THE WOOD AWARDS has announced the 34-strong shortlist for 2026, showcasing the UK’s most ambitious and innovative work in wood across architecture, furniture and product design.
Selected from more than 200 entries, the shortlist comprises 20 buildings and 14 furniture and object projects.
Together, they demonstrate the creativity, environmental responsibility and technical ingenuity of designers and fabricators working with wood today.
The shortlisted projects span the UK, from London and the South East to Yorkshire, the Midlands, Wales and Scotland, reflecting the range of work being undertaken with wood across the country.
Among the 20 shortlisted building projects, six are London based, including a landmark CLT and steel commercial scheme; a six-storey glulam extension to the Old Vic theatre; a timber-hemp addition to a home in Hackney; a series of pavilions for a sustainability centre; a helical timber staircase; and a research showcase of prototype structures and products using a variety of English grown species.
Three university projects have also been shortlisted: a timber and straw kit-of-parts pavilion for Manchester Metropolitan University’s Fashion Institute; a glulam-roofed extension for the Liverpool School of Architecture; and a vast new, publicly accessible cultural hub for Oxford University. Elsewhere in Oxford, a circular cycle pavilion brings timber into the public realm, while in Sussex, the Camber Sands Welcome Centre creates a welcoming gateway to one of the UK’s busiest beaches.
Yorkshire-based projects include the Heritage Quad, a new setting for heritage crafts within the precinct surrounding the Grade I-listed cathedral in York, and Tesco’s first fully timber low-carbon superstore, in Harrogate.
Two projects demonstrate the potential of timber-led retrofit to transform existing agricultural buildings. At Home Farm Evenlode, two barns have been converted into a new headquarters for a finance company, while another has been adapted to create a public exhibition and workshop space for the Henry Moore Foundation.
In Cardiff and Winchester are two very different examples of timber design within educational settings. A traditionally joined solid timber pavilion for a Welsh primary school offers a calm sanctuary for children’s wellbeing, while a new swimming pool roof for Winchester College pushes the structural capabilities of CLT.
Completing the Building shortlist are three residential projects: a Wiltshire home built from Douglas fir, oak and rammed earth; a sculptural ceiling installation of ash ‘pebbles’; and an oak and clay-brick extension to a hillside house in Surrey.
The 14 shortlisted Furniture & Object projects also demonstrate the diverse applications of different timber species and products in contemporary design and making.
Three items have been shortlisted in the Bespoke category: a carved ash mantelpiece; a prototype table made from green oak branches; and a cabinet and wall mirror inspired by forms found in roots and branches.
Four Production furniture pieces include a collection of five-legged ash stools; a mirror crafted from hazel stems; a pine resin table lamp; and a furniture family made from No. 1 grade cherry wood.
The three Sculpted Objects include a circular sycamore table designed to house 200 amulets; an artistic intervention into three sections of wind-blown Scots pine; and a composition of bog oak veneer, carbon-dated to 2500 BC.
The four Student projects feature a lightweight bench utilising industry oak offcuts; a shelf that reinterprets the butterfly joint at an architectural scale; an iconographic folding screen; and a collection of ultra-low-carbon chestnut and oak stools.
Each shortlisted project will be reviewed in person by the Wood Awards judging panels, making the awards a uniquely rigorous competition.
The Wood Awards buildings jury is led by architect Jim Greaves, and includes fellow architects Kirsten Haggart, Jonas Lencer, Sasha Bhavan and David Morley, structural engineers Andrew Lawrence, Nathan Wheatley and Andrew Trotman, architectural journalist Ruth Slavid and sustainability expert Neil Smith.
Jim Greaves, head of the Buildings judging panel, says: “The quality and diversity of this year’s entries made for a rewarding and rigorous selection process. From a strong field of projects, we have selected 20 building schemes, with each demonstrating a considered use of wood, alongside a high level of design ambition and technical skill.
“This year we have again been impressed by the inventive ways project teams are working with timber in response to the increasingly complex demands of contemporary construction.”
“Together, these projects represent some of the most accomplished examples of timber design and construction in the UK today, and I look forward to seeing them in person as the final judging process continues.”
The furniture and objects jury is led by designer and maker Sebastian Cox RDI and includes design consultant Caroline Till, curator Hugo Macdonald, woodworker Sophie Sellu and Ercol chairman Henry Tadros.
Sebastian Cox, head of the Furniture & Objects judging panel, says: “This year’s Furniture and Objects shortlist reflects an exciting range of approaches, from highly considered functional furniture to more experimental and sculptural works, each showing a strong understanding of wood’s distinctive qualities and potential.
“It is particularly exciting to see the way designers and makers are challenging themselves to explore new forms, techniques and applications, while retaining a deep respect for the material and the craft involved in working with it.
“Together, these pieces celebrate the creativity, skill and imagination of the UK’s contemporary furniture designers and makers, and show the many ways in which wood can be transformed into objects that are both useful and beautifully expressive.”
As a not-for-profit competition, the Wood Awards is made possible by the generous support of its sponsors and partners: Carpenters’ Company, American Hardwood Export Council and Timber Development UK.
See page 29 of our October/November 2026 issue on our Back Issues page.
