OTTAWA, ON, April 15, 2026 – The Canadian Wood Council is accepting submissions for the 2026 Wood Design & Building Awards. The prestigious annual program, now in its 42nd year, invites architects, designers, and project teams from across North America and around the world to submit their most inspiring wood projects for consideration.
“The program is a celebration of architectural excellence,” says Ioana Lazea, Senior Manager for the program at the Canadian Wood Council. “Year after year, it brings forward the creativity, ambition, and craft of the industry’s leading designers, those pushing wood to new heights and redefining what’s possible in the built environment.”
In a time when technology is rapidly transforming how we design and build, wood architecture is evolving in remarkable ways. Each year, the program showcases some of the most compelling and beautiful buildings in the world, but increasingly, these projects are also defined by the sophistication of the systems behind them.
Advances in wood products, engineering, and prefabrication are enabling new forms, greater efficiency, and expanded possibilities, while still delivering spaces that feel warm, natural, and deeply human. Wood design innovation is happening at every scale, from refined small projects to ambitious, city-shaping developments. Together they celebrate a material uniquely positioned to respond to some of the most pressing challenges facing the architectural profession today.
Submissions will be reviewed by a distinguished jury of Canadian and American architects. Projects will be evaluated based on creativity, design excellence, and the innovative and appropriate use of wood to achieve project objectives.
Award categories for 2026 include:
- Non-residential
- Residential
- Adaptive Reuse, Additions, and Renovations
- International Building
- Other (e.g. exterior structures, bridges)
The program also includes several specialty awards:
- Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) Award
- Real Cedar Award
- Wood Preservation Canada (WPC) Award
- Regional WoodWorks Awards for Ontario, British Columbia, and the Prairies
Winners will receive a custom wood trophy and be recognized through a media announcement, social media, a feature profile on the Wood Innovation Network, and editorial coverage in Wood Design & Building Magazine (digital edition).
Key Dates:
Early Bird Deadline – May 31, 2026
Submission Deadline – June 26, 2026
For more information and to submit your project, please visit:
https://cwc.ca/wood-design-and-building-awards/
For media inquiries, please contact:
Sarah Hicks
Communications and Outreach Manager
Canadian Wood Council
[email protected] | 1-705-796-3381
About the Canadian Wood Council
The Canadian Wood Council (CWC) is Canada’s unifying voice for the wood products industry. As a national federation of associations, our members represent hundreds of manufacturers across the country. Our mission is to support our members by accelerating market demand for wood products and championing responsible leadership through excellence in codes, standards, and regulations. We also deliver technical support and knowledge transfer for the construction sector through our market leading WoodWorks program.
