The IDEASxWOOD contest is now in its fifth edition (deadline June 10, 2023), an initiative promoted by TABU, Italian excellence in natural wood dyeing and multilaminar wood technology, and sponsored by ADI, Federlegno Arredo and FSC® Italia. The annual competition is a project aimed at supporting the knowledge of wood and its enhancement as a noble, living and renewable raw material.

For IDEASxWOOD, it is possible to present projects for multilaminar veneers, industrial inlays with both natural dyed and multilaminar veneers, wood flooring, surfaces for boiserie and furniture (Carpanelli Award). The competition is divided into two categories: Students, i.e. young Italians and foreigners enrolled at the Universities of Architecture, Design and Engineering, at Schools, Institutes of Design and Academies of Fine Arts; Professionals, i.e. all those practising in the field of design disciplines, without limits of age, training, origin.

The educational impulse of the initiative is also given by the possibility of technical training dedicated to designers. By contacting the Contest Manager, Francesca Losi (fl@tabu.it), it is possible to participate in technical training sessions to acquire the necessary skills to deal with the various design areas.

The jury, made up of architects, journalists and representatives of the wood-furniture sector associations, will select the best projects on the basis of the project's innovativeness, the aesthetic quality of the presentation, technical feasibility and attention to circularity. In addition to cash prizes totalling € 15,000.00, TABU grants the possibility of realising some of the projects in the competition and possibly putting them into production. In this case the designers will be paid a royalty through a contract that is independent and separate from the competition.

TABU is a company based in Cantù (CO), which produces natural dyed and multilaminar veneers for Interior Design and Architecture, as well as latest-generation decorative wood surfaces (industrial inlays, three-dimensional surfaces and boiserie).