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NZ Timber Design Awards 2026

• Entries open Monday 15 December 2025 • Gala Dinner Friday 26 June 2026 - Cordis, Auckland •

Awards holding image

The New Zealand Timber Design Awards are back

Now entering their 51st year in 2026, these prestigious Awards celebrate the best in timber design and construction and provide a national platform to recognise outstanding achievement in the use of timber across the built environment.

Proudly hosted by us, Timber Unlimited, the Awards recognise the businesses, people, and teams who are at the forefront of the timber revolution, using timber to deliver beautiful, high-performance, low-carbon, exemplary projects – from large-scale commercial and public buildings through to residential, interior and innovation-focused work.

Event information

Format

Formal gala dinner with pre‑dinner networking drinks & canapés, staged awards presentations, and professional photography coverage.
 

Who can enter

Whether you’re an architect, architectural designer, engineer, builder, manufacturer, student, or any designer who has used timber in a project, this is your chance to showcase world-class timber projects and the people behind them.
 

Important dates
Entry fees

What's new in 2026

New categories

With the use of timber construction continuing to grow, we are introducing two new categories:
- International Project Award
- Public & Community Building Award

We have also refined several of the other award categories to provide clearer guidance and help entrants assess which category best fits their project.

You can check out the category details and judging criteria here.
 

Changes to the two-staged entry approach

We’ve refined the two-stage entry and judging process to provide clearer and more specific requirements for each stage.

Find out more about how to enter and entry requirements here.

The new way to vote for your favourite entry

For the first time, the People’s Choice Award will be decided live on the night by guests at the Gala Event and online voters. This new format puts the spotlight firmly on the audience, giving everyone a chance to help crown one of the 2026 NZ Timber Design Awards winners in real time.

More details about how you can vote for your favourite finalist will be shared closer to the night.
 

A new dynamic awards format

With exciting new categories added, this year’s event is set to be bigger and better! To give everyone extra time to connect and network before the sit-down dinner, we’re introducing a dynamic new two-part format.

Student Design Award

The Student Design Award celebrates emerging designers who are exploring the potential of timber in studio, thesis and research projects.

Green School - Kina

Boon / Charlotte Curd

Green school Kina outside
Previous award winners
The 2023 winners showed a deep understanding of timber’s resilience and strength, acoustics, sustainability, beauty and design versatility. 

Continuing to build trust in the possibilities of timber

The New Zealand Timber Design Society (TDS) has become the new home for Timber Unlimited, providing a stable foundation for the initiative's continued growth.