Where to for Design Awards?

Awards are an important promotional platform for timber design, but with so many architectural competitions available these days, and so few sponsors to go round, it has to be wondered if some ‘culling’ would not strengthen the species.

New Zealand’s top residential architecture timber design award for 2009 went to Crosson Clarke Carnachan Architects for their Great Barrier Island house. (From left): Rob Davies, Carter Holt Harvey (sponsor), Paul Clark and Brent Hore (CCC). PHOTO: Topic Photography

Organisers of the Australian Timber Design Awards this year broke the previous national contest into a series of state-based events, plus national awards. The presumed intention was to garner more entries (which happened to some extent) and to spread the timber design message.

In the end it was probably more a case of spreading a small pool of architecturally designed wood-based structures rather too thinly, with several categories in some of the regional contests simply not being awarded – either for lack of entries or poor quality.

Maybe one professionally run, well promoted and presented competition with one high-profile award ceremony would be a more effective solution for all concerned? Perhaps even a trans-Tasman competition? Now that would put some much-needed spice into the whole thing.

In an interesting variation, a major winner at the 2009 Australian TDA’s – the Melbourne Recital Centre interior – was entered by thejoinery company and not the architect. Which was good news for Vos Construction and Joinery, Hobart. (From left): Vos joinery manager Tim Rumney, Cathy and Michael Vos with the EWPAA Geoffrey Sanderson Trophy for best use of plywood panels. PHOTO: Jim Bowden

After many years of trying to run its wood awards from within the timber industry, the New Zealand competition is now in the hands of a professional promotions company, and it shows.
Pre and post-event media services were much improved and this magazine found it easier to obtain the quality and range of award images and information that we require.

Entries (not just the winners) from both Australasian competitions (along with wood-based designs from other national and international competitions) will appear progressively in timberDESIGN, and on our new website (www.timberdesignmag.com).