The North West Timber Trade Association (NWTTA), in collaboration with the Liverpool School of Architecture (LSA), is proud to launch the 2026 Annual Student Prize for the Use of Timber in Architecture.
This annual competition is open to architecture students across participating institutions and aims to celebrate innovation, sustainability, and design excellence in the use of timber. With support from Timber Development UK (TDUK), the prize highlights timber as a sustainable, beautiful, and structurally effective material for modern architecture.
NWTTA hopes that the competition will help promote timber’s potential as a sustainable construction material, as well as encouraging design innovation using timber. It will also help to build knowledge of timber within schools of Architecture, and make connections between students, academia, and the timber industry.
There are two awards categories:
- Category One: RIBA Part 1
- Category Two: RIBA Part 2
Each project will be judged on its innovative timber design, the student’s understanding of timber as a material, and its sustainability and environmental awareness.
There will be a number of regional prizes per category, with a first prize of £250, the second prize of £150, and a third prize of £100.
Key competition dates are as follows:
- Submission Deadline: 1 June 2026
- Judging Deadline: 11 June 2026
- Winners Announced: 12 June 2026
- Award Ceremony & Exhibition: 24 June 2026 – The Liver Building, Liverpool
Participating institutions are being asked to shortlist up to two entries per category, with submissions needed by 1 June, 2026, at 2pm. The final judging will be conducted by a panel including representatives from NWTTA, TDUK, and leading architecture practices.
Schools wishing to take part should contact Karen Sussex for further information on how to submit entries. Sponsorship is also welcome, with full branding and promotional opportunities.
