Dezeen promotion: entries are now being accepted to this year's Wood Awards, which recognise the UK's best timber architecture, furniture and products.

The Wood Awards: Excellence in British Architecture and Product Design is open to any person or studio involved in a project using wood that was completed in the UK in the past two years.

All buildings entered into the awards, which were established in 1971, must be built within the UK, while other products including furniture must either be made or designed within the country.

The Wood Awards are free to enter and are rigorously judged by an independent panel, which visits all of the shortlisted projects in person.

The deadline for entry is 25 May 2018, with the shortlist set to be revealed in July and the winners announced at a ceremony on 20 November. Shortlisted projects will also be included in an exhibition for the London Design Festival in September.

Last year's overall winner was Coastal House, a refurbishment by 6a Architects that showcased existing oak beams and added tapered oak columns to a home in Devon.

The building and furniture judging panels will be chaired by design critic Corinne Julius and Stephen Corbett of Green Oak Carpentry.

"Every year the call for entries for the Wood Awards cast its net ever wider and deeper, as the new wave of enthusiasm for working with wood gathers pace, said Corbett.

"Years ago, timber buildings and furniture were the pre-eminent choice – now it is clear that their time has come around again, presenting enormous opportunities for our foremost architects and designers."

Individual categories for the Wood Awards will be confirmed at the shortlisting. However, the categories for buildings are likely to be: commercial and leisure, education and public sector, interiors, private project and small project.

Furniture and product categories usually include bespoke and production made. There will also be a student category that has two cash prizes of £1,000 for winner and £500 for the people's, which is open to those either in education or those who have left in the past 12 months.

"Wood is such a beautiful, versatile material. It reveals the history of its use, with a richness of patina. There are so many ways to work with it both for commercial production and to make one-offs," added Julius.

"In the last few years there has been a re-appraisal of its qualities with an increasing number of designers responding to its potential, matched by an increased appreciation by consumers."

Images courtesy of the Wood Awards.