The 2018 NZ Wood-Resene Timber Design Awards honoured winners last week at a gala event in Auckland for their creative and innovative use of timber. Wood Processors and Manufacturers Association promotions manager Debbie Fergie said, “In a market crowded with grand designs and wonderful claims for every construction material, New Zealand timber is proving just how versatile and cost effective it is.”

The much-awarded He Tohu Document Room by Studio Pacific Architecture took home the Resene Supreme Award. The judges said, “This is the perfect vessel to display the founding documents of Aotearoa. Highly developed manufacturing technologies are woven together with traditional timber materials, showcasing how timber can deliver technological, social and cultural value in a beautiful way.”

Runner up for the Supreme Award went to Cymon Allfrey’s Family Bach in Hanmer Springs. “An interesting redefining of the family bach as a series of separate yet interrelated buildings with shared common spaces,” the jury said. “A building where architecture hero’s wood, and wood has hero’d architecture.”

The jury – which included Pamela Bell of Prefab NZ; structural engineer at BRANZ, David Carradine; NZIA president Tim Melville; and sustainable architect at Scion, Andrea Stocchero – awarded wins in ten categories to projects from across New Zealand.

Judges commented, “The remarkable achievements of all contestants show how wood is the perfect material to deliver more sustainable and resilient buildings. It’s fantastic to see the growing use of local products such as CLT, glulam and LVL in a broader range of applications with some stunning results.”

They added, “It’s evident there is great collaboration between architects, engineers, suppliers, fabricators and builders to produce some outstanding and highly innovative timber buildings and structures.”

See a full list of winners and commended projects below:

Residential Architectural Excellence

Winner – The Family Bach by Cymon Allfrey Architects 

Commended – Madras Street by Coll Architecture

Commercial Architectural Excellence

Winner – Te Wharehou o Waikaremoana by Tennent Brown Architects

Commended – St Andrews College Centennial Chapel by Architectus

Commended – Mt Pleasant Community Centre by Chris Moller Architecture + Urbanism

Engineering Innovation

Winner – Mt Pleasant Community Centre by Chris Moller Architecture + Urbanism

Commended – Kaikoura District Council by A Buchanan PTL, Graeme Whimp, Design Base and Nelson Timber Solutions

Commended – Callaghan Innovation Laboratory by Chris Moller Architecture + Urbanism in collaboration with MOTM, Dunning Thornton and eCubed.

Excellence in Engineered Wood Products

Winner – Seafood Research Centre, Plant & Food Research by Jerram Tocker Barron Architects

Commended – Wellington International Airport Extension by Warren & Mahoney

Multi Storey Timber Building Award

Winner – Te Pa Tauira: Otago Polytechnic Student Village by Logic Group, Mason & Wales, Naylor Love, Kirk Roberts and Tricia Love Consultants

Commended – Ara Kahukura by Jasmax and Powell Fenwick

Interior Innovation 

Winner – He Tohu Document Room by Studio Pacific Architecture

Commended – Shortland Health Clinic by Klein Architects

Commended – Wooden Origami House by Will Tatton Architecture

Exterior Innovation and Infrastructure 

Winner – Kumutoto Pavilion by Isthmus Group

Commended – Tree Villa by Matter Architects

Commended – “Timber Cloud” by Jing Kun Ye with Andrew Barrie Lab

NZ Speciality Timber Award

Winner – Pukapuka Road House by Belinda George Architects

Commended – Walton House by John Henderson Architecture

Wood and Fibre Creativity Award

Winner – Te Wharehou o Waikaremoana by Abodo Wood

Commended – X-frame system by Ged Finch

Innovation of Student Design Award

Winner – Henry Fraser, University of Auckland for Newton Central Primary School

Learn more about this year’s projects and see extended awards coverage on nzwood.co.nz.