Alex de Rijke is a founding director of architect dRMM and dean of the school of architecture at the Royal College of Art. He has been a particular advocate of engineered timber construction and in 2013 his practice designed, with Arup, the Endless Stair for AHEC, a project in American tulipwood that pioneered the use of hardwood cross-laminated timber. 

Key projects include Clapham Manor primary school in London, which was shortlisted for the RIBