A shortlist of just 30 has been selected from a record entry of 318 British projects in the Wood Awards 2013, the UK’s premier award scheme celebrating excellence in design in wood.
The Wood Awards is a flagship for wood in the best of British architecture, furniture and design. This year’s 30-strong shortlist features unique private houses, small projects, restorations, public buildings and bespoke and production-made furniture, ranging from the traditional to the cutting edge.
The independent judging panel of architecture, engineering, craftsmanship and design experts and specialists led by Michael Morrison of Purcell UK and Sean Sutcliffe of Benchmark Furniture now sees the shortlist in person before making its final decisions. The winners of the Wood Awards categories, and which project will receive the coveted Gold Award, will be announced on the 19th November at a reception hosted by the Worshipful Company of Carpenters.
The shortlisted projects range from Wilkinson Eyre Architect’s Mary Rose Museum in Portsmouth featuring Canadian Western red cedar, to Atmos Studio’s undulating RoominaRoom in London, using birch plywood, European oak and American black walnut, and, in the Furniture categories, Angus Ross’ deconstructed Tay Bench in Scottish and European oak is shortlisted, alongside a second Atmos Studio project, 16m of continuous integrated landscape furniture in Latvian birch plywood, with seating for 80 people.
Michael Morrison says: “The diversity of this year’s entries demonstrate the range of flexibility and problem-solving which timber brings. This is exciting to see, and the quality of entries this year has made the selection of the shortlist particularly difficult.”
David Hopkins, head of communications and external affairs for major sponsor Wood for Good, says: “Looking through the entries for this year’s Wood Awards, it is hard not to be struck by the impact that the timber industry is having on the face of urban architecture throughout the UK. Timber is carving itself an ever-larger niche in the construction market, and one factor which is repeated throughout the entries is sustainability. Timber is finally being recognised as a solution to achieving affordable, low-carbon urban development goals.”
The Wood Awards 2013 shortlist will be showcased for the first time at 100% Design in London from 18th-21st September, and at Timber Expo, now at the NEC in Birmingham from 24-25th September.
As the flagship for wood in the best of British architecture, furniture and design, the Wood Awards is made possible by the major sponsorship of AHEC, Canada Wood, the Carpenters’ Company, TRADA and Wood for Good. Other sponsors include American Softwoods, BRE and the Forestry Commission.
