Twenty buildings and fourteen furniture projects have been shortlisted for this year’s Wood Awards – which celebrate excellence and innovation in timber architecture and design. From over two hundred projects entered, this shortlist of thirty-four entries celebrates the diversity and creativity of buildings and furniture made using the world’s foremost sustainable and renewable material – wood. A seafront visitor centre, a concert hall, and an office complex are among the shortlisted buildings for the 2023 Wood Awards, while lathe-turned lamps, a table-cum-musical instrument and a community-built table set are among the furniture and product projects. The Awards are split into two main categories, Furniture & Product and Buildings. Buildings are split into: Commercial & Leisure, Education & Public Sector, Interior, Private Sector, Small Project, and Restoration & Reuse. Within Furniture & Product, there are three subcategories: Bespoke, Production Made and Student Designer. Spanning significant public spaces, forward-thinking offices, and unique private homes, the twenty shortlisted structures, listed below, provide a snapshot of exemplary and progressive timber architecture. Shortlisted projects for the Building Categories of the Wood Awards 2023 are: Jim Greaves, Head of the Building Judges says: “Selected from over ninety entries, this impressive shortlist reveals the best use of timber in construction today and demonstrates that wood truly is a material of continuous change and innovation. “Our panel of judges will now visit each shortlisted building to determine this year’s winners – and select a stand-out project to receive the prestigious Gold Award. “This rigorous process is one of the things that makes the Wood Awards the highest accolade in the UK timber industry.” The fourteen shortlisted furniture and product items, listed below, reveal an accomplished array of materially engaged designs. Incorporating endangered heritage techniques, community-led production, innovative problem solving and poetic exploration, each of the entries tells its own story about how wood can transform and enhance our surroundings. Shortlisted projects for the Furniture and Product Categories of the Wood Awards 2023 are: Corinne Julius, Head of the Furniture and Products Judges says: “Wood is a wonderful and often underrated, sustainable material. It’s a taken-for-granted material that deserves more respect. “The Wood Awards are intended to showcase to the public the beauty and versatility of wood and highlight its ability to connect us to the natural world. “They also aim to inspire the industry, designers, makers, and students to gain a better understanding of wood in its myriad forms in order to create beautiful, intelligent products for an increasingly discriminating public.” The Wood Awards shortlist will be on display from 20 – 23 September at Gallery@Oxo in partnership with the Material Matters Exhibition during the London Design Festival. The winners of the Wood Awards will be announced on 22 November during an Evening Ceremony at Carpenter’s Hall. As a not-for-profit competition, the Wood Awards can only happen with collaborative industry sponsorship. A huge thank you for continued support from Carpenters Company, American Hardwood Export Council and Timber Development UK. You can find out more information about the shortlist here. Previous winners of the Wood Awards can be found at www.woodawards.com. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals