.