We tend to think of Roman architecture as monuments and buildings of stone, but that is because stone is more likely to survive. Roman wooden architecture is rarely found these days, but it was the material of choice, especially in Northwestern Europe. Wood was also essential for ship building, and here the Romans were masters of that material.
Yeah, bronze ships never really caught on. ;^) If anyone could have made that work though, would have been the Romans. :^D Much of the length of the German limes barriers were wood palisade type construction, with large square wood forts now and again. In Herculaneum, the pyroclastic flow tended to carbonize wood, so there are Roman-era wood doors that still swing on their hinges, that kind of thing, plus the upper storeys of some of the buildings, all of which vanished in Pompeii. Due to fire (and barbarian hordes) the Romans used a lot of brick and prefab ceramic roof tiles, ductwork, etc.