Steve Wilkinson is an Associate at James Gorst Architects where he works exclusively with timber frame construction. Steven delivered the New Temple Complex in Hampshire from concept to completion earning the ‘Winner of Winners’ STA Award in 2024. His fastidiously detailed and technically sophisticated approach was also acknowledged by the RIBA earning him Project Architect of the year. Steve is committed to promoting the benefits of sustainable timber construction and has presented the practice’s progressive work with the material internationally. He is also involved with a number of timber development industry leaders in progressing the use of timber in the UK.
2025 Judges
A big THANK YOU to our 2025 Structural Timber Awards Judges!
Andrew Orriss, Chief Operating Officer – Structural Timber Association
Andrew is responsible for the delivery and development of the STA’s quality and competency assurance programme, STA Assure. This innovative programme is at the heart of the Structural Timber industry driving and advancing quality standards. Andrew has broad experience of zero carbon, offsite construction and sustainable building. Andrew has also been active involved in various “think tank” sessions with NHBC, BuildOffsite, Building Research Establishment, Zero Carbon Hub, CITB, Build UK, relating to use of innovative building materials and processes to improve the construction industry. Andrew has over 30 years’ experience in the construction industry. He was previously Managing Director of Innovare Systems and past Chair of the UK SIPs Association. Andrew was also responsible for managing the SIG Plc BIM Project seeking digital opportunities from this building process.
Helen Hewitt, Chief Executive – British Woodworking Federation
Helen Hewitt is the Chief Executive of the British Woodworking Federation, the trade association for the woodworking and joinery manufacturing industry in the UK.
Gemma Darroch-Whitford, Head of Partnerships – Donaldson Timber Systems
Head of Partnerships at Donaldson Timber Systems, leading motivated teams to exceed expectations in delivering sustainable, state-of-the-art offsite timber solutions. As the UK’s top offsite timber systems manufacturer, Donaldson Timber Systems specialise in constructing greener, faster and better sustainable homes. With over 8 years of executive experience in offsite construction and modern methods of construction, Gemma has a proven track record of developing successful strategies, driving profits, expanding market share, and fostering strong customer relationships. Gemma also co-founded Women In Offsite, a platform dedicated to promoting women in this industry.
Craig Fyall, Technical Director – Permavent
Craig has over 20 years of extensive knowledge and experience in roofing and construction membranes, dealing with condensation control, airtightness, reflective thermal technology and building structure fire safety. With his wide-ranging product knowledge, he has designed and developed products that are now extensively used in the construction industry.
Tabitha Binding, Education Associate – Passivhaus Trust
Tabitha Binding is Education Associate at the Passivhaus Trust and Development Manager at Coaction Training CIC. Tabitha has a background in timber from forest to sawmill to structurally graded timber products. She has worked on factory production control, and successfully taken timber systems through the ETAG process, and delivered timber buildings on time and on budget. She has worked onsite, in policy, and in education – from toolbox talks, to FE colleges and HE universities across architecture, architectural technology, engineering, project management and cost consulting. Her ambition is to raise both the quality of builds and the happiness of those who work in the industry, so that we deliver healthy, comfortable, low energy, long lasting homes – from timber.
Steve Wilkinson, Associate – James Gorst Architects
Valentina Galmozzi, Design Director – AKT II
Valentina, Design Director at AKT II, joined the firm in 2005 as a graduate and is now leading some of the firm’s most complex mixed-use and sustainable projects. Specialising in engineered timber and sustainable design, she has led key projects such as the landmark new engineered-timber hub for UCB Campus in Surrey and the glulam beam and CLT rooftop pavilion at Arding & Hobbs, showcasing timber’s structural and aesthetic potential. She oversees the engineering for the University of Oxford’s Schwarzman Centre for Humanities, a multifunctional academic facility designed with ‘design for manufacture and assembly’ (DfMA) principles, where a striking timber-and-steel dome crowns the building, spanning 18 metres and flooding the assembly hall with natural light. With a strong passion for sustainability, Valentina now leads AKT II’s internal sustainability forum, writing the practice’s in-house charter and driving carbon innovation, research, and sustainable practices across the firm’s diverse project portfolio. As a judge for the Structural Timber Awards, she brings deep technical expertise and a passion for sustainable design.
Ed Suttie, Director – BRE Group
Ed leads a BRE team delivering projects to decarbonise the built environment, develop net zero pathways, circular economy strategies, deliver health and wellbeing benefits into buildings. Ed has worked with the wider forest products and construction industry for over 25 years on innovative products, asset management and service life. He was part of the team that delivered the timber procurement policy for the London 2012 Olympic Games and his work enabled local timber use in the multi-accolade winning Enterprise Centre at UEA. He contributes extensively to British and European Standards, convening work on the Performance Classification of wood in construction.
