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2020 Wood Design & Building Awards Event Banner
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Wood Design & Building Awards

The Wood Design & Building Awards program invites North American and International entries for 2020 -honouring excellence in wood architecture.

Entries should consist of building projects that show a wide range of wood product applications and demonstrate an understanding of the special qualities of wood, such as strength, durability, beauty and cost-effectiveness.

All projects completed in the period between January 1st, 2017 and November 15th, 2020 are eligible for entry [except previous winning projects of the Wood Design & Building Awards].

A jury of prominent architects from Canada and the U.S. will review all entries based on various considerations such as creativity, appropriate use of wood materials in satisfying clients’ building and site requirements and innovative design. The judging will take place on January 28th, 2021 and the results will be announced in February, 2021 .

Honor, Merit and Citation awards will be given at the discretion of the jury. Award certificates and one copy of the 2020-21 Celebrating Excellence in Wood Architecture will be distributed in the fall of 2021 to the winners.

Projects can be submitted in the following categories:

Category 1
Non-residential – Institutional
Non-residential – Commercial Small & Large


The Non-residential Category includes offices, shopping centers, restaurants, stores, churches, motels, hotels, schools, libraries, recreational buildings, fire halls, medical clinics, hospitals, storage facilities, research laboratories, factories and warehouses.

Category 2
Residential – Single Family
Residential – Multi Family

The Residential Category includes single-family detached dwellings and multi-family projects such as duplexes, garden homes, apartments, condominiums, dormitories, low-cost housing and seniors’ residences.

Category 3
Architectural Interiors

The Architectural Interior Design Category includes the significant use of wood finishing in any type of building interior.

Category 4
Remodeled

The Remodeled Buildings Category may involve modifications to the building exterior, interior or both. Kitchen and bathroom modifications alone are not eligible, nor are single room improvements that do not include structural changes. Landscaping projects and other outdoor works are eligible, however, the use of wood should have architectural merit.

Category 5
International Building

The International Building Category includes all buildings both non-residential and residential that were built outside of North America.

Category 6
Other – Exterior Structures, Bridges etc.

Sponsorship Awards
All submitted projects will automatically be considered where applicable for Special Awards: the SFI Sponsorship Award, Real Cedar Sponsorship Award, Sansin Award, the Canadian Wood Council Award and Wood WORKS! Awards.
  • SFI Sponsorship Award – presented to a project (either residential or non-residential) that utilizes products certified to the SFI standard.
  • Real Cedar Sponsorship Award – presented to a project (either residential or non-residential) that utilizes real cedar products.
  • Sansin Award – presented to a project that utilizes Sansin products for wood finishing.
    sansin

  • Canadian Wood Council Award – presented to a project (either residential or non-residential) that showcases excellence and innovation in wood design.
  • Wood WORKS! Awards: Projects built in the provinces of BC, Yukon, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario in the past three (3) years that are submitted to the Wood Design & Building Awards program will be automatically submitted to the Ontario Wood Design Awards, Prairie Wood Design Awards and the Wood Design Awards in BC.
    • Ontario Wood Design Awards - Celebrating wood projects in Ontario that demonstrate excellence in wood design and architecture. Sponsored by Ontario Wood WORKS! (a program of the Canadian Wood Council).
    • Prairie Wood Design Awards - Celebrating wood projects in Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan that demonstrate excellence in wood design and architecture. Sponsored by Alberta Wood WORKS! (a program of the Canadian Wood Council).
    • The Wood Design Awards in British Columbia (BC) celebrates excellence in wood building and design, and recognizes leadership and innovation in wood use. Sponsored by Wood WORKS! BC - a program of the Canadian Wood Council.


Regular Entry Fees:
  • First Entry - $175.00 USD
  • Subsequent Entries - $165.00 USD

  • Deadline to Submit: January 15, 2021 at midnight PST

    Please note that you can start your submission and come back to edit or update it before the deadline date.

    Note: Projects whose main structural components use treelike tropical/semitropical grasses such as bamboo are not eligible for submission.

    Log in to the Abstract ScoreCard

    Questions? Contact: Ioana Lazea -