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Expanding Our Roots

WOODWORKS! Gala a Resounding Success!!

Interior Beauty Award- Townhouse Renovation at False Creek in Vancouver.

Over 250 people dressed in their finest in order to celebrate ‘Excellence in Wood’ at the inaugural Canadian Wood Council – Wood WORKS! awards Gala in early March.

The Gala, held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Vancouver was a hallmark event, celebrating a growing ‘wood culture’ in British Columbia. Sixty nominations were received for the 11 prestigious awards up for grabs.

Mary Tracey, Executive Director for Wood WORKS! BC, said the goal of the Gala was to “raise the bar” in terms of wood design, wood use and technology in British Columbia.

“By recognizing and honouring excellence in wood design, we are raising the level of awareness,” Tracey noted. “We are essentially challenging all designers and builders in British Columbia to work towards developing excellence in wood and meeting the high level of expertise and creativity set at this event.”

Tracey said the Gala far exceeded their expectations and the quality and level of nominations have already set a high standard for ensuing years. She credits the forest industry and companies and associations involved with the industry for the success of the event, noting that the entire event was funded by sponsoring companies and associations.

“This event was designed to applaud and recognize the use of wood design and construction in BC, could not have been held without the support of these sponsors.”

Tracey noted that the Gala was unique in bringing together the many companies and organizations dependent on British Columbia’s forest industry.

”As far as I know, this is the first event ever held in British Columbia that brought such a diverse group together – all to celebrate wood,” she said. “We had architects, engineers, builders, designers, forest product companies and associations, mill equipment manufacturers, designers and suppliers, municipal and provincial government representatives, all there to celebrate the growing use of growing use of wood in BC! It was a unique event in the fact that we usually hear the wood products industry promoting the benefits of building with wood, but at this event the end users were promoting wood. It was exciting to see this shift in attitude.”

Gold sponsors were: Canfor, Coast Forest Products, Council of Forest Industries, Forintek, Gorman Bros. Lumber, Structurlam, Tembec, Tolko, Western Archrib, Weyerhauser and the Canadian Wood Council. Silver sponsors were: Anthony Seaman Engineering, COE Newnes/McGehee, Wellons and Western Economic Diversification.

The event Gala began with a reception and viewing of the storyboards and pictures of all the nominations, followed by dinner. Minister of Provincial Revenue, Rick Thorpe, was the keynote speaker and gave an inspiring and challenging address regarding the economical and environmental benefits of building with wood and both encouraged and challenged the audience to continue to move forward in wood design and technology. The awards ceremony was then held, with each award recipient receiving a hand-carved trophy, made from the wood specified and supplied by the award sponsor.

The awards were open to nominations from across the province and judged by an independent jury. Jury members included representatives from both Canadian and American architect associations, representatives from UBC's engineering and architecture departments and from the forest industry.

The jury was very impressed with the quality of nominations received and stated that in many cases it was very difficult to make a decision. “Each decision involved lengthy consideration, with attention given to a variety of elements, including value added materials, visual aspects of the project, solutions that pushed the envelope, budgets and detailing of wood,” the jury noted.

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