Irish Wood Awards celebrate Irish architects, engineers, designers and wood workers, who use wood as a sustainable building and design medium
Following on from the successful 2014 initiative, the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) is supporting this year’s edition of the Wood Awards Ireland (WAI). WAI was initiated to promote wood usage and design among architects, engineers, designers and craftspeople. WAI is compatible with AHEC’s aims and objectives to promote wood as a renewable, sustainable and versatile natural material.
“AHEC have supported the Wood Awards Ireland from its first edition as an initiative to promote wood to Irish architects and designers,” said David Venables, AHEC European director. “Many of them are interested in specifying wood in their projects and the market for American hardwood in Ireland has a big potential.”
Projects that use wood as a key material are considered for the awards – providing timber has been sourced from sustainably managed forests. The international dimension of the project is important, as WAI is also open to Irish practitioners based overseas who complete projects for Irish and international markets.
Wood Awards Ireland is also supported by the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI), the Irish Wood Marketing Federation, Enterprise Ireland, Collite and COFORD.
Invitations to enter the awards have been issued to Irish architects, engineers, designer and others working in wood to make submissions to WAI. Entries are accepted in the following eight categories:
- Large-scale buildings
- Small-scale residential buildings
- Restoration and conservation
- Structural (timber bridges, boardwalks, shelters,
decking, etc.)
- Furniture (bespoke and production)
- Innovation
- New entrants, aimed at start-ups
- International wood award under categories 1-8