Unique and new designs of wood used in smaller cities in B.C. centres and mid-rise construction were in the spotlight at the 2016 Wood Design Awards held in Vancouver Wednesday night.
The Okanagan didn’t go unnoticed with Graham McGarva and Scott Taylor of VIA Architecture, based in Vancouver, taking home an award for Institutional Wood Design – Small, for their work on the Queensway Transit Exchange in Kelowna.
Photo Credit: VIA architecture.Queensway Transit Exchange mid-construction.More than 350 distinguished design and building professionals gathered for the 12th annual awards, put on by Wood WORKS! BC.
Held at the Vancouver Convention Centre (West), the event recognized leadership in advancing wood use in design and building.
There were 103 nominations in 13 categories from all over the province, as well as some national and international submissions, including England, Germany, Japan, China, South Korea and Taiwan for the new International Wood Design category.
"Advances in wood product research, design, engineering and construction practices have expanded the possibilities for wood in building and design," said Lynn Embury-Williams, executive director, Wood WORKS! BC, in a statement. "Not only are we playing an important role in sustainable development and climate change mitigation, we are also creating a contemporary built environment that celebrates our heritage.
“The forest industry is the foundation of our province and we're proud to showcase our sustainably sourced wood products in our remarkable buildings to the world."
According to Embury-Williams, B.C. is a leader in wood design and building, with visionary designers and project teams.
