Eligibility & terms and conditions

Before submitting your entry into the 2026 NZ Timber Design Awards, please ensure you have read and understood the eligibility criteria and terms and conditions of entry set out below. Timber Unlimited reserves the right to update dates, details and Terms and Conditions at any time. All entrants will be notified of any changes.

Entrant eligibility

• Entry is open to New Zealand residents and citizens, except for the Student Design Award category, where entrants must be currently enrolled in an eligible New Zealand course (including international students studying in New Zealand).
• Entry is open to New Zealand resident architects, builders, architectural designers, engineers, manufacturers, students and other designers who have used timber in projects.

Project eligibility

• Projects entered in previous years must not be entered again.
• Only one entry per project, joint entries between disciplines or firms are welcome.
• A submitted project must be based on a completed building or structure. For the Student Design Award category, the general requirement for entries to be based on a completed building or structure does not apply.
• The building or structure must have been completed between 1 January 2023 and 31 December 2025.
  • All structural primary and secondary elements completed, roof and parts of the facade, but not the interior fit out or services.
• The building or project must have significant timber content, either structural or decorative.
• Projects may include the effective use of timber in combination with other materials.
• Building or project owner’s consent for publicity must be acknowledged on the entry form.
• Anonymity of the owner’s name will be assured if requested in the appropriate part of the entry form.

Category entry rules

• A submission may be entered in a maximum of two of the fourteen categories.

Entry conditions

• An entry fee per category is payable using the online method via the entry portal.
• The entry form must be complete and accurate. Your entry can be viewed online at any time by logging into the system. You will receive an email confirming your entry once it has been processed.
• Entries received after the entry close dates outlined on the Timber Unlimited website or other official channels will not be accepted.
• Entry fees are non-refundable. A refund will only be considered if the Awards are cancelled by the organisers, if a duplicate payment has been made in error, or where a refund has otherwise been agreed in writing with Timber Unlimited on a case-by-case basis.
• Timber Unlimited and the judging panel reserve the right to determine the eligibility of entries, to move entries between categories where appropriate, and to withhold an award in any category if, in their opinion, no entry meets the required standard. The judges’ decisions are final and no correspondence will be entered into.

Permissions, publishing & privacy

• It is the sole responsibility of the entrant to obtain all necessary permissions from clients, project owners, and photographers prior to submission.
• Timber Unlimited may publish all entries, including project details and images, on the Timber Unlimited website and may use these materials in subsequent web articles, advertising and publicity relating to the Awards programme, including future Awards.
• Entrant and project contact details shall be collected and processed exclusively for the administration of the Awards and related communications, in strict accordance with Timber Unlimited’s privacy policy.
• Submitted images may be displayed on Timber Unlimited’s website and utilised in Awards-related publicity as stipulated under these Terms, Conditions & Permissions.

By submitting images, the entrant grants Timber Unlimited a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to use such images for the following purposes:

• Inclusion in audio-visual presentations during official Design Award functions;
• Publication on Timber Unlimited’s official social media platforms and website for the purpose of showcasing entrants and award highlights;
• Post-event promotion of projects entered in the Awards programme, including but not limited to features on Timber Unlimited’s digital channels;
• Press releases and related media communications to promote award recipients and their designs.

Timber Unlimited reserves the right to apply reasonable cropping or minor adjustments to submitted images, provided such modifications do not alter the original intent or composition. Any alterations beyond basic layout adjustments shall only be undertaken with the prior written consent of the photographer.

Restrictions & Permissions

• Submitted images, drawings, and other visual materials shall not be used for general marketing purposes unrelated to the Awards. Should Timber Unlimited wish to use any image for purposes other than those expressly stated herein, Timber Unlimited shall seek prior agreement with the photographer and negotiate appropriate licensing terms.
• Timber Unlimited shall not distribute submitted images to third parties for their own use. In the event that an Award Sponsor requests access to imagery, Timber Unlimited will provide the sponsor with the photographer’s contact details to enable direct negotiation of licensing arrangements. For the avoidance of doubt, Award Sponsors and other third parties shall not receive usage rights from Timber Unlimited under these Terms.