Finbar Charleson, Architect & Research Lead – dRMM
Finbar is an Architect and Research Lead at dRMM. In addition to the design of a wide range of building projects, Finbar is committed to advancing the studio’s innovation and research. Building on dRMM’s pioneering expertise in timber design, Finbar is leading the studio’s commitments to ‘Building From England’s Woodlands’ for the Forestry Commission. As an inaugural Wood Lab Research Fellow at the Architectural Association, Finbar worked at Hooke Park, Dorset to develop and define the campus’ innovative approach to homegrown timber. Finbar’s own research has been recognised by the RIBA Presidents Medals, and commitments to education and campaigning include a primary school design curriculum for charity ‘Climate Change All Change’ and ongoing work as Lecturer in Environmental Design at the Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL.
Gary Ramsay, Editor – Structural Timber Magazine
Gary has edited, managed and contributed to a huge range of B2B publications both print and online since 1998, with specialist knowledge of the timber and forest certification sectors, sustainable construction and the offsite/MMC sector. He was also a regular contributor to leading self-build publication Build It for several years interviewing those on their dream home journey.
Ian Dacre, Partner – Rider Levett Bucknall
Peter Wilson is an architect and founding director of the Mass Timber Academy. Formed in 2019, the Academy provides online Continuing Professional Education (CPE) on all aspects of modern timber technologies to architects, architectural technologists, structural engineers and other construction industry professionals. Over the past 25 years Peter has authored literally hundreds of magazine articles and peer reviewed many journal papers on mass timber technology. An experienced educator and regular speaker at conferences and other events, he is also the author of several books on timber design and construction, including the Modern Timber House in the UK.
Louise Rogers, Impact Manager – MMX – Built Environment – Smarter Transformation
Louise is an Impact Manager ton the MMC team at BE-ST. With a strong foundation in research, development and innovation, Louise has been dedicated to advancing modern methods of construction throughout her career, specifically through the wider use of biogenic materials in construction. Louise supports projects running through BE-ST’s innovation factory, and particularly enjoys anything mass timber related.
Rosi Fieldson, Sustainability Manager – Lincoln University
Rosi developed an interest in biodiversity and responsible sourcing having worked for Ken Yeang in the late 90s in Kuala Lumpur and further developed these ideas and others working towards a Masters in Architecture and later a PhD whilst working as an Architect for Simons Design. More recently she has published articles with a range of academics and practitioners on whole life carbon and climate change resilience. Rosi has extensive retail design and construction experience culminating in acting as sustainability manager for the Cheshire Oaks development for Marks and Spencer built by Simons in 2010-12. This ground breaking and iconic project has won many accolades for sustainability performance and has provided a rare case study for effective post occupancy evaluation; it actually uses less energy than as designed. Currently Rosi manages the sustainability strategy and environmental certifications for Simons Group with a wide remit covering issues as diverse as Social Value, waste and energy management, cycling and knitting. She also undertakes BREEAM assessment for a selected number of projects each year.
Roland Reinardy, Partner – Hawkins Brown
Roland joined Hawkins\Brown initially with focus on Infrastructure and the delivery of Crossrail stations, and with a broader role to enhance the practice’s technical and project delivery capability. In this capacity he has contributed to projects across a range of sectors, notably Infrastructure, Higher Education, Civic and Residential. Roland has experience in the technical design and delivery of complex projects, including an understanding of engineering, facades and materials. He has previously worked on a range of international stadia and sports projects and multi-discipline teams.
Steve Bertasso, Assistant Professor – NMITE
Joining NMITE from across the pond, Steve Bertasso brings a remarkable depth of experience from the industry to the classroom. With 25 years dedicated to the building industry, he has passionately focused on process improvement, strategy implementation, research, development, and training. His diverse work history spans project management, purchasing, quantity surveying, and managerial roles in all facets of the built environment, collaborating with both large and small companies across various markets and regions, always championing sustainable means and methods. Since 2009, his journey as an independent consultant has empowered clients to create and implement transformative business solutions. He has innovated new estimating systems, developed cost-effective, sustainable building programs, successfully managed projects across multiple industries, and nurtured talent development. Steve’s remarkable journey has opened doors for him as a sought-after speaker at industry conferences dedicated to green building, LEAN process implementation, and innovative marketing strategies. With a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Brigham Young University and a Master of Business Administration in Sustainability from Lipscomb University, earned in 2010, he exemplifies the fusion of technical expertise and visionary thinking. His role as an Assistant Professor of Construction Management at Middle Tennessee State University and an Adjunct Professor at Utah Valley University reflects his commitment to shaping future leaders. At NMITE, Steve inspires others by leading short courses in timber and built environments while also teaching in degree programs.
Alberto Jena , Managing Director – hsbcad
Managing Director (UK) at hsbcad. Leading best-in-class software solutions for offsite construction
Trevor Richards, Operations Manager – Cogent Consulting
Trevor began his working life in the offsite manufacturing sector in 1993 and has worked in and around the sector ever since. Having worked for a large mature multi-site organisation and been in on the first day of a start-up, he has experienced the range of challenges facing manufacturers in delivering successful projects. Trevor has worked with the STA for a number of years now helping put into practice the STA’s Assure certification scheme and continues to do so.
