True. It can also have surprisingly good strength to weight ratio if used correctly. I'm no carpenter but I'd suspect the downsides are that it's biodegradable

True. It can also have surprisingly good strength to weight ratio if used correctly. I'm no carpenter but I'd suspect the downsides are that it's biodegradable (and hence it will rot and things will eat it), it's a biological material and so its properties are going to be somewhat inconsistent, and it's very labour intensive to build with. I'd also be curious just how cheap it is per strength (not weight or volume) compared with steel. I'd suspect the comparison comes out heavily in steel's favour or we'd be using way more wood.