There are tricks of construction, of course, such as building foundations and roofs that keep the wood from getting wet, but most buildings don't die from construction problems. People fix bad construction when they want the building to stick around. But buildings do die all the time. Most often, however buildings die because no one wants to live in them or take care of them anymore. They die from neglect and disuse or because they are unable to adapt to a new use.
People become inventive.
Use and character is determined by the people who live in it. Easy to modify or add on to. Encourages care taking and preservation. Use and character is determined by the initial design. Difficult to modify or add on to.