Author Archives: wood

Wood Awards Ireland 2022 News Update

Aside

Wood Awards Ireland 2022 invites registered architects,* designers, engineers, woodworkers, researchers, students and other practitioners to submit entries for this year’s awards. Wood should be the inherent medium of projects submitted and be sourced from sustainably managed forests.

Wood Awards Ireland (WAI) is organised by Forest Industries Ireland (FII) the forestry group in Ibec in partnership with the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) and Enterprise Ireland (EI) with support from the Forest Service, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. It promotes wood as a sustainable material in innovative projects in Ireland and overseas.

Entries are accepted in following categories:

  • Large-scale public and private buildings.
  • Small-scale private buildings.
  • International award – best overseas project.
  • Restoration and conservation.
  • Furniture – both bespoke and production.
  • Innovation – functional and non-functional including local projects in processing, craft, research and sculpture.

    Download WOOD AWARDS IRELAND 2022 information and application FII RIAI

 

CATEGORY WINNERS 2020

Overall winner: Center Parcs, Ballymahon, Co. Longford. 
Holder Mathias Architects.\Colm Kerr

Large-scale public building winner: Sandford Park School.
O’Donnell + Tuomey Architects.\Dennis Gilbert

Small-scale building winner: Pavilion House. 
Robert Bourke Architects.\ Ste. Murray
Furniture winner: Vinculum Table. 
Alan Meredith. \ Roland Paschhoff

Third level student award category in Wood Awards Ireland 2020

The Wood Marketing Federation invited third level students to participate in Wood Awards Ireland 2020.  WMF had organised an All-Ireland Third Level Student Wood Awards competition from 2006 but this was discontinued after 2015 due to lack of sponsorship. As a result, there is no wood awards competition  in Ireland for  third level students who specialise in wood.  WAI now has a category open to third level students which acknowledges the work carried out by students, their tutors and their colleges in promoting wood usage, design and research. We are encouraged by the response but third level students deserve their own awards as they represent the new wave of  architects, designers and woodworkers.

See details of student awards in attached newsletter.

Entries were accepted under the following categories

A: Large-scale public buildings:  Emphasis on wood as a structural component. Located in Ireland or abroad….

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NATIONAL FORESTRY CONFERENCE 2020

 

We thank Pippa Hackett, Minister of State with responsibility for forestry

and all the speakers who made presentations at the Webinar National Forestry Conference

PROTECTING OUR TREES AND FORESTS

The importance of safeguarding Ireland’s forests from pest, diseases and other damage

Thursday, 8 October 2020

Our thanks to the 216 attendees who logged in to the conference

Organised by the Wood Marketing Federation and the Society of Irish Foresters

Please view or download the following presentations

1. Introduction Donal Magner

2 Richard OHanlon Actual and potential threats

3 Tom McDonald Safeguarding the forest

4 Brian Murphy As the sawmiller sees it

5 Mechteld Schuller As the grower sees it

6 Miguel Nemesio Gorriz New findings in ash research

7 Melanie Tuffen Pest risk analysis in commercial forests

The conference brochure is….

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Wood Awards Ireland 2020 (WAI)

 

The winners of Wood Awards Ireland (WAI) 2020 have been announced. The judging panel chaired by Ciaran O’Connor has selected the overall and six category winners as well as awarding commendations for projects that were deemed worthy of acknowledgment.

WAI 2020 received entries from registered architects, engineers, designers, furniture makers, wood workers, conservationists and third level colleges carrying out postdoctoral research into wood and wood products. This year we also featured a Third Level Student Wood Awards.

The WAI winners were formally announced at a webinar on 26 March 2021.

WAI 2020 Brochure available for download here.

Wood Awards Ireland 2020

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THIRD LEVEL STUDENT WOOD AWARD

Information for Wood Awards Ireland – Third Level Students

Wood Awards Ireland 2020 (WAI) are open to Registered Architects, engineers, designers, woodworkers and other practitioners throughout Ireland who incorporate wood as the inherent medium in submitted projects. Supported by the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI), WAI 2020 is also open to Irish practitioners based overseas. WAI is part funded by the Forest Sector Development Division, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Coillte and Enterprise Ireland. RIAI and the Society of Irish Foresters provide administration and promotional support. Awards ceremony on 12 November 2020 at a Dublin venue to be announced, subject to Covid-19 guidelines. Awards are designed by Michael Warren,  Ireland’s leading sculptor and honorary member RIAI.

Eligible projects must be completed during the period 1 August 2018 and 31 July 2020 and construction projects must be in compliance with the Building Regulations…..

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National Forestry Conference 2019

Scottish presence brightens up climate change conference as Minister Gougeon outlines how Scotland has made forestry a priority and “has invested in developing and growing the sector”.

