Egurtek, the International Forum of Architecture and Construction in Wood Architecture has closed the doors on its eleventh edition at Bilbao Exhibition Centre. We welcomed 1,759 visitors in all. They came from every one of Spain’s autonomous communities and from abroad, above all from European countries such as Austria, Belgium, Italy, France and Portugal.

A total of 78 exhibitors filled the Expo Zone, travelling from across Spain and from Germany, Australia, the United States, France, Italy, Romania and the Netherlands. Over both days, they unveiled their latest products, technologies and solutions for timber construction. The space put the industry’s innovation directly in front of the professionals working in the sector.

Once again, the Congress proved a major draw, with a high turnout on both days. Renowned speakers from Europe, Asia and the Americas brought to Egurtek their own ways of understanding and working with timber, sharing projects, solutions and experience gained in very different settings. Along the way, delegates saw how other leading names in the sector are tackling the challenges of timber architecture and construction. Exchanging knowledge in this way is essential if the sector is to keep moving forward.

Organised by Baskegur – the Basque Country Wood Association, the four Technical Sessions explored the more specialised side of timber construction, with topics such as heritage refurbishment, habitability, off-site construction and fire safety. Rounding off the programme, the European projects GO CONÍFERAS+ and THRIVE were presented, and participatory workshops were held, among them one devoted to ORCELAN, an insulation solution developed under the European INGUMA project.

WORKinn for Egurtek also made its debut this year. Companies came to present job vacancies and training opportunities, and the initiative attracted young people from several training centres linked to the forestry and wood sector.

The Egurtek Awards reach their eighth edition

Another highlight came with the presentation of the Egurtek Awards. This eighth edition attracted nearly 90 entries, 20 of which were shortlisted as finalists.

In the Building category, the award went to ‘Refurbishment of Zarautz Palace as a New Cultural Facility’, by VAUMM Arquitectura y Urbanismo SLP, while ‘Building for Infinito Delicias’ and ‘Oceanika Coliving’ were highly commended. For Interior Design, the prize went to ‘Interiors for the Refurbishment of the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters at the University of Zaragoza’, by Magén Arquitectos, with a commendation for ‘DBH Hankaz Gora!’. The Product Design award, for its part, recognised ‘New Patented Timber-to-Timber Connection Systems’, by Antonio Jesús de los Aires Solís.

Turning to the special categories, Madera Local-Basque Quality honoured ‘Agricultural Storehouse in Lamixene’, by MUGARA Arkitektura. Bois/Egurra/Madera (BEM) went to ‘Bilbao Bizkaia Museoa. Comprehensive Refurbishment of the Basque Museum of Bilbao’, by VAILLO + IRIGARAY, and the Outreach award to ‘Wooden Life. Engineered Timber in Multi-Family Housing’, by Guillermo Pozo Arribas and Justo Diaz Diego.

Opening Egurtek was Amaia Barredo, the Basque Government’s Minister for Food, Rural Development, Agriculture and Fisheries, at a ceremony also attended by José María González-Pinto, Dean of the Official College of Architects of the Basque Country and Navarre; Shaila Olmos, President of Baskegur; and Xabier Basañez, Managing Director of BEC.

Organised by Bilbao Exhibition Centre, Egurtek is backed by the Basque Government’s Department of Food, Rural Development, Agriculture and Fisheries as institutional partner. Its industry partners are Baskegur – the Basque Country Wood Association, the Official College of Architects of the Basque Country and Navarre, the Bilbao School of Engineering/University of the Basque Country, Infoedita and Tecnalia.