A civil engineering student at University of Galway has claimed top honours in the inaugural Future Timber Design Awards 2026.

Forest Industries Ireland (FII) developed the awards to promote sustainable and innovative timber construction and design.

The new student-focused initiative, supported by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), is being run in collaboration with architectural and engineering faculties at selected universities.

Timber design awards

Engineering students at the University of Galway were asked to explore the potential of timber as a primary structural and architectural material.

Projects had to focus on using homegrown timber as the key structural material, while keeping in mind real-world challenges or design constraints.

Applicants were given 18 weeks to conceptualise and design their projects and were supported with drop-in sessions during the design phase, guest lectures on timber-led construction, and access to digital resources on sustainable timber systems.

The judges selected Diarmuid Murray, a Master of Engineering (Civil) student, as the overall winner of the awards in the University of Galway.

Diarmuid’s design project addressed the growing need for improved onshore facilities at a local sailing club by creating comprehensive timber building designs for a clubhouse, boat shed, and pavilion.

The winning project also incorporated an innovative sensing system for timber elements, a biodiverse green roof and solar panels contributing to on-site renewable energy.

The full list of University of Galway Future Timber Design award winners, who are all Master of Engineering (Civil) students, is as follows:

Diarmuid Murray: Overall winner and most innovative structural design.
Caoimhe Kelleher and Seamus Connolly: Highly commended for sourcing and specification of homegrown timber and design;
Kian Mahony and Ben Powell: Highly commended for best use of homegrown timber;
Darragh Cloonan: Honourable mention for overall design;
Jason McHugh Dolan and Bill Fitzgerald: Honourable mentions for best use of Irish cross laminated timber;
Eoghan Jennings, Eoin Finnerty, Liath Lenihan, Mark McMahon, and Phelim McCann: Honourable mentions for best 3D visuals.

The entries were judged by University of Galway lecturers and FII representatives, with the overall winner presented with a Future Timber Design trophy and €500, while various cash prizes were awarded to the runners-up.

Commenting on the awards, Dr. Patrick McGetrick, associate professor, School of Engineering at the University of Galway, said:

"As a university, we worked closely with the FII to devise a competition brief that fits within our coursework aligned with timber engineering and design, as we understand the importance of creating a pipeline of future talent to address sustainability concerns in the industry."

FII

Mark McAuley, director of Forest Industries Ireland, congratulated the University of Galway winners.

"The Future Timber Design Awards highlight a bright future for timber demand. Ireland’s 24,000 farm forestry owners will be encouraged by an increasing trend towards design and construction using timber.

"The environmental benefits of building green homes from timber will support a positive long-term growth trajectory for timber demand from Irish forests," he said.

McAuley said that the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) expects global timber demand to quadruple by 2050.

"We have built a national forest estate of 800,000 hectares, more than half of which is privately owned, mostly farm forestry.

"Timber from these forests will be a valuable crop as timber demand continues to increase in line with the trend towards greener construction methods," he added.

A second awards ceremony announcing the winning projects developed by students of architecture, architectural technology, and timber technology at TU Dublin will take place on June 5.