The winners of The Wood Awards 2009 - Britain’s premier award scheme for wood in buildings and furniture – were announced on 14th October at Carpenters’ Hall. The judging panel was chaired for the last time by the Senior Warden of the Company, Giles Downes of Sidell Gibson. The winner of the Commercial & Public Access category and overall Gold winner was the Kings Place Concert Hall, described by the judges as ‘a tour de force of precision joinery, balancing acoustic performance with pure rational geometry'.  The interior is lined with European oak veneer from a single 500-year-old oak tree, providing total colour and grain matching.

The Structural category was won by the Deal Pier Cafe and Bar, with the structural engineers Price and Myers creating a 'stunning building with razor-sharp detailing'.

The Private category was won by a refurbished Victorian House in West Dulwich, London. Having been poorly converted in the 1960s, Carson Road was gutted before construction could commence, allowing Knox Bhavan Architects to create 'a beautifully detailed suburban family home using a variety of timbers and contractors'.

The winning project in the Conservation/Restoration category once again demonstrated the workmanship and dedication required for this specialist craft. The Merchant’s House, Shepton Mallett, was described by the judges as “a labour of love undertaken to rescue a house and restore it to its former glory” and was widely praised and admired for the “quality and attention to detail achieved throughout”.

The Furniture category was won by Gloster Furniture Limited’s Elan Outdoor Furniture, which also won in the Exterior Furniture sub category. The beautiful outdoor chairs and tables were especially praised for their “intriguing designs and exceptional quality of construction.”

The Offsite Construction category was won by the Falmouth School Design & Technology building, a project where the students worked closely with the architects Urban Salon. The judges found the result 'a truly inspirational learning environment'.

Other Winners on the night were Oak Bridge by McMorran & Gatehouse Architects for the Best Use of British Timber, Hoddinott Hall by Capita Architecture for Best Use of Panel Products, Falmouth School in Cornwall for Offsite Construction and West Mayfield by Oliver Chapman Architects Ltd for Best Small Project. 

Supported by twenty generic sponsors, including the Carpenters’ Company, the American Hardwood Export Council, the Forestry Commission and wood for good, The Wood Awards aim to recognise, encourage and promote outstanding design and craftsmanship in wood, the only sustainable building material.

For more details, including photographs of all the shortlisted projects visit www.woodawards.com