University of Navarra - Wood Chair Final Year Project Competition

What you win

You will win a award worth about 12,203 EUR for the best final-year project in architecture in which timber is used as the primary material. The prize is awarded to one winner. The jury may also award honourable mentions or, in a year when the standard of entries is low, decide not to award the prize at all. The competition is organised by the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Navarra in collaboration with its ‘Cátedra Madera ONESTA’ (Wood Chair) and has been held annually since 2013. In previous editions, the prize included a place at the Spanish Timber Construction Forum and a summer course on timber construction. The award ceremony takes place at the University’s Madrid campus.

Who can apply

• Your work: You are submitting your final dissertation in the subject of Architecture, either a Bachelor’s dissertation (PFC) or a Master’s dissertation (PFM).
• The theme: Your project must use timber as its primary building material and take sustainability into account.
• When it was done: You submitted your final thesis between September 2021 and June 2025, and it was assessed so highly that you were awarded your degree. If your mark is still pending, you may enrol by submitting a letter from your supervisor.
• Where you studied: You can study at any officially recognised architecture school anywhere in the world.
• Nationality: Open to graduates from all countries.
• On your own: Only individual entries count; group entries do not.
• Language: You must submit your documents in English or Spanish.

How to apply

Register via the free online form on the competition website and upload your project by the deadline on 1 September. You may submit up to three digital A1 panels. All entries are anonymous: please use a six-digit code instead of your name, and do not state your country or school. A jury comprising two professors from Navarre, representatives of the Wood Chair and a guest architect will select the winner in September.

How realistic are your chances?

This is an award presented once a year, in which the focus is exclusively on the quality of your project – so it is your work that counts, not your background. The pool of applicants is small, as your final-year project must genuinely focus on timber and sustainability, which rules out most architecture graduates. If your final-year project fits this focus well and stands out for its outstanding design and environmentally conscious approach, you stand a real chance.