High on the bling rating list for sure, but consider a few things before you dive into building a big, bulky cumbersome brew stand. All you really need are some burners with their own stands and maybe a small stout table or workbench. Depending on your method of brewing, the configuration will vary. Assuming you are going to use three kettles, then two or three burners will be needed. You can move the wort and water with a pump and hoses. No real need for a stand. The pump can be mounted on it's own small, portable stand and the hoses moved as required for specific operations. You might think it would be convenient to have everything mounted on a stand, but when it comes time to store everything it might not be so convenient. A stand will take up substantial floor space. It will likely be very heavy and hard to move around. Might not be able to take it with you for group brews if you do that sort of thing. You can buy burners with leg extensions to elevate them some which I like a lot. Keeping everything modular allows much more flexibility IMO.
Having used a homemade stand for a few years now, I have the complete opposite opinion as Catt.
I just measured my stand, and the footprint is approx 40" x 17", it's bigger if you count the propane shelf (which folds up), and the table on one end, but that is like 3.5-4 feet off the ground, so it doesn't take up any "floor" space.
The stand can hold store my two kettles and the cooler mlt. You have the ability to hard pipe all of your propane / liquid lines, and use quick disconnects to remove the kettles for cleaning. 8" rubber wheels make it easy to move, which is helpful as I usually brew on the patio. A few times I've had to move back in the garage because of the weather. I can wheel it back in without even shutting everything off if I wanted. It's true that it's not real portable as far as traveling, but you could easily build a rectangular base, and then make the tiers modular that bolted together. Just to give you some more flexibility. It is really nice being able to just start brewing, without having to set everything up every time.
Anyways, I guess I've strayed from the original question.
Wood is fine for a brew stand, but it needs to be somewhat heat and water resistant. Another option is to make the section, that will be closest to the heat source, removable so it can be replaced if needed without destroying the whole stand. Particle board wouldn't be my first choice, but you could always put a few coats of paint on it to help protect it.