We've always been partial to the humble building material of timber, whether it is applied with traditional, craft-based techniques or emphatically modern innovations, and the UK's annual Wood Awards is an excellent showcase of the practices putting it to best use.
The shortlist, announced this week, spans different scales and typologies, and seven key categories: Bespoke Furniture, Commercial & Public Access, Private, Production-made Furniture, Repair & Adaptive Reuse, Small Project and Structural.
Nominations range from well-known new public buildings - such as the Mary Rose Museum by Wilkinson Eyre and the Bishop Edward King Chapel by Niall McLaughlin (also on the shortlist for the RIBA Stirling Prize) - to smaller projects, such as the RoominaRoom in London by Atmos Studio, and private, bespoke commissions such as the Tay Bench by Angus Ross. The 30-strong list encompasses everything from architecture to product design, and from traditional design to the cutting edge.
The awards are sponsored by a consortium of brands, including the American Hardwood Export Council, Canada Wood, Carpenters' Company, TRADA, Wood for Good, American Softwoods, BRE and the Forestry Commission. The winners, which will be picked for their design excellence and quality in the use of wood by a jury led by Michael Morrison of Purcell UK and Sean Sutcliffe of Benchmark Furniture, will be announced on the 19 November in a ceremony held at the Worshipful Company of Carpenters in London.
The Colyer-Fergusson Building features Canadian Douglas Fir and engineered oak flooring
Commercial & public access: The Mary Rose Museum in Portsmouth was designed by Wilkinson Eyre architects and showcases striking Canadian Red Cedar
Commercial & public access: Abbotsford Visitor Reception Building, designed by LDN Architects, is located in Melrose
Commercial & public access: Tower of Love festival hall was designed by dRMM architects
Located in Blackpool, the Tower of Love features spruce and fir
Private project: The Dune House in Thorpeness is a project by Mole Architects
Spruce, ash and stained Scandinavian whitewood can all be found in the Dune House
Private project: Church Walk is situated in Hackney, London and was designed by previous Wood Award winner David Mikhail
Private project: Crowbrook house, by Know Bhavan Architects, features Siberian Larch and African hardwood
Private project: Rigg Beck house in Cumbria was also designed by Knox Bhavan Architects
Production-made furniture: The Holland Park Chair, made of European Beech, is produced by Ercol Furniture
Production-made furniture: Other X The National Trust is a project by Cornwall-based Otter Surfboards
Production-made furniture: The Storyboard, also by Otter Surfboards, is made out of sustainably sourced Western Red Cedar
Production-made furniture: The Joyce cabinet was designed by Russell Pinch and is available in cherry, oak or walnut veneered MDF
Production-made furniture: Pinch also created the Clyde Side Table. It can be made in solid white ash, white oak, black stained ash, solid black American walnut and a combination route of black American walnut base, with an oak top
Production-made furniture: HAN by Mark Gabbertas for Lyndon is available in Hungarian FCS oak, beech and walnut
Production-made furniture: The Theo chair by Pengellydesign features oak and beech sourced locally in Hungary
Bespoke furniture: The Ripples chest of drawers was created by EJ Bespoke Furniture using ash, walnut and cedar of Lebanon
Bespoke furniture: The beautifully curved Nimm Rae chair was made by Chaircreative
Bespoke furniture: The unusually shaped Tay Bench is an oak product by Angus Ross
Bespoke furniture: The Worldscape by Atmos studio was on display at the Stratford Town Hall in 2012
Repair & adaptive reuse: The Bells Farm in Birmingham, designed by Nick Joyce Architects, uses European oak
Repair & adaptive reuse: Matthew Lloyd Architects oversaw the refurbishment of the Royal Society of Arts in London
Repair & adaptive reuse: The Magheralin Parish Church was designed by Waddington-McClure Architects
Small project: The unusual Exbury Egg was designed by PAD Studio
Created out of reclaimed timber, the Exbury Egg is a temporary work space for artist Stephen Turner
Small project: The Alex Monroe Studio in London, designed by DSDHA, features Austrian Spruce cross laminated timber
The studio includes the jewellery designer's workshop and store
Small project: The Expandable Surface System was created by the Architectural Association using birch plywood
Small project: This impressive staircase is part of the 'RoominaRoom' project in London by Atmos studio
RoominaRoom is created out of Latvian Birch Plywood, oak staved kitchen worktops and American black walnut veneer
Structural: The Bishop Edward King Chapel by Niall McLaughlin Architects is situated in Oxford
The chapel features European Oak inside and outside, and ash for its fitted furniture and internal doors
Structural: Trewarren by John Pardy Architects is a house in Newport, Pembrokeshire
The Trewarren house features Iroko wood for its structural timber frame
Structural: The Abraham Darby Sports and Learning Community in Shropshire was designed by BDP
Structural: The Living Link bridge in Cambridgeshire is a project by Smith and Wallwork
Structural: The Future Affordable project by David Blaikie Architects is a new low carbon housing concept
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