Liability Disclaimer
Timber Unlimited shall not be liable for any loss, damage, or expense incurred by the entrant arising out of or in connection with the use of submitted materials in accordance with these Terms and Conditions. Timber Unlimited accepts no responsibility for any unauthorised use of images by third parties, including but not limited to media outlets, or social media platforms. Entrants acknowledge and agree that participation in the Awards and submission of materials is at their own risk.

By submitting an entry to the NZ Timber Design Awards, the entrant expressly agrees to the following:

Acknowledgement of Terms
The entrant confirms that they have read, understood, and agreed to all Terms and Conditions of entry as set out in this document.

Grant of Licence
The entrant grants Timber Unlimited a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide licence to use any images, drawings, and related materials submitted as part of the entry for the purposes outlined in the Image Usage Policy clause and the Permissions, Publishing & Privacy section.

Intellectual Property & Indemnity
All intellectual property rights in the submitted materials, including but not limited to images, drawings, and written descriptions, remain the property of the entrant and/or the original rights holder. By entering the Awards, the entrant warrants that they hold all necessary rights and permissions to submit these materials and to grant Timber Unlimited the licence to use them as set out in these Terms, Conditions & Permissions. The entrant agrees to indemnify Timber Unlimited against any claims, damages, or liabilities arising from infringement of third-party intellectual property rights.

Permanent Display of Drawings
The entrant permits Timber Unlimited to display any submitted drawings permanently on its official website, with appropriate accreditation.

Payment Confirmation
The entrant confirms that the required entry fee per category has been paid in full.

Liability Disclaimer
The entrant acknowledges and agrees to the Liability Disclaimer set out above, and confirms that participation in the Awards and submission of materials is entirely at their own risk.

Entry Requirements
All Stage 1 entries must be submitted via the online entry portal.

Entrant eligibility

• Entry is open to Year 3 and 4 students, as well as students enrolled in a relevant master’s degree, at a New Zealand tertiary education provider. This includes domestic and international students who are enrolled at a recognised New Zealand tertiary institution.
• Entrants must be currently enrolled in, or have completed their studies within the 12 months immediately prior to the Awards entry closing date, from a recognised New Zealand tertiary programme (for example architecture, engineering, building science, industrial design, interior architecture, construction or a related discipline).
• Entries may be submitted by individual students or student teams. For team entries, all team members must meet the student eligibility requirements and one student must be nominated as the primary contact.

Project eligibility

• A submitted project must be student work produced as part of a formal course, studio, thesis or research project at a recognised New Zealand tertiary institution.
• For the Student Design Award category, the general requirement for entries to be based on a completed building or structure does not apply. Instead, a submitted project may be built, unbuilt or conceptual, provided it reflects a realistic application of timber design.
• A submitted project must have been completed for assessment between 1 January 2023 and 31 December 2025.
• A submitted project must have significant timber content, either structural or decorative.
• Projects may include the effective use of timber in combination with other materials.
• Projects entered in previous years in any NZ Timber Design Awards category must not be entered again.

Verification & permissions

• The supervising lecturer, studio coordinator or academic supervisor associated with the project must be named on the entry form.
• The supervising lecturer or academic supervisor may be asked to verify that the work is the entrant’s own student work, produced as part of the stated course or programme.
• Where a project has been developed in collaboration with an external organisation (for example an industry partner, client or sponsor), the entrant is responsible for obtaining any necessary permissions before entering, in addition to the general permissions requirements set out in the Awards Terms, Conditions & Permissions.

Category entry rules

• A project entered in the Student Design Award may also be entered in one additional category, provided it meets the eligibility criteria for that category, is submitted accordingly, and will incur the appropriate entry fee.
• Where a project is entered in both the Student Design Award and another category, project information (including project title, team and key details) must be consistent across categories.