Mairi Gougeon, Scotland’s Minister for Rural Affairs and Natural Environment  told delegates at the national forestry conference that “there is a growing understanding that forestry and forests are in the front line of our national response to the climate change emergency that faces us all”. She said: “There is great dynamism in forestry in Scotland at the moment. This is because the Scottish Government has made it a priority and has invested in developing and growing the sector.”

In contrast with Ireland, Scotland has 18.5% forest cover and aims to have 21% of the land under forest and….

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FORESTRY AS A CLIMATE CHANGE SOLUTION

Irish and Scottish government ministers joined by expert

speakers at May 30 national forestry conference

The line up of speakers for this year’s national forestry conference in Johnstown House Hotel,  Enfield, Co Meath, on May 30, has been finalised. Irish Government Ministers Creed and Doyle along with Mairi Gougeon, Scotland’s  Minister for Rural Affairs and Natural Environment will address the conference topic  “Forestry as a  Climate Change Solution”.  They will be joined by Justin McCarthy, Editor Irish Farmers Journal and  Prof. Gerry Boyle, Director, Teagasc who will discuss the actuality of climate change in agriculture. Speakers who will examine the role of forests and wood products in sustainable land use, construction and energy include, Stuart Goodall, CEO, Confederation of Forest Industries (Confor), Mike Haslam, award winning….

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NATIONAL FORESTRY CONFERENCE

Minister Doyle launches

National Forestry Conference on Minor Conifers in

Johnstown House Hotel, Enfield, Co. Meath,

Wednesday, 31 May 2017

The National Conference reassessed the future role of minor conifer species in Irish forestry. The term ‘minor conifer’ refers to alternatives to Sitka spruce and includes the following species that have adapted well to Irish soil and climatic conditions: Norway spruce, Douglas fir, Scots pine, larch species, western red cedar, western hemlock and Monterey pine. Sitka spruce continues to be a major species in Irish forestry in terms of yield, site adaptability and market benefits. Its success is the main reason why the Irish forestry and forest products industry has an annual value of €2.2 billion. However, overreliance on one species has led to a one-dimensional forestry sector and could place the industry at….

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THIRD LEVEL STUDENT WOOD AWARDS 2016

 

Minister Andrew Doyle presents top wood awards to

Limerick, Dublin and Galway students

Most of the seven students who made the shortlist for this year’s Third Level Student Wood Awards explored traditional and contemporary timber end uses. While solid sawn timber applications formed the basis of a number of entries, today’s students are invariably attracted to engineered wood products and push timber well beyond its traditional boundaries. This approach reflects global architectural and engineering trends.

Innovative architects, engineers, wood scientists and designers are attracted to structural engineered wood products because they offer design versatility as well as the potential to specify timber for large-scale projects including bridges and multi-storey buildings as high as 53 metres.

Minister of State with responsibility for forestry Andrew Doyle presented awards in the following categories during the annual prize-giving event held in the National Botanic Gardens, Dublin:




Forestry conference 2016

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wood-mobilisation-cover-1x
The National Forestry Conference “Wood Mobilisation”  held in Enfield on July 1 heard how international developments such as the Arab Spring  uprisings and the housing market in China  affect wood mobilisation and price in Ireland. While local issues dominated the conference, international topics were also discussed by speakers who reminded the audience that Ireland now exports most of its sawn timber and virtually all panel board products.

Andrew Doyle,  Minister of State with responsibility for forestry, set the tone for the conference when he outlined the importance of a viable afforestation programme to supply the Irish sawmilling  and timber processing industry but emphasised the need to optimise the existing forest resource.

“We must also maximise the volume of raw material that is harvested from our forests, not just….

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WMF Seminar – Timber in Ground Contact – 3rd September 2015

Cover from Timber in Ground Contact Seminar

Seminar introduced by Paul Harvey, Chairperson, Wood Marketing Federation

 Seminar opened by Dr. Eugene Hendrick, Senior Inspector, Forest Service,

 COFORD, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

 Seminar chairperson: Dr. Annette Harte, Senior Lecturer, NUI Galway

 Presentation by following five experts who examined issues relating to enhancing the life of timber in ground contact as well as addressing the challenges and opportunities for home-grown timber in replacing non-renewable materials.

Pdf presentations below – please click blue link.

  • International perspective – Preservative Techniques – Ed Suttie,
    Director (Research) BRE (Building Research Establishment).

  • A Sawmillers Practical Approach To Timber In Ground Contact – Andrew Kidney,
    Production Director, Balcas Timber Ltd.



THIRD LEVEL STUDENT WOOD AWARDS 2015

Dublin IT, Letterfrack and Bray colleges, UCD and Queen’s

University win top prizes

Download Student Wood Awards Brochure 2015

The flexibility of wood was demonstrated by students throughout Ireland at the 2015 Third Level Student Wood Awards organised by the Wood Marketing Federation (WMF). Presented by Minister of State Tom Hayes last night in the National Botanic Gardens, Dublin, wood was researched for large-scale multi-storey buildings down to fashion accessories such as bow ties.

