The winning projects of this year’s U.S. Wood Design Awards have been revealed! Washington D.C.-based nonprofit WoodWorks – Wood Products Council chose 19 honorees across nine categories that demonstrate wood’s value “as a nimble and modern building material, ushering in new precedents and challenging the public’s perception of its role in the built world.”
The projects, some of which were brought to completion in the midst of the 2020 pandemic, represent a dazzling array of wooden architecture, including grand chapels, multi-family housing, commercial buildings, university buildings and museums. They also showcase big trends in wooden architecture like cross-laminated timber, glulam (glued laminated timber) and charred siding.
“This year’s award winners epitomize the innovation, resilience, and flexibility required for projects to flourish in a changing world,” said WoodWorks president and CEO, Jennifer Cover, in a statement. “We’re excited to see design and development teams approaching projects holistically, with buildings that respond uniquely to their communities.”
Standouts include the “Wood in Schools” award winner, Oregon State University’s Forest Science Complex by Michael Green Architecture; “Commercial Wood Design” winner Cakebread Cellars in California by BCV Architecture + Interiors; “Institutional Wood Design” winner The Discovery Center in Pennsylvania by DIGSAU; “Durable & Adaptable Wood Structures” winner Trefethen Historic Winery in California by Taylor Lombardo Architects and Preservation Architecture; “Beauty of Wood” winner Karsh Alumni and Visitors Center at Duke University in North Carolina by Centerbrook Architects and Planners, and “Wood in Government Buildings” winner Jones Beach Energy & Nature Center in New York by nARCHITECTS.
Do take a moment to look through all of the winners at the WoodWorks website to see all the cool ways architects are using wood for major projects around the country. It’s pretty inspiring to see this sustainable, renewable and beautiful material being integrated in bold, fresh and modern ways, and some of them are truly breathtaking.
