Building codes are based on safety and functionality. They're for human safety, not aesthetics. Compare a solid core door to a hollow core door. Both meet the code definition for a door. Both meet fire break and insulation standards. But the solid core door made from solid bits of real hardwood is going to inevitably feel a lot more solid and of higher quality than the hollow core door.
You can still have a house with all that old world charm if you want. You're just going to have to do a custom build and pay extra for it.