A recently launched WoodSolutions competition offers a total prize pool of $100,000 for new home designs that best showcase the positives of building with timber - in particular the ability to withstand increasingly adverse weather events as Australia’s climate continues to change. The competition is part of The Resilient Timber Homes Program - an exciting new initiative designed to support the construction of more resilient homes across Australia, using timber.
Timber has a long-held reputation amongst Australian designers, architects, engineers, developers and builders for its myriad of benefits, including strength, durability, beautiful aesthetics, affordability, versatility, and sustainability. Good design has historically resulted in safe and comfortable homes, able to withstand the harsh Australian climates.
However, wood is also suitable for an increasingly important feature – the role it can play in creating resilient buildings.
The WoodSolutions Resilient Timber Homes Design Competition therefore aims to demonstrate how Australian homes can be designed using timber with a resilience-focused approach, for improved occupant safety and wellbeing, alongside increased value for investors and the community.
“At WoodSolutions we are continually impressed by the talent, creativity, and ingenuity that exists amongst Australian home designers,” said Resilient Timber Homes Program Manager, Paolo Lavisci.
“This competition provides a valuable opportunity for the design community to showcase its talents and work together to create a better and more resilient future for Australian houses and the families who occupy them.
“Specifically, we are looking for innovative home designs that use wood to help withstand the impacts of natural disasters, including fires, floods and high winds,” said Lavisci.
The competition - based on the Australian Institute of Architects (AIA) Model Conditions for an Architectural Competition - will be run in a single stage, with two briefs for entrants to choose from.
Entrants will be required to prepare their final designs for assessment by Friday 23 June, after which a Jury comprising leading design and build experts from across Australia will decide on the two winning entries, that will receive prize money of $50k each.
Following the competition, the program’s Partners may commission a full set of construction drawings from the winners, while WoodSolutions will work to support further R&D work suggested from the competition’s ideas.
For more information about the competition and how to enter, visit the Resilient Timber Homes Program’s Design Competition website to download the brief.
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Media contact for information or to coordinate interviews please contact:
Sarah Downey
Senior Marketing and Communications Manager
Forest & Wood Products Australia
P: 03 9927 3200 M: 0438 704 591
E: sarah.downey@fwpa.com.au
Key Facts:
WoodSolutions Resilient Timber Homes competition closes Friday 23 June.
About us:
About Resilient Timber Homes Program
The Resilient Timber Homes Program aims to work with the design and construction industries to help address the pressing need for more resilient homes, built to withstand the increasing frequency and severity of natural disasters in Australia. Alongside the Resilient Timber Homes Design Competition, the initiative will see the creation of a comprehensive Resilient Timber Homes Design Guide, to furnish builders and architects with the very latest expert advice relating to the role of timber in building more resilient homes. Given Australia’s changing climate and the likelihood that natural disasters will continue to impact the built environment, the Resilient Timber Homes Program is a much needed and timely initiative. The program will ensure builders and architects have access to unprecedented knowledge and resources that will support them in creating homes for Australian families that are not only beautiful, affordable and sustainable, but also with the resilience to withstand the natural disasters that are likely to become increasingly prevalent. This initiative is funded by various WoodSolutions partners, including key research partners FTMA and OneFortyOne.
About WoodSolutions™
WoodSolutions is a world leading resource for designing and building with wood. Hosting over three thousand pages of information, downloadable resources, technical publications, and design guides, the WoodSolutions website is your go-to for independent, non-proprietary information and education about timber and wood products aimed at professionals in building design and construction. Our aim is to offer a nationwide support network that will create the next generation of architects, designers, developers, engineers, wood workers and consumers. Providing free information and education through professional seminars, webinars, expert advice and online learning tools on all things timber, WoodSolutions is a valuable resource for anyone working with wood. WoodSolutions is resourced by Forest & Wood Products Australia Ltd, a not-for-profit company funded by levy paying members and the Australian Government to provides national research and development and promotional services to the Australian forest and wood products industry.
Contact details:
Media contact:
Sydney Lang
Pesel & Carr
E: sydney.lang@peselandcarr.com.au
M: +61 490 255 405
