Modern &#x27;engineered wood&#x27; is there for a reason: it is cheaper and stronger by weight than solid beams. But nothing quite replaces the feeling that comes with a 16&quot; square beam that is now in use in it&#x27;s third building since it was originally cut.<p>If you look closely at many cheap wooden products you&#x27;ll notice a peculiar kind of joint in use that allows a lot of scraps to be glued together with roughly the same strength as a regular piece of wood of the same diameter. Ikea beds use this trick for instance. That&#x27;s an interesting approach because it greatly increases the amount of usable wood from a tree.