They take it for granted, but for someone used to houses being built of bricks and mortar and concrete, it's odd.
I really don't know how they're called, but they're vastly different. Someone with at least passable knowledge of building can clarify :)
Most homes are built on top of cinderblock basements, but some areas have a simple slab or a crawl space depending on ground water table height.
It has a lot of advantages over all brick construction. The spaces between the studs make running piping and electrical trivial. Sheetrock is easy to repair and install compared to plaster. The wooden frame is renewable.
A lot of commercial work is done in a similar fashion but with aluminum studs instead of wood, I think it is a fire safety thing.
I also believe wooden frame homes are safer in earthquakes, but truthfully the reason for their use is low cost.
If I recall correctly, they're much safer than unreinforced (no rebar) masonry but not as good as bricks with rebar.
Block foundations have been replaced in new construction with poured concrete in general (in the midwest, at least). The solid walls are less prone to settling, cracking, and most importantly leaking.
> A lot of commercial work is done in a similar fashion but with aluminum studs instead of wood
Steel, actually. Fire safety is one aspect but it also saves weight and can be lower-cost.
I have no idea of building, but I can concur that running cabling and piping through our style of building is a lot more difficult (I've networked some rooms a few times).
I should look up the typical Uruguayan house building style, but I know it involves a lot of Portland cement (for mortar and pillars), bricks, rebars, and stuff. No plywood or plaster, usually. Internal walls are, as a result, A LOT more solid than the usual US walls, and I'd like one of those "home improvement" teams to try tackling a redesign of one of our houses !!!