2025 Categories

Non-residential
Residential
Adaptive Reuse, Additions, and Renovations International Building
Other (Exterior Structures, Bridges etc.)

Entries should showcase the use of wood products in any, or several, of their many forms and applications, demonstrating an understanding of the special properties of wood including strength, durability, beauty, and cost-effectiveness. To be eligible, projects must have been completed within the past three years and must be fully constructed by July 1, 2025.

Architect - Elding Oscarson

Structural Engineer - Florian Kosche, DIFK, Norway, SJB Kempter Fitze, Switzerland and H

General Contractor - Blumer Lehmann (timber structure) Oljibe

Photography - Anna Gerdén

Wood Supplier - Stora Enso

WISDOME STOCKHOLM

The extension of the National Museum of Science and Technology features a visualization dome, café, and exhibition hall. The dome, designed for an immersive audiovisual experience, takes center stage under a free-form timber roof, integrating seamlessly with the museum's courtyard. Rather than a typical low structure with a protruding dome, the design places the dome as the focal point, balancing its height with the surrounding lower buildings. The 26x48m timber gridshell roof creates a striking interior and an expressive exterior, showcasing the dome’s unique function. Constructed with flat standard LVL panels, this innovative design explores the potential of timber construction. The project demonstrates the importance of experimental, sustainable architecture that pushes technological boundaries, paving the way for future innovations in timber design.

Architect - Luo Yujie, Wang Beilei, Cao Yutao, Huang Shangwan, Zhang Chen

Structural Engineer - Luo Yujie

General Contractor - Henan Shancheng Construction Engineering Co., Ltd

Photography - Jin Weiqi

Wood Supplier - Shinewood Building Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.

PREPARED REHMANNIA ROOT CRAFTS EXHIBITION HALL

Houyanmen Village has been strategically prioritizing rural industrial revitalization, with plantation construction playing a pivotal role in the village's overall development. In designing the Prepared Rehmannia Root Crafts Exhibition Hall, LUO studio broke away from traditional notions, embracing a design for the hall that balances large-span spaces with local and ecological attributes. Inspired by the cooking of Rehmannia roots, the design centers on light, creating a dynamic interplay of natural light and shadows throughout the building. The near-circular form enhances the light's fluidity, while avoiding complex arcs for construction efficiency. Drawing from traditional wooden construction techniques, the project used small-section column arrays, which were then stacked vertically and horizontally to secure secondary small wooden beams. This lightweight modular system allowed villagers to assemble components without heavy machinery, making construction more efficient and suited to the region's rural roads and conditions.

Architect - SALA Architects, Inc. David O'Brien Wagner, AIA and Jody McGuire, AIA

Structural Engineer - Align Structural, Christian Soltermann, St. Paul, MN

General Contractor - Ridgeback Construction, Tom Letke, Bayfield County, WI

Photography - ESTO Photographics, Albert Vecerka, Brooklyn, NY

Wood Supplier - Vortanz Lumber, Hayward, WI

THE NEST

Inspired by traditional North Woods camp architecture, The Nest blends wood, stone, and contemporary design to create airy, light-filled spaces connected to nature. The two main structures—a Sunroom Pavilion and a Dining Pavilion—are sheltered by sculptural roofs. A glass-walled gallery connects the pavilions, opening to a lakeside deck and a terrace leading to pathways through the woods. The Sunroom serves as a communal living space with large lift-slide doors that transform it into an open-air porch, while the Dining Pavilion seats 85 and features lake views and a granite hearth for family gatherings. Sustainability is central, with reclaimed cedar siding, locally sourced wood, and energy-efficient design, including passive cooling strategies and triple-glazed windows, seamlessly integrating the pavilions with their natural surroundings.

Architect - Paul Masi, Bates Masi + Architects, East Hampton, NY, USA

Structural Engineer - Steven Maresca, Hampton Bays, NY, USA

Photography - Bates Masi + Architects, East Hampton, NY, USA

Wood Supplier - Bear Creek Lumber, Winthrop, WA, USA Liberty Cedar, West Kingston, RI, USA

MOHEGAN TRAIL

This island home, perched on a coastal bluff, was designed to endure harsh storms and overcome the logistical challenges of its remote location. With no access to cargo boats, all materials arrived by passenger ferry, which dictated the use of lightweight, common lumber. To cope with the high winds, in strategic areas the framing is butted together directly, then through bolted with threaded rods and anchored to the foundations, creating shear walls to transfer the lateral forces to the foundation. Exposed framing defines the house’s raw, sturdy aesthetic. Cedar shakes, copper flashing, and traditional building felt form a resilient exterior, while rigid insulation outside the sheathing ensures efficient thermal performance. The saltbox design, oriented to face storms, is a modern interpretation of traditional Northeastern architecture, balancing simplicity and durability amidst the rugged landscape.

Architect - MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects, Halifax, NS, Canada

Structural Engineer - Geoff Axell and Paul Hamson, CBCL Consulting Engineers, Halifax, NS, Canada

General Contractor - Terry and Glen Buggie, Chelmsford, NB, Canada

Photography - Matthew MacKay-Lyons

Wood Supplier - Atlas Structural Systems, Saint Johns, NB, Canada

HILLTOP COTTAGE

The Hilltop Cottage, perched above a river valley, serves as a seasonal retreat, commemorating the place where its owners became engaged.

Clad in Western Red Cedar shingles, the pavilion echoes the maritime and historic Scottish shieling vernacular with thick walls and a hipped roof. Sliding barn doors conceal openings, giving the cottage a monolithic appearance, while retracting to blend interior and exterior spaces seamlessly.

A foundation of local stone grounds the structure, which is crafted with 98% wood for minimal environmental impact. Using local materials, the cottage incorporates sustainably sourced timber, reclaimed pine, and custom-made cedar and oak elements.

This minimalist design balances tradition with modernity, creating a structure that connects with its landscape through natural light, air, and views.

Architect - Patkau Architects

Structural Engineer - RJC Structural Engineering

General Contractor - Rannala Freeborn Construction

Photography - James Dow

Wood Supplier - Canadian Bavarian, Chemainus, BC, Canada / Home Lumber & Building Supplies, Victoria, BC, Canada

ARBOUR HOUSE

Designed for a retired couple, Arbour House in Victoria, B.C., offers accessible single floor living with intimate, interconnected spaces that are perfect for hosting. “The creative use of wood and innovative design elements of this project are impressive,” says Mauraine Bos of Sansin.

The house integrates wood as a key architectural element, and a pleated ceiling of finger-jointed Western hemlock serves as the centrepiece. “A folding wood screen runs through the house and right outside, but the screen has skylights above it, so it brings light through the woven wood ceiling and casts dappled light on the ground, which changes over the day,” says Wood Design & Building Awards juror, Alfred Waugh, of Formline Architecture + Urbanism. “It’s similar to walking under the canopy of a tree and having the light coming through the leaves of the trees.”

The design responds to the site’s coastal breezes, sunlight, and sloping topography, offering a seamless indoor-outdoor experience. “It is a well-executed, beautiful project. It has one single mood: invoking the natural environment around the house,” concluded Waugh.

Sustainably harvested wood is used throughout, from light wood framing to engineered wood components. Renewable energy systems, including geothermal and solar power, further enhance the home’s low-carbon profile, making it both functional and environmentally conscious. In addition, it “utilizes an adequate coating system for the exposure levels, making Arbour House the right choice for this award,” says Bos. “The KP-12UVW and SDF topcoat specification provides the right level of protection, while meeting the homeowner’s requirements.

This project was the darling of the awards program, earning not only an Honor Award but also prestigious recognition from WoodWorks BC and Sansin.