THE WOOD AWARDS: EXCELLENCE IN ARCHITECTURE AND PRODUCT DESIGN

The Wood Awards: Excellence in Architecture and Product Design launches its 2015 call for entries with exciting new categories and a high-calibre panel of judges who will evaluate and recognise projects made out of the only naturally sustainable material in the world.

Architects and designers from around the United Kingdom are invited to enter their wood-based projects into The Wood Awards, and have until 26 May to submit their entries. There is no fee to enter.

The Wood Awards was established in 1971 and recognises, encourages and promotes outstanding design, craftsmanship and installation using wood in projects throughout the UK. With permission from the owner, anyone associated with an eligible building or furniture project completed in the last two years, can enter. The judges travel to visit each of the short-listed projects and view the short-listed products to ensure a thorough, final evaluation.

2015 sees exciting changes within the Wood Awards, including new judges, revised categories and a new website:

The Wood Awards has revised the furniture category. It is now called “Furniture and Product” and encourages a larger group of designers who work in a variety of wood products. Within this category there is now a “Student Award”, recognising the value of student work in wood with £1,500 to be won (£1,000 for winner and £500 for people’s choice).

For buildings, “The Commercial & Public Access” category has been divided into: “Commercial & Leisure” and “Education & Public Sector”. This year sees an additional “Interiors” category.

The new chair of judges in the “Furniture and Product” category is Max Fraser. Max is a champion of design, working as a writer, curator and consultant to private and public bodies. He edits the London Design Guide under his publishing imprint Spotlight Press and, until recently, worked as deputy director of the London Design Festival.

The Wood Awards’ top prize, the Arnold Laver Gold Award, goes to the overall winner of winners. Previous Gold Award winners include: the Rothschild Foundation by Stephen Marshall Architects, The Hurlingham Club Outdoor Pool by David Morley Architects and, most recently, the Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft by Adam Richards Architects.

Commenting on The Wood Awards, Andrew Laver says, “We are pleased to be associated with The Wood Awards for another year and are proud to sponsor the illustrious Gold Awards, which recognises the very best of what our industry has to offer. We will certainly be encouraging all our stakeholders – and the wider design and construction community – to take an interest and where possible get involved.”

The full list of the 2015 categories:

BUILDINGS:

Commercial & Leisure

Education & Public Sector

Private

Existing Building

Small Project

Interiors

FURNITURE & PRODUCT:

Bespoke

Production Made

Student Designer

JUDGING

As the original and leading competition focused on the material in use, the elite judging panel of independent professional experts and specialists not only judge the entries but ALSO visit the shortlisted projects in person, making The Wood Awards as meaningful and rigorous a competition as possible.

SPONSORS

The Wood Awards is made possible by the major sponsorship from: American Hardwood Export Council, Carpenters' Company, Wood for Good and TRADA.

Arnold Laver sponsors the Arnold Laver Gold Award, which is the project that the judges deem to be the best of all the winners.

Other sponsors include: American Softwoods, Furniture Makers' Company and the British Woodworking Federation.

Editor’s Notes:

Email: info@woodawards.com

Website: www.woodawards.com

Twitter: @WoodAwards

Instagram: @WoodAwards

The Wood Awards is free to enter. The closing deadline is 26th May