The Wood Awards is billed as the UK’s premier architecture and furniture competition celebrating excellence in design in the world’s most sustainable material. This year the London event introduced a new Special Award, ‘Best Use of Panel Products’ in recognition of the increasing importance of materials such as MDF, OSB, plywood and particleboard.
For Geoff Rhodes, specialist in the wood panel product sector, former president of the Timber Trade Federation and marketing and business development director of Collate Panel Products, the move is an important step forward for a burgeoning industry which, through significant capital investment in new technology and innovation, is confirming its place in 21st century construction around the world.
He said: “This special recognition is a great way to improve the understanding of wood panel products and to showcase their adaptability and quality, particularly as nearly a quarter of this year’s Woods Awards entries used panel products.”
For the new award 14 projects made up the long shortlist; a quantity unprecedented in the awards since its rebranding in 2003.
The outright winner was the Taylor Library at Corpus Christi College in Cambridge which showcased fine examples of European oak veneers bonded onto a variety of wood based panel substrates, specified for their strength, stability and robustness by architects Wright & Wright.
Of the 13 remaining projects shortlisted for the new award, seven went on to be highly commended or win almost every other category.
Coillte Panel Products is sponsor of the Wood Awards website. www.woodawards.com
