off the beauty of open post and beam frame.  With five girls to look after, he wanted to build quickly.  That's why he chose wood. The build was astonishingly fast. Work began in March 2005, when drainage was dug and foundations installed. It was completed by May. When asked why he chose wood he said, 'You can cut wood and shape it.  It is warm.  To me, it feels like a holiday home.  It is an excellent insulator.  We always feel warm and cosy in here. I'd like to build another home from cross laminated timber' When asked what his biggest challenge was he responded, 'pleasing the client -- my wife!  No seriously, getting the structure right to budget.  And the open plan approach means that the services (electrical, gas) are on display which sometimes isn't so attractive.' The layout is influenced by Japanese design, with storage arranged along the sidewalls hiding everything from the washing machine to -- on the first floor -- a narrow shower room. Marcus and Rachel's Highbury home has been built from Siberian larch. The house also uses red cedar for frames and cladding, and Douglas Fir for the balconies, all of which add subtle variations of tone.  The house has no load-bearing walls so it provides a flexible space. If you like you could move rooms around. You could even unbolt this house and put it somewhere else. Cambridge -- the ultimate resort for students of the 'University of Life'.  Such is the destiny