The Best Use of Timber Awards 2016 exhibition showcases the winner and shortlisted entries to the annual RIAS Awards scheme, which combined with Forestry Commission Scotland and Wood for Good to sponsor this award. The Award is aimed at encouraging innovative and creative use of timber in new buildings in Scotland. Also featured are the winning entries from the 2015 RIAS Chapter Awards.
The award seeks to stimulate greater appreciation of home grown timber and its potential for use in construction, with added consideration given to thoughtful and appropriate use of different species. Technical competence is of course paramount and the design and detail of how the timber is used was as much a part of the assessment criteria as imagination and overall architectural excellence. There is no restriction on building type or scale of project – from small to large and from domestic to commercial, the challenge is to show how suited the use of timber is to the development of new architecture in Scotland.
The judging panel was chaired by Willie Watt PRIAS and included Denise Bennetts FRIAS (representing the Royal Institute of British Architects), Alan Jones PPRSUA Hon FRIAS, Andy Leitch (Forestry Commission Scotland) and Stuart McKill (Saint-Gobain).
Winner
Blakeburn
“The winning project demonstrates a good use of a combination of timber products from the structural timber frame to the hardwood flooring and scorched Larch cladding finishes.
The use of scorched Scottish Larch cladding with very good detailing for both the external finish of the house and garage, and its use as an internal feature as a part screen for a full length window, makes a very innovative connection with the adjacent woodland.”
Andy Leitch, Forestry Commission Scotland
Date Completed: September 2015
Building Type: Private House
Architect: A449 Ltd
Client: Anna Karczewska
Main Contractor: Ainslie Contracting Ltd Timber Supplier: Rembrand Timber Ltd
Image Credits: David Barbour (above), A449 Ltd (below)
Shortlisted Entries
Laggan Locks
Date Completed: February 2016
Building Type: Tourism/Leisure
Architect: Sean Douglas And Gavin Murray
Client: Scottish Canals
Main Contractor: A.N. Joinery
Timber Supplier: Rembrand Timber Ltd
Image Credit: David McKenna
Forsinard Lookout Tower
Date Completed: May 2015
Building Type: Lookout Tower
Architect: Icosis Architects
Client: The Peatland Partnership
Main Contractor: O’ Brien Construction
Timber Supplier: Forestry Commission
Image Credit: Maciej Winiarczyk
The Pyramid Viewpoint
Location: Inveruglas
Date Completed: May 2015
Building Type: Viewpoint
Architect: Bte Architecture
Main Contractor: Land Engineering
Timber Supplier: Russwood
Image Credit: Andrew Lee
The Saunders Centre
Date Completed: August 2015
Building Type: Education
Architect: Page\Park
Client: The Glasgow Academy
Main Contractor: Dunne Group Building & Civil Engineering
Image credit: Andrew Lee
Winners in the RIAS Chapters
Aberdeen Society of Architects
Dundee Institute of Architects
Edinburgh Architectural Association
Glasgow Institute of Architects
Stirling Society of Architects
Image: Arka Architects
