Recently in Vancouver, more than 350 distinguished design and building professionals – including architects, engineers, project teams, industry sponsors and guests – gathered to honour the winners of the 2012 Wood WORKS! BC Wood Design Awards. Wood WORKS! is a national industry-led initiative of the Canadian Wood Council; Wood WORKS! BC, with its awards, recognizes and encourages continued excellence in the building and design community.
The 8th annual edition of the Wood Design Awards included the category Interior Beauty Design, and the winner of this award is an unexpected treat: “Art’s Place” Food Services Outlet, Fine Arts Building, University of Victoria, by Antonio James of Victoria-based Warner James Architects. Designed as a freestanding sculptural object in the lobby of the Fine Arts Building, the coffee outlet had to float in in the space without touching walls or windows. Within the elegant two-storey space, James chose to use wood slats for warmth, colour and texture; Western birch, birch plywood and custom millwork are the predominant wood features. During the day, the slats allow for transparency, the daylight flowing into the lobby. At night, “Art’s Place” glows like a lantern, from below and within.