Hydrowood shortlisted for Green Building Material award

We're proud to share that Hydrowood has been shortlisted in the Green Building Material/Product category, one of 16 categories in this year's Sustainability Awards, run by Architecture & Design. 

It's a great moment to be recognised alongside some of the country's leading names in design and construction, and a nice nod to the work that goes into giving reclaimed Tasmanian timber a second life in buildings and interiors around Australia. 

What are the Sustainability Awards 

The Awards are Australia's longest-running program dedicated to responsible design and construction, now marking its 20th year. Over two decades it has grown into one of the industry's most respected benchmarks, recognising projects, products, practices and people pushing the built environment forward. 

Finalists are judged across 16 categories spanning architecture, interior and landscape design, materials and construction methods, industry practice, community impact and leadership. According to the program's organisers, this year's shortlist reflects how far the industry conversation has moved, from an early focus on energy efficiency and material selection to a broader view that includes resilience, longevity, adaptability and the long-term value a building or product brings to the people who use it. 

The Green Building Material/Product category, where Hydrowood has been shortlisted, looks specifically at materials and products helping the industry build better, from where they come from to how they perform once they're in the ground. 

“Over the past 20 years, we have seen sustainability move from something that was often considered an addition to good design to something that is increasingly inseparable from it,” says Branko Miletic, Program Director of the Sustainability Awards and Editor of Architecture & Design.

This year’s shortlist demonstrates just how far the industry has progressed, while also challenging us to consider what the next 20 years of sustainable design must deliver.”

Why this one matters to us 

Hydrowood recovers Tasmanian timber from forests submerged when hydro-electric dams were built on the state's west coast, particularly around Lake Pieman, giving species like Myrtle, Huon Pine, Blackwood, Sassafras, Celery Top Pine and Hydrowood Oak a second life in the built environment. 

That timber ends up as flooring, joinery, cladding and feature pieces in projects across the country, from Mytle bookshelves in Mona’s new Phrontisterion library to more than 6,000 linear metres of Celery Top Pine aboard the Spirit of Tasmania IV. 

Being shortlisted in a category built around building materials and products is a good fit for that story. It's recognition from an independent industry panel that responsibly sourced, recovered timber has a real place in the way Australia designs and builds, not just as a novelty but as a genuine material choice for architects, designers and builders. 

Where to buy Hydrowood timber 

Hydrowood is stocked through Bowens across Victoria, with mainland representation extending into Queensland and now seven Gubbins Mitre 10 stores across New South Wales. That means easier access for architects, builders and specifiers up the eastern seaboard.

If you're specifying reclaimed Tasmanian timber for an upcoming project, our How to Buy page has stockist details and samples, or get in touch through the Specifiers Portal. 

When the winners are announced 

The 2026 shortlist has just been released, with finalists across all 16 categories now confirmed. Winners will be revealed at the Awards Gala on 12 November 2026, held at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA) in Sydney.  

The Gala brings together architects, designers, builders, developers, manufacturers and industry leaders from across the country, and this year's event will also mark 20 years of the program itself. 

We'll share the result as soon as it's announced. 

Have a look for yourself 

The full shortlist is worth a browse if you're curious how the industry is thinking about sustainability in 2026, or if you simply want to see who else made the cut alongside us. 

View the Green Building Material/Product shortlist 

View all 2026 category shortlists 

Thanks to everyone who's worked with us on the timber, the projects and the products that got us here. We'll keep you posted in the lead-up to November.