The Wood Awards is an key event for wood in the best of British architecture, furniture and design. This year’s 30-strong shortlist features unique private houses, stunning small projects, outstanding restorations and impressive commercial and public buildings.
The shortlist for the furniture categories include extraordinary bespoke and production-made furniture ranging from the traditional, such as Edward Barnsley Workshop’s Scorched Oak Rocking Chair in European oak; to the contemporary, with the Ten Species Tallboy by Sebastian Cox Furniture as an unbridled celebration of British hardwoods.
The Building shortlist includes projects as diverse in size and scope as the new Middle Drawbridge at the Tower of London by GMT Timber Frame using green and air-dried oak; Sam Wanamaker Playhouse - the new indoor Jacobean theatre at Shakespeare’s Globe in London by McCurdy & Co using English and European oak, European redwood, whitewood and spruce; Hugh Strange’s Architecture Archive in Somerset using Stora Enso / Eurban spruce cross laminated timber with locally sourced cedar, ash and beech; The Moor Market in Sheffield by Leslie Jones Architecture with B&K Structures using Western red cedar and European spruce glulam; and the Endless Stair by dRMM Architects - a major feature of last year’s London Design Festival using new developments in cross laminated hardwood to create a unique structure from American tulipwood.
The Wood Awards independent judging panel of architecture, engineering, craftsmanship and design experts now visit the shortlisted projects in person - from the South coast to the Highlands - before making their final decision. The winners of the Wood Awards categories and the recipient of the Wood Awards Arnold Laver Gold Award for the ‘winner of winners’ will be announced on the 18th November at a reception in London hosted by the Worshipful Company of Carpenters, and the Wood Awards 2014 supplement will be published in RIBA Journal’s December issue.
The Wood Awards judging panel includes Hugh Pearman, editor of RIBA Journal, Jim Greaves of Hopkins Architects, Andrew Lawrence from Arup, David Morley, Adam Khan, architectural writer Ruth Slavid, timber engineering consultant Nathan Wheatley from Engenuiti and craft specialist John Wilkie, and the panel is supported by timber industry consultant Michael Buckley. Sean Sutcliffe of Benchmark Furniture leads the furniture judging panel of John Makepeace, Rod Wales and Katie Walker.
David Hopkins, head of communications and external affairs for Wood Awards major sponsor Wood for Good, says, “Timber is enabling truly sustainable design as urbanisation increases and natural resources decrease. The greatest challenge of our age is how to make our urban built environments truly sustainable, decarbonising the manufacture and construction of products and buildings, using materials from renewable not extractive sources. The Wood Awards continually demonstrates the creation of spaces that have the functionality to adapt to changing conditions and the aesthetics to appeal to a savvy, globalised population. Timber is the material of sustainable modernism and design principles need not be compromised by a strong commitment to sustainability.”
The Bespoke and Production-Made furniture shortlisted Furniture categories pieces will be exhibited on Wood Awards stand L370 at this year’s 100% Design in September - the biggest event during the London Design Festival.
As the UK’s premier award scheme with over 40 years of supporting excellence in the world’s only naturally sustainable material, the not-for-profit competition is the flagship for wood in the best of British architecture, furniture and design.
The Wood Awards is only made possible by the major sponsorship of the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC), the Carpenters’ Company, TRADA and Wood for Good. Other sponsors include American Softwoods, BRE and the Forestry Commission. New from 2014 is the combined sponsorship of the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) with the Malaysian Timber Council (MTC), and the British Woodworking Federation (BWF) as a supporter. The Wood Awards Gold Award is sponsored by Arnold Laver.
