Touch wood: these are the top timber treasures of 2017

Lovers of all things timber, rejoice; it’s the time of the year for the Wood Awards, the industry’s dedicated annual event that celebrates the very best in craft and design using the trusty material.
Announced tonight at a ceremony held at the Carpenters’ Hall in London, the awards, now in their 46th year, have come to represent excellence in timber design and architecture, with past winners including fine woodworking examples such as the supremely sculptural Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios' Stanbrook Abbey.
This year, the list was equally captivating and competition was fierce. Spanning nine categories, the 2017 worthy winners are: Coastal House, Devon by 6a Architects for the Arnold Laver Gold Award and Best Interiors project; Rievaulx Abbey Visitor Centre & Museum by Simpson & Brown for Best Commercial & Leisure project; Maggie’s Oldham by dRMM for Best Education & Public Sector project; Hampshire Passivhaus by Ruth Butler Architects for Best Private project; Waterloo City Farm by Fielden Fowles Studio for Best Small Project; The Smile by Alison Brooks Architects for Best Structural project; Time and Texture Installation (‘A Landscape of Objects’) by Eleanor Lakelin for Best Bespoke project; and the Narin Chair by David Irwin for Best Production Made project.
Watch 6a architects discuss the Coastal House project and catch up with all the Wood Award winners 2017
Several nominees from this year’s shortlist, such as the striking Hastings Pier by dRMM, were given a high commendation, while excellence in student work was also celebrated through two cash prizes – one going to Mark Laban for his ‘Rustic Stool 1.0’, and another to Damian Robinson for his ‘Hex Drinks Cabinet’, which was also named the People’s Choice.
From careful renovations, to brand new structures, engineering feats and young talent, the Wood Awards consistently acknowledges and rewards great design, while promoting this truly naturally sustainable material.
Best Commercial & Leisure project: the Rievaulx Abbey Visitor Centre & Museum by Simpson & Brown
Highly Commended: The Nautilus staircase by Hassan Nourbakhsh (Borheh)
Best Bespoke project: Time and Texture Installation (‘A Landscape of Objects’) by Eleanor Lakelin
Best Interiors project: Coastal House, Devon by 6a architects
Best Private project: Hampshire Passivhaus by Ruth Batler Architects
Best Production Made project: the Narin Chair by David Irwin
Best Education & Public Sector project: Maggie’s Oldham by dRMM.
Best Education & Public Sector project High Commendation: Cowan Court by 6a Architects
Highly Commended: Command of the Oceans by Baynes and Mitchell Architects.
Best Small Project: Waterloo City Farm by Fielden Fowles Studio.
Highly Commended: The Belarusian Memorial Chapel by Spheron Architects.
Highly Commended: Hastings Pier by dRMM
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Wood Awards website
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Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
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