TREEHOUSING International Wood Design Competition Winners Announced

(Image: In the tall wood housing category, co-winner of the Grand Prize was Ayla Harvey (South Africa), an architectural student. Her design “Jungle Gym” was praised by the jury as “playful and imaginative capturing the dynamic spirit of urban life.” Courtesy of Ayla Harvey and DBR | Design Build Research School.)

The winners of the TREEHOUSING International Wood Design Competition were recently announced at the XIV World Forestry Congress in Durban, South Africa.

More than 200 projects by teams representing 60 countries were submitted for the contest, which was jointly organized by the Canada-based DBR | Design Build Research School and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

Housing for the world’s growing urban population and the threat of deforestation are two of the most significant issues facing humanity today. The competition challenged architecture students, professional architects and engineers around the world to develop innovative wood housing and affordable urban building solutions for Africa and beyond. Entrants were required to use any sustainably harvested wood material or product as the primary material for their designs.

For more information and to view the complete list of winners, visit the TREEHOUSING website.