The American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC), the leading global trade association for the American hardwood industry, has announced its support for the seventh edition of the ‘Commercial Interior Design (CID) Awards’, to be held on September 16, 2013, in Dubai.
The CID Awards aims to pay tribute to the projects, architects and interior design firms making their mark on the region’s interior design sector and will herald work that displays original thinking, creativity and a willingness to stray from tried and tested formulas.
AHEC is sponsoring the CID Awards for the third consecutive year, where a new category has been created: ‘Outstanding use of American hardwoods in West Asia’. AHEC has invited designers to nominate projects that incorporate American hardwoods from across the region.
Total exports of American hardwood lumber and veneer to West Asia reached US$86.54 million in 2012, marking an 18% increase over the previous year. AHEC’s involvement as a Gold Sponsor is part of its market development programme in West Asia, championing the use of American hardwoods amongst the region’s leading architectural and design firms.
“Today, the United States is the number one supplier of temperate hardwoods to the Persian Gulf and, as if to prove this, we see American species being used in a wide range of new projects, including hotels, restaurants, retail outlets, villas and even schools and universities,” said Mr Roderick Wiles, AHEC’s Director for West Asia, Africa, India and Oceania.
“In the coming months, we also plan to focus on promoting new technology offered by the US hardwood industry, such as thermal modification. With the current vogue for timber cladding and decking, as well as exterior timber structures, we hope to see American hardwoods featured in an even wider range of applications in the region in the near future,” he concluded