Canterbury dominates Timber Design Award finalists

Canterbury projects dominate the list of finalists in the 2012 NZ Wood Resene Timber Design Awards.  Eleven of the 38 finalists were chosen from a record-breaking 93 entries from around the country.

"New Zealand's only Timber Design Awards achieved a massive jump in entries this year, reflecting the desire of professionals to differentiate themselves and their practices from the rest," says NZ Wood CEO Jane Arnott.

"Winning an NZ Wood Resene Timber Design Award provides a competitive edge that is compelling in a marketplace that values expertise. The wards cater to such expertise, and they help draw a line in the sand between mediocrity and brilliance.  In these tough economic times, what better way to do this than to put your work forward to be judged alongside your peers," says Ms Arnott.

The high Canterbury numbers reflected high interest in a new category for 2012: Canterbury Rebuild Innovation which included numerous buildings and structures planned, built or under construction using timber as the structural element.

The Merritt office building on Victoria Street by Sheppard & Rout Architects and Kirk Roberts Consulting Engineers will use a LVL multi-level timber frame structure post tensioned horizontally and will be a world first example of this particular version of the Expan technology - (which was developed at Canterbury University). It is a damage avoidance system which can resist large earthquakes successfully without incurring significant and costly damage, whilst keeping its inhabitants safe.

Opus International Consultants has designed a new Pres-Lam structure to replace Trimble Navigation's Christchurch office and warehouse, which was destroyed by a fire in 2011. Upon completion, it will be the first building in New Zealand to use both post-tensioned LVL frames and walls with energy dissipating devices for the load resisting system.

Other timber innovations from Canterbury which have been chosen as finalists include examples of sustainable and architecturally excellent residential and commercial buildings, building innovations, interior excellence at the Koru Lounge, a timber bridge and a wooden puzzle using recovered rimu from demolition yards in Christchurch.

Canterburyfinalists:

Post tension timber bridge
 PlunkettStream Forest#3 Ltd
 
Modprefab Net Zero Energy House Christchurch
 Premier Modular Ltd, Rod Yeoman Architect, Richardson Stevens Consulting Engineers
 
Ambrose Heal Shop Rebuild
 Van Herpt Architects Ltd
 
MerrittOffice Building
 Sheppard & Rout Architects Ltd/Kirk Roberts Consulting Engineers
 
Hollow Timber Rounds
 mlb Consulting Engineers
 
C1 Sliding Puzzle
 Jagger Design
 
Merivale House
 Black Hut Limited
 
Trimble Navigation Office and Warehouse
 Opus International
 
ChristchurchAirportAir NZ Regional Lounge
 BVN and Jasmax
 
EnterprisePrecinct & Innovation Campus (EPIC)
 Timbercore
 

Details of the finalists can be found at http://www.nzwood.co.nz/timber-design-awards-2012/.

Winners will be announced on October 9.