Entry is open to architects, builders, building designers, engineers, and students: to anyone involved in the design or building of suitable architectural structures or elements (see the next question).

Entries must be based on projects that make significant use of timber. Projects must be architectural structures or elements of architectural structures: furniture is not suitable.

Suitable projects include new buildings, renovations, interior fitouts, and outdoor timber structures such as bridges or foreshore developments. See the list of entry categories below.

Projects must be completed by the date of entry and not prior to July 1, 2008.

All projects – except those entered for the Australian Designed International Project Award – must be built in Australia.

A project that has previously been entered into the Australian Timber Design Awards may be entered again in 2011. It may not, however, be considered for any entry category into which it was previously submitted.

You must choose ONE Application Category. You may also choose any or no Distinction Award Categories.

If your project was built overseas, it may only be entered for the Australian Designed International Project Award.

The following flowchart illustrates these points:

An entry may be considered for only ONE of the following five Application Categories.

1. Residential Class 1 – New Buildings
   Single family dwellings or townhouses/villas.
2. Residential Class 1 – Best Renovation
   Single family dwellings or townhouses/villas.
3. Public or Commercial Buildings
   Shops, resorts, apartment buildings, aged care facilities, etc.
4. Interior Fitout
   A fitout of a new or existing building (a renovation). The building may be residential or commercial (offices, shops, building foyers, etc.)
5. Outdoor Timber – Stand-alone structures
   Sheds, landscapes, boardwalks, decks, bridges, etc.
   These projects must be unattached stand-alone structures. For example, a new deck that substantially alters the existing Residential Class 1 dwelling to which it is attached should be entered for Best Renovation, not Outdoor Timber.

An entry into any of the first three categories may also be entered into the Interior Fitout category. This will require the payment of an additional fee.

When choosing your Application Category, go with your strength. For example, a new townhouse that is most noteworthy for its use of timber cladding should be entered in Residential Class 1 – New Buildings. If the project is, instead, most noteworthy for its interiors, the Interior Fitout category is more suitable. And if you feel that the project would be a frontrunner in both categories... then enter it in both categories.

Phone us (on 02 8424 3700) if you need help in choosing an Application Category.

Your entry may be considered for any Distinction Awards for which you feel it is suitable. This is in addition to consideration for one of the above Application Categories.

The Distinction Awards comprise:

1. The Sustainability Award
   The entry that makes best use of sustainable design principles.
2. The Rising Star Award
   The best entry from an entrant who was (1) aged 35 or under on the date of project completion or (2) enrolled in fulltime study on the completion date.
3. The Small Budget Projects Award
   The best entry based on a project costing less than $200,000.

Consideration for Recognition Awards is at the discretion of the judging panel. Entries must contain sufficient information to warrant this consideration. For example, to be eligible for the Timber Flooring Recognition Award, an entry must comprehensively detail the location, type and unique characteristics of all timber flooring.

The Recognition Awards comprise:

1. Solid Timber Cladding Award
2. Timber Flooring Award
3. Engineered Timber Products Award
   The best use of products such as Glulam, LVL, and I-beams.
4. Timber as a Structural Element Award
   The best use of solid or manufactured timber as a primary structural element.
5. Timber Panels Award
   The best use of products such as plywood, MDF, hardboard and particleboard.
6. Wood Veneers Award
   The best aesthetic use of wood veneers in, for example, furniture, joinery or linings of any kind.
7. Australian Certified Timber Award
8. Recycled Timber Award
   The best use of timber that meets this definition: Recycled timber is timber that has been previously used and has served its initial purpose. Recycled timber may be re-used either in its original cross-sectional size or following re-manufacture into smaller dimensions.
9. Treated Pine Award
10. Western Red Cedar Award

Other Recognition Awards may be added at the discretion of the judging panel.

This award is for projects designed by Australian Residents but built in countries other than Australia. These projects are not eligible for consideration in any other category.

All entries will be considered for this award. The general public will choose the winner via an online poll.

Only the winners of the six Application Category Awards will be considered for the Australian Timber Design Award. The judging panel will bestow this award on the entry that they consider to be foremost among all entries.

The Application Awards, the Distinction Awards and the People’s Choice Award are the most coveted. And the top award is, of course, the Australian Timber Design Award.

Every entry must include:

• At least 6 images of the project, both completed and during construction. Renovations should contain before and after photos.
• A project overview (a design statement). Be sure to detail the extent of renovations. Writing this well is crucial, in particular, to your chances in the People’s Choice Award.
• A site plan.

Additional information is required according to (1) the Application Category selected, (2) the Distinction Categories selected (if any) and (3) the Recognition Awards for which the entry is to be considered (at the discretion of the judging panel). The Awards Submission Facility clearly details these requirements.

Typically, each award/category requires:

• The names of timber species used
• A list of where the species were used
• An argument for why the use of timber in the project is exceptional.
• An explanation of why timber was specified
• Relevant images.

This information must address the targeted Application Category, Distinction category or Recognition Award. This is made clear within the Awards Submission Facility.

Please supply no more than 14 images in total. You must upload these into the Awards Submission Facility as low-resolution images (no more than 900 pixels in width). You must also supply a CD/DVD of those images in high resolution form: as large as possible, but no larger than 15 MB. Please send these to The Timber Development Association, PO Box 154 St Leonards NSW 1590.

The Timber Development Association, Forest & Wood Products Australia and third parties selected by The Timber Development Association (e.g. Australian Timber Design Awards Partners) reserve the right to use all images, drawings and written information submitted into the Awards Submission Facility in educational and promotional activities.

You must submit your entry via the online Awards Submission Facility. No other form of entry will be accepted. Upon registering, you will be provided login details for this submission facility.

The submission facility allows for input of all entry details and for the uploading of project images and supporting documentation (e.g. site plans and certificates).

You should retain for your records a completed copy of all information submitted into the Awards Submission Facility.

Please do not supply presentation boards. TDA may produce standardised presentation boards for use at Awards presentation events and at other promotional events. These boards will remain the property of TDA.

The 2011 judging panel will include an architect, an engineer, an academic and a builder. This broad representation across professions ensures that winners excel in all aspects of design.

Separate industry panels, which may include sponsors, will select winners of the Recognition Awards.

The general public will choose the winner of the People’s Choice Award via an online poll.

Judges are looking, in particular, for innovative and context-suitable timber use.

When writing your design statement, make sure that every sentence addresses timber use. Tell us why your use of timber is exceptional.

Don’t just target one or two Recognition Awards. These awards are judged independently of each other, so a good entry may win several Recognition Awards. This is an important feature of the competition.

In our experience, judges respond very favourably to well written entries. Keep your average sentence length under 20 words. Begin each paragraph with a topic sentence. Keep paragraphs short. Use proper capitalisation rules – and do not capitalise for emphasis. Try to avoid the passive voice.

Entry costs $275 (includes GST). Please pay via the online registration form. To pay by cheque, please fill in and mail a printed copy of the online registration form to The Timber Development Association, PO Box 154 St Leonards NSW 1590.

Entry/registration opens February 11, 2011.

Complete entries must be received by June 17, 2011.

Register for the 2011 Australian Timber Design Awards.