Over the past 75 years, timber framed housing has formed a substantial proportion of the Scottish construction market but a much smaller proportion in England and Wales. As building regulations require increased thermal standards, some forms of traditional masonry construction may not be able to accommodate the resulting thicker layer(s) of insulation. In addition, with increasing skills shortages and increasing demands for reduced construction times on site, there is a trend towards off-site fabricated building elements and components. This is likely to result in the increased specification and use of timber and steel frame construction techniques. This Good Building Guide gives a brief introduction to the basics of timber frame construction. 6 pages.