Trans Tasman Timber Design Awards Programme Announced

Media Release

25 November 2010

Trans Tasman Timber Design Awards Programme Announced

NZ Wood and Australian Timber Design Awards announce the introduction of a Trans-Tasman Timber Design Award open to the design industries in both Australia and New Zealand.

The awards will be made in four categories: * Residential housing * Commercial construction * Community * Multi-storey

A winner and runner up will be announced in each category.

Entries will be drawn from the finalists in the recent Australian and New Zealand national timber design awards, both of which have taken place in the last month.

"This will be the first year such Trans-Tasman awards have been made and we intend it to be the first of many," says Geoff Henley programme manager of NZ Wood.

"Both Australia and New Zealand have built houses in wood for generations. It is part of the Anzac culture. However, interest in wood for other applications has blossomed in the last few years and there is great interest in its use in commercial, community and multi-storey construction", says Geoff Henley

"Awards give us the opportunity to incentivise superior design in wood. Being such a versatile product the only limitation is the imagination of the designer. Trans-Tasman Awards give designers in both countries the opportunity to show what they are capable of across a larger market," says Andrew Dunn, chief executive, Timber Development Association NSW.

Judging for the awards by an Australia/New Zealand panel will take place in the next few weeks with the winners being announced just before Christmas.

"It's not our intention to have a Trans-Tasman Awards ceremony this year, but we are tracking towards an international timber conference that will be held in 2012 at which time all winners between now and then will be given recognition", says Mr Dunn.

Ends

© Scoop Media