[Dylanlacey]

It's interesting to me that no-one is talking about steel frames, which are becoming something of a standard in Australia, mainly because they share some of the advantages of both constructions styles.

A Steel framed, clad house can be constructed relatively quickly, but is also durable. Alterations aren't as easy as with wood, but are significantly easier then concrete.

With modern insulations and soundproofing, you can have a lot of the benefits of concrete or stone. Plus, there's less thermal mass in the structure, which is a big advantage when building in Australia; Your primary challenge is keeping the inside cool in Summer.