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Fancy a share of $100,000? Deadline extended for designers to submit concepts for resilient timber homes

A recently launched Resilient Timber Homes Design competition with a total prize pool of $100,000 is inviting submissions of new home designs that showcase the positives of building with timber – in particular, the ability to withstand increasingly adverse weather events as Australia’s climate continues to change.

And now the deadline for submissions has been extended to Friday 23 June, meaning even more time for Australia’s most creative designers to put their ideas forward for consideration.

The competition is part of the Resilient Timber Homes Program – an exciting initiative designed to support the construction of more resilient homes across Australia, using timber.

Timber has a long-held reputation among Australian designers, architects, engineers, developers and builders for its myriad benefits, including strength, durability, beautiful aesthetics, affordability, versatility and sustainability. Good design has historically resulted in safe and comfortable homes, able to withstand the harsh Australian climate.

Wood is also suitable for an increasingly important purpose – the role it can play in creating resilient buildings.

The Resilient Timber Homes Design Competition aims to demonstrate how Australian homes can be designed using timber with a resilience-focused approach, for improved occupant safety and wellbeing, alongside increased value for investors and the community.

“At WoodSolutions, we are continually impressed by the talent, creativity, and ingenuity that exists amongst Australian home designers,” Resilient Timber Homes Program Manager Paolo Lavisci said.

“This competition provides a valuable opportunity for the design community to showcase its talents and work together to create a better and more resilient future for Australian houses and the families who occupy them,” Lavisci said.

“Specifically, we are looking for innovative home designs that use wood to help withstand the impacts of natural disasters, including fires, floods and high winds.

“We have already received some highly impressive entries, and the extended deadline means we have opened up the opportunity for even more, which is incredibly exciting.”

The competition is based on the Australian Institute of Architects (AIA) Model Conditions for an Architectural Competition, and will be run in a single stage, with two briefs for entrants to choose from.

Entrants will be required to prepare their final designs for assessment by the new deadline of Friday 23 June, following which a jury comprising leading design and build experts from across Australia will decide on the two winning entries, each receiving a prize of $50,000.

Following the competition, the program’s partners may commission a full set of construction drawings from the winners, while WoodSolutions will support further R&D work that may result from the competition ideas.

For more information about the competition and how to enter, visit the Resilient Timber Homes Program’s Design Competition website to download the brief.

Posted Date: June 13, 2023

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