The 2016 Wood WORKS! Wood Design Awards honoured excellence in the architectural use of wood in projects ranging from a bus loop in Kelowna and interior design details at Canada House in London, England to an energy-efficient Passive House in Whistler and a visitors centre in Qingdao, China. Source: The Vancouver Sun
Mid-rise buildings prominently featuring timbers and decorative wood built in smaller urban centres were among the featured winners, another sign that wood design is no longer niche but more mainstream.
“BC’s architects, engineers, designers and project teams continue to explore (wood’s) potential and impress us with their projects,” said Lynn Embury-Williams, executive director of Wood WORKS!
The panel of judges reviewed 103 nominations in 13 categories representing the work of BC firms in locations including Taiwan, South Korea, China, Japan, Germany and the United Kingdom.
In addition to the design awards, Wood WORKS! presented a Wood Champion award to Andrew Harmsworth, a nationally recognized specialist in fire engineering with GHL Consultants, for his work in proving timber building components as safe, fire-resistant materials and advocating for building-code changes friendly to the use of wood in taller buildings across Canada.
The University of BC was also given a special recognition award, presented by Minister of Forests Land and Natural Resource Operations Steve Thomson, for its leadership in wood design as the site of several buildings featuring advanced wood materials and building systems, including its own Forest Sciences Centre and Brock Commons, an 18-storey student residence that is in the running to be the world’s tallest timber building.
“UBC is proud to be the recipient of this unique award,” said Martha Piper, the university’s interim president and vice-chancellor. “It will serve as a lasting reminder of the central importance of wood and forestry to the history of UBC, from the creation of the botanical garden and arboretum on the Point Grey campus in 1916 to the building of our new all-wood student residence to be completed later this year.”
In her remarks, Ms Embury-Williams said the awards help make the case for wood having an important role in sustainable development and helping to mitigate climate change as well as “creating a contemporary built environment that celebrates our heritage.”
“The forest industry is the foundation of our province and we’re proud to showcase our sustainably sourced wood products in our remarkable buildings to the world.”
