The Irish Joinery Awards 2002 saw the widest collection of entries since the awards began in 1998, with submissions up 50% on last year. Entries ranged from furniture commissions to multi-million euro projects, but every entry in the shortlist shared a common theme – exceptionally high standards of craftsmanship. As such, the task of the assessors was a particularly difficult one as Ciaran O’Connor, chairman of the panel of judges explained: “This year, the standard of the entries is twice or three times above previous years, and we were particularly struck by the quality of the finished end products.”
Opening the awards, minister for the Environment and Local Government Martin Cullen congratulated the Irish Timber Trade Association (ITTA), organisers and co-sponsors, for the initiative and highlighted timber as an aesthetic and functional material. “It is important that we recognise excellence. I am very supportive of the broad thrust of the Irish Joinery Awards and encourage others to get more involved in supporting and ensuring a bright future,” he said.
This year has seen the inclusion of a new sponsor, Coford (Ireland’s National Council for Forest Research & Development), two new award categories encouraging the innovative use of Irish wood in joinery applications and recognising exceptional achievement, and more inclusive entry requirements, which open the awards to projects manufactured from abroad but installed in Ireland. Coford joins main sponsor the American Hardwood Export Council, along with the Timber Export Development Division of the Forestry Commission of Ghana, the Malaysian Timber Council and the ITTA, as joint sponsors of the awards.
In addition, the awards have the full support of the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland and the Irish Construction Industry Federation.
An independent panel of assessors adjudicated the entries, chaired by Ciaran O’Connor, assistant principal architect, Office of Public Works, and included Gordon Knaggs, consultant timber technologist, and Tommy Tutty, lecturer, woodworking section, DIT Bolton Street.
For the first time, the ITTA decided to present a Special Industry Award to an outstanding special project – the EU Food & Veterinary Offices at Grange, Co Meath. This project was not eligible for the main awards as the lead architect was also the chairman of the panel of judges. Ronny Guilford, ITTA chairman, said the award met the need for a device to recognise the achievements of the EU Food & Veterinary Offices without compromising the main scheme of awards. Fellow assessor Gordon Knaggs announced the award “for excellence in an exceptional building, which could not be ignored. It is a magnificent tribute to the overall versatility of timber”.
Of the winners, Mr O’Connor said “The assessors sought innovation in design, and excellence in execution. Every tradition must grow new roots and sprout new ideas, and on the evidence seen in these joinery award winners, we are designing and manufacturing with both a memory of the past, yet without fear of the future.”