Minister Hayes acknowledged the wide range of projects after he toured the exhibition prior to the presentations. “It is fitting that the work of students is recognised by the forest industry because of its quality and because it represents an investment in the future of the sector,” he told the attendance at the awards ceremony.

Gerard Murphy, representing the main sponsor – Coillte – praised the students for producing innovative….

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Tenth annual Third Level Student Wood Awards 2015

This year the Wood Marketing Federation (WMF) launches the tenth annual Third Level Student Wood Awards in 2015. These are now regarded as the premier awards for third level students of architecture, engineering and design in Ireland who specialise in making work in timber and timber products. The awards are open to students who incorporate wood as an inherent element in their projects. Award winners have gone on to pursue successful careers in wood and related businesses and have exhibited at Irish and international shows.

Application-for-3rd-level-student-wood-awards-2015

 

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Tenth annual Third Level Student Wood Awards announced

This year the Wood Marketing Federation (WMF) launches the tenth annual Third Level Student Wood Awards in 2015. These are now regarded as the premier awards for third level students of architecture, engineering, design and innovation in Ireland who specialise in making work in timber and timber products. The awards are open to students who incorporate wood as an inherent element in their projects. Award winners have gone on to pursue successful careers in wood and related businesses and have exhibited at Irish and international shows.

 

The objective of the awards is to encourage students to explore functional, aesthetic and design aspects of wood. The awards are judged by professionals in the fields of architecture, engineering and design. The feedback from the judging panel is extremely valuable to students.

Categories

The 3rd Level Student Wood Awards are divided into the following….

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Student Wood Awards 2014

THIRD LEVEL STUDENT WOOD AWARDS PRESENTED

IN NATIONAL BOTANIC GARDENS BY MINISTER OF STATE 

TOM HAYES TD

Irish students provide innovative uses and solutions for wood in construction and design

by Donal Magner

Irish students continue to explore new exciting uses for wood including construction and design as demonstrated once again at the annual Third Level Student Wood Awards. Students continue to push  the boundaries and this year was no exception as wood was explored in a range of uses including high rise construction, interior design, musical instruments and even as a material for hard tops in sports cars.

Tom Hayes, Minister of State Hayes with responsibility for forestry who presented the awards said: “These awards have gone from strength to strength and I….

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NATIONAL FORESTRY CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS

Tom Hayes, Minister of State with responsibility for forestry delivered the keynote address at the 2014 at the national forestry conference What shall we do with the timber? – Opportunities for Irish timber. in Enfield.

He stressed the significant contribution the forestry sector now makes to the economy and society in general, noting that there are just under 12,000 people employed in the Irish forestry and forest products sector and that some 78% of the output of Ireland’s processing sector was exported in 2012.

“The theme of the conference, What shall we do with the timber is particularly appropriate and I am sure that it will be thought-provoking and will give us an overview of the strengths, opportunities and challenges facing our forestry sector,” he told the conference.

In a wide-ranging speech, Minister of State Hayes updated the attendance on current and long….

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third level student wood awards 2014 APPLICATION FORM

WOOD MARKETING FEDERATION AWARDS FOR STUDENTS OF ARCHITECTURE,
ENGINEERING & DESIGN

 

In 2006, the Wood Marketing Federation (WMF) launched the 3rd Level Student Wood Awards in association with Wood NI. These are now regarded as the premier awards for third level students of architecture, engineering and design in Ireland who specialise making work in timber and timber products. The awards are open to students who incorporate wood as an inherent element in their projects. Award winners have gone on to pursue successful careers in wood and related businesses and have exhibited at Irish and international shows.

The objective of the awards is to encourage students to explore functional, aesthetic and design aspects of wood. The awards are judged by professionals in the fields of architecture, engineering and design. The feedback from the judging panel….

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WMF COLLABORATE WITH THE TREE COUNCIL OF IRELAND TO PROMOTE WOOD IN SCHOOLS

WMF has collaborated in the past with the Tree Council of Ireland in promoting wood to schools. We produced the posters Wood: A Renewable Resource, for circulation to secondary schools with help from Akzo Nobel-Sikkens and COFORD.

We decided in January to launch a poster for Primary Schools 5th and 6th classes. This would require producing 4,000 posters to be distributed to 3,500 schools at a cost of €6,800 for design, print, postage and packaging. The cost was prohibitive but the Tree Council came up with funding for 75% of postage and packaging and with support from COFORD as part of our wood promotion budget and WMF core funding we went ahead with the project.

Wood A Renewable Resource (above) and The Wood and the Trees (below) for Primary Schools (larger poster sizes available in our publications section)

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