The buildings we live and work in, through their construction and then through the energy we use to heat or light them, account for over a quarter of our region's carbon emissions.

For the residential sector alone, this represents 17 million tonnes of carbon, a figure which the Northwest has committed to reducing by at least 7 million tonnes by 2020.

Replacing a single cubic metre of concrete or red brick with the same volume of timber can save around one tonne of carbon dioxide.

The beauty of wood - aside from its obvious aesthetic credentials - is that it offers a more sustainable future for developments both large and small.

The form really should be wood.