Wood based Zen-Buddhism architectural structures and renovations in the United States and Europe are the focus of this book. With passionate prose, Paul Discoe identifies the elements of Buddhism that are represented in his buildings and describes the trials and triumphs of blending current building methods and codes with ancient Japanese joinery techniques. Discoe's text is vitalized with characterizations of recycled materials that have made their way into these buildings of ancient origin, and the organic nature of the structural materials is vibrantly described.