The Wood Awards is once again open for entries for the UK’s premier award scheme for the world’s only naturally sustainable material. The Wood Awards is free to enter, with no administration charge, and entries are now open via the website www.woodawards.com. The closing deadline is 1st June.
As Britain’s premier architecture and furniture competition celebrating excellence in design and craftsmanship using timber, the aim of the Wood Awards is to recognise, encourage and promote outstanding design, craftsmanship and installation in wood. Over the last nine years since its re-launch, the projects entered in the Wood Awards have ranged from exquisitely designed and executed staircases, furniture and timber frame buildings, to iconic public buildings from the UK’s leading architectural practices. Previous Gold Award winners include the Weald and Downland Museum by Edward Cullinan Architects, Norwich Cathedral Visitors Centre by Hopkins Architects, Pinions Barn by Simon Conder Associates, The Savill Building by Glenn Howells Architects and last year, the Rothschild Foundation, using European oak, by Stephen Marshall Architects.
The categories for the Wood Awards have been updated for the 2012 competition with the introduction of ‘Small Project’ as a main category, the renaming of the ‘Conservation / Restoration’ category as ‘Repair & Adaptive Reuse’, and the extension of one ‘Furniture’ category into two: ‘Bespoke Furniture’ and ‘Production Made Furniture’. In separating the small projects from the ‘Private’ category this year with their own ‘Small Project’ category, the Wood Awards has the opportunity to give much smaller projects, from bespoke staircases to garden buildings, the specific recognition they deserve. The category ‘Repair & Adaptive Reuse’ still incorporates both the careful conservation and ingenious restoration seen every year, but intend to encourage entries where the decision to repurpose an existing building has been made over simply moving or rebuilding completely. There will also be a more specific focus on the wood species and timber products used in each project. Commenting on this evolution, chairman of the judges, Michael Morrison of Purcell Miller Tritton, said: “Both judges and sponsors wanted to respond to the interesting challenges the awards often present, and these changes will help give us another fascinating year.”
The timber industry’s sustainability and promotion campaign, Wood for Good, has this year become a lead sponsor of the Wood Awards, alongside long standing supporters the American Hardwood Export Council and the Carpenters’ Company. Other sponsors include TRADA, American Softwoods and BRE. The Wood Awards is a showcase, a flagship for wood in the best of British architecture, furniture and design, and with the enthusiastic commitment of its sponsors, the Wood Awards, and excellence in design and craftsmanship using wood, is thriving.
The main categories of the Wood Awards 2012 are:
• Commercial & Public Access
• Private
• Small Project
• Structural
• Repair & Adaptive Reuse
• Bespoke Furniture
• Production Made Furniture
With permission from the owner, anyone associated with an eligible building or furniture project can enter. Visit www.woodawards.com for more information on how to enter, criteria, details on each of the categories, and inspiration!