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Coillte, Once Again Support Third Level Student Wood Awards
- 06 September 2011
Prize winners at the Third Level Student Wood Awards: Caitriona Hickey of University of Ulster (architecture), Neil Campbell, Queen’s University Belfast (engineering) and Jens Kosak, GMIT Letterfrack (design) with Richard Lowe, Wood Marketing Federation and Coillte.
Duncan Stewart, architect and television presenter praised the nine students and their colleges who were shortlisted for the awards at a prize-giving ceremony in the RDS in Dublin recently. The award for the best design project went west to the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology - GMIT in Letterfrack. He also called on other colleges to follow their lead and use wood because “it is a proven sustainable material with major environmental benefits”.
Coillte were once again delighted to sponsor these awards showing their ongoing commitment to educating people about the benefits of wood as a building material. Richard Lowe, Head of Sales & Marketing, Coillte Forest said “Previously award winners have gone on to pursue successful careers in wood and related businesses. These awards demonstrate that Irish third level colleges are now incorporating wood in engineering, architecture and design courses, which bodes well for the future of our industry.”
Award winners have gone on to exhibit their designs at Irish and international shows. A number of students are already discussing the commercial production of their projects including Jens Kosak and shorlisted student Robert Stack, Bray Institute of Further Education who designed a mobile timber marquee.
The objective of the awards is to encourage students to explore functional, aesthetic and design aspects of wood and wood products. The awards are judged by top professionals in the fields of architecture, engineering and design. This year they were judged by Duncan Stewart, Simon O’Driscoll of O’Driscoll Furniture, Malcolm Jacob an engineer who specialised in wood construction and Maurice Brooks, Director Wood NI.
Christy Conway, Chairman of the Wood Marketing Federation thanked the participating colleges and students who “are the generation that will bring wood usage and design to a new level”. He also thanked the main sponsors Coillte and COFORD – the National Council for Forest Research and Development, who have been with the project since it began.
Mr. Conway also praised the colleges for engaging with the Wood Marketing Federation in its nationwide wood promotion drive to encourage greater use of wood in architecture, engineering and design courses.
He thanked Wood NI for their support and the sponsors of the awards who “have continued to fund the project despite the economic downturn. “These are vital to future of the wood and wood products industry, I also welcome our most recent sponsor the Society of Irish Foresters.”
