Judgement day approaches

July 10 2010

The excitement is mounting for this year’s Wood Awards as the organisers announce the 27-strong shortlist, whittled down from 160 entries.

The shortlisted projects range from the relatively humble, such as Colerne Primary School’s bike shelter built from locally-grown larch and cypress, to the grand, such as St Edmundsbury Cathedral’s fan

vaulted ceiling which was made from European oak and employed cutting-edge technology in its design and construction.

The judges will now spend the next couple of months visiting each project in person before announcing the winners at Carpenters’ Hall in London on October 21 and it’s a task the chairman of the judges is relishing.

“I am delighted by the standard of entries in my first year as chairman,” said Michael Morrison of Purcell Miller Tritton Architects. “It gives me great satisfaction to see good design thriving in the UK. The Wood Awards plays a crucial role in promoting the quality of British design in the world’s most sustainable building material and I am looking forward to working with our panel of experts to judge the shortlisted projects over the summer.”

The American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC), a long-term sponsor of the Wood Awards, remains committed to supporting the competition and “its crucial role in the promotion of timber”.

“The event’s ability to showcase the multiple benefits of using wood, across a wide range of applications, is increasingly relevant,” said AHEC’s European director, David Venables.

The Wood Awards comprise five main categories – Conservation/Restoration; Commercial & Public Access; Structural; Private & Best Small Project; and Furniture – and once again there is an overall Gold Award.

Sponsors include AHEC, the British Woodworking Federation, the Carpenters’ Company, ConFor, English Heritage, Forestry Commission, Malaysian Timber Council, Timber Trade Federation, TRADA, Rooff Ltd and Daniel Watney Chartered Surveyors.