Now in their second year, the Clerkenwell Design Week Awards celebrate the innovative products and visionary people driving the design industry forward. In 2026, for the first time, the 40 award-winners will be taking home – not a conventional medal or a trophy – but a beautifully designed American cherry wood sculpture. 

In March, AHEC put out a call inviting student designers to submit their proposals for an award object that would explore and showcase the properties and possibilities of cherry wood – while also serving as an appropriately covetable honour for the festival’s most extraordinary design talents of 2026. Out of a great many proposals submitted, the judging panel – comprising appointed maker Moe Redish, designer Nina Tolstrup, Design Milk’s AJ Paron and writer and broadcaster Kunlé Barker – selected interior architect, joiner and student at The Building Crafts College Henry Marks to design the award, having been impressed by his affinity for the timber, his exceptional craftsmanship, and his openness to exploration. 

Originally trained in interior architecture, mature student Henry has spent 17 years designing exhibition and commercial environments, working with a number of leading UK design agencies. He founded his London studio, Marks Design, where he honed his own creative approach, crafting thoughtful, immersive spaces for clients and earning a Museum and Heritage Award for his creativity and attention to detail. Henry is currently expanding his skill set and material understanding by studying fine furniture joinery at the Building Crafts College in Stratford. 

To create the award design, Henry worked closely with the maker Moe Redish Furniture & Objects outside Brighton. A trained carpenter and craftsman with over a decade’s experience in the London design scene, Moe has a natural aptitude for unlocking the potential of timber – whether that’s embarked on intricate woodworking in the studio, or wielding a chainsaw in the forest. 

Together, Henry and Moe undertook a process of material exploration that has resulted in 40 sculptural awards that beautifully showcase the character of cherry wood. In keeping with AHEC’s ongoing mission to demonstrate the practical and aesthetic value of lower-grade and underused timbers, the awards have been created using number one common-grade lumber. 

Henry Marks’ designs were presented in London at the CDW Awards on 19 May 2026, in partnership with Design Milk. Thanks to the knots and natural colour variations in the wood, each award is unique – a celebration of American cherry, its warm texture and characterful surface destined to develop a rich patina over time. It seems only appropriate that one-of-a-kind design should be honoured with a one-of-a-kind award. 

Photography by Sam Frost