Intergrain Timber Finishes  has confirmed its judging panel for the inaugural Intergrain Timber Vision Awards, with esteemed Australian architects, Tone Wheeler and Nicholas Murcutt, set to join the Awards’ jury.

Wheeler and Murcutt will bring with them their joint passion for showcasing Australia’s innovative talent and further establishing the Intergrain Timber Vision Awards’ reputation for driving the visionary use of timber in design.

Launched at designEX 2010, the inaugural Intergrain Timber Vision Awards invites emerging and established architects, landscapers and designers nationwide to showcase their visionary use of timber in residential and commercial design projects.

Tone Wheeler is a renowned architect and director of environa studio in Surry Hills, Sydney. He has won numerous awards and competitions for architecture and urban design and has an abiding interest in environmental sustainability. Wheeler's notable resume includes a self sufficient house/studio in the Whitsunday Islands for Dr Edward de Bono and housing for a cooperative of students reusing an inner city warehouse. His passion for sustainability drew him to be part of the Intergrain Timber Vision Awards, which celebrate the use of timber in innovative ways.

“It delights me to be part of the Intergrain Timber Vision Awards jury as I feel it’s important to recognise and reward the outstanding work produced by Australia’s architects and designers. That these awards celebrate the use of timber in design, which is so beautifully showcased by our architects and designers, is something I’m proud to be a part of and I look forward to seeing what the entrants have to offer,” said Wheeler.

Nicholas Murcutt studied at both the University of Technology and the University of Sydney before establishing Neeson Murcutt Architects with Rachel Neeson in 2004. Since then, the work of Neeson Murcutt Architects has been recognised for design excellence locally and internationally through awards, publications, lectures and exhibitions. When asked why he was participating in the Intergrain Timber Vision Awards program, Murcutt cited his desire to support an initiative that relates timber with high quality contemporary architecture.

“Australia’s architects sit amongst the best in the world for progressive design. I’m continually impressed by the calibre of work to come out of this country and I am very pleased to sit on the judging panel for these timber design awards,” said Murcutt.

The judging panel for the Timber Vision Awards also includes Jason Anderson from the Dulux Group, who along with Wheeler and Murcutt will judge timber design projects submitted across the four Award categories:

  • Residential Interior
  • Residential Exterior
  • Commercial Interior
  • Commercial Exterior.

Winners will receive a $2,000 cash prize, editorials featuring their project in industry magazines, plus Intergrain product valued at over $8,000.