The 2026 Wood Design & Building Awards celebrated excellence in wood architecture, engineering and construction in Calgary, Alberta, during the opening of the Calgary Wood Solutions Conference. Organized by the Canadian Wood Council (CWC), the annual awards program recognized 27 projects demonstrating innovative wood design, sustainable building practices and architectural excellence across Canada and internationally.

Now in its 42nd year, the program highlights the versatility of wood as a construction material, recognizing projects ranging from smaller architectural developments to major institutional and urban buildings.

Canadian Wood Council Recognizes Excellence in Wood Construction

The 2026 awards featured 27 project recognitions, including 14 selected by the Wood Design & Building Awards jury, four special sponsored awards and nine WoodWorks regional wood design awards.

The Canadian Wood Council received 149 submissions, reflecting growing interest in innovative wood architecture and advanced construction techniques.

“Through their creativity, skill, and ambition, these teams are showing how thoughtful wood design can create places that are more inspiring, more enduring and better suited to the needs of people and communities,” said Derek Nighbor, President and CEO of the Canadian Wood Council.

2026 Wood Design & Building Awards: Honour Recipients

Five projects received the program’s highest recognition, the Honour Award:

• Muscowpetung Powwow Arbour – Saskatchewan | Oxbow Architecture & Richard Kroeker Design
• Limberlost Place – Toronto, Ontario | Moriyama Teshima Architects with Acton Ostry Architects
• Knight Building – Big Sky, Montana | Integrated Design Cubed (IDCUBED), NKBAK and Peter Rose + Partners
• Vonnegut Cabins – Thoreau, New Mexico | ColoradoBuildingWorkshop, University of Colorado Denver
• X24 (Rectorat de l’Académie de Créteil) – Paris, France | DREAM and KOZ (now AA Group)

These projects demonstrate how wood can support innovative architectural solutions across diverse building types and geographic locations.

Merit, Citation and Industry Leadership Awards

Six projects received Merit Awards:

• Chief Leonard George Building – Vancouver, British Columbia | GBL Architects Inc.
• House for Rejuvenation – Gyeongju-si, South Korea | JK-AR
• Koffler Scientific Reserve – King City, Ontario | Montgomery Sisam Architects
• FortWhyte Alive Buffalo Crossing Paul Albrechtsen Visitor Centre – Winnipeg, Manitoba | Stantec Architecture Ltd.
• PORCH: An Architecture of Generosity – Venice, Italy | Marlon Blackwell Architects with TEN x TEN Studio, D.I.R.T. Studio and Stephen Burks Man Made
• Kìwekì Point – Ottawa, Ontario | Patkau Architects Inc.

Citation Awards recognized The Seed in Shanghai, China, by Challenge Design & Jaz Build, and Tribeca Triplex in New York City by Julian von der Schulenburg LLC.

The Industry Leadership Award went to the Kalesnikoff Modular Facility in Castlegar, British Columbia, designed by Stanley Office of Architecture.

Special Awards Highlight Sustainable Wood Building

Four sponsored awards recognized projects demonstrating specialized applications of wood products and construction materials.

Sustainable Forestry Initiative Sponsored Award

• University of Southern Maine Crewe Center for the Arts – Portland, Maine | Perkins Eastman Architects

Western Red Cedar Sponsored Awards

• A Legacy in Wood: Renewing a Home for Generations – Canmore, Alberta | HSS Design Build
• Tla’amin Ems Aye – Our House Cultural Facility – Qathet (Powell River), British Columbia | Mackin Architects Ltd.

Wood Preservation Canada Sponsored Award

• Muscowpetung Powwow Arbour – Saskatchewan | Oxbow Architecture & Richard Kroeker Design

WoodWorks Regional Awards Celebrate Canadian Architecture

Nine additional projects received regional WoodWorks recognition.

WoodWorks BC Wood Design Awards

• Chief Leonard George Building – Vancouver | GBL Architects Inc.
• Fulmer Family Centre for Childhood Studies – North Vancouver | Public Architecture + Design
• The Hive – Vancouver | DIALOG

WoodWorks Alberta, Prairie Wood Design Awards

• 212 Saskatchewan Crescent East – Saskatoon | Oxbow Architecture
• FortWhyte Alive Buffalo Crossing Paul Albrechtsen Visitor Centre – Winnipeg | Stantec Architecture Ltd.
• Coronation Park Sports and Recreation Centre – Edmonton | hcma architecture + design and Dub Architects, in collaboration with FaulknerBrowns

WoodWorks Ontario Wood Design Awards

• Limberlost Place – Toronto | Moriyama Teshima Architects with Acton Ostry Architects
• Brightwood – 150 Wissler – Waterloo | mcCallumSather
• Making Home at 97 Victoria Street North – Kitchener | BNKC Architects Inc.

Innovation in Wood Engineering and Prefabrication

The 2026 award recipients reflect continued advancements in wood building technology, structural engineering and prefabricated construction.

Innovative wood products and construction methods are expanding architectural possibilities while maintaining the natural character and design flexibility associated with wood.

The recognized projects demonstrate applications across cultural facilities, educational institutions, residential developments, recreational buildings and commercial structures.

These developments highlight the evolving role of wood in contemporary architecture and the opportunities for design teams to incorporate advanced wood construction solutions into increasingly complex projects.

International Jury Evaluates 149 Submissions

The 2026 awards were evaluated by an international jury consisting of:

• Steven Paynter, Regional Growth Director and Principal, Gensler
• Susan Jones, Founding Principal, atelierjones
• Sasa Radulovic, Partner, 5468796 Architecture

Projects were assessed on creativity, design excellence and the innovative and appropriate use of wood to meet project objectives.

Ioana Lazea, Senior Manager for the awards program at the Canadian Wood Council, noted that selecting recipients from 149 submissions required rigorous discussion and careful consideration.

Advancing the Future of Wood Architecture

The 2026 Wood Design & Building Awards demonstrate the growing sophistication and diversity of wood construction across the global architecture, engineering and construction industry.

From Canadian institutional developments to internationally recognized architectural projects, this year’s recipients illustrate how innovative design, advanced engineering and modern wood building technologies are shaping the future of construction.

The Canadian Wood Council continues to recognize the architects, designers, engineers and project teams advancing excellence in wood architecture through its annual awards program.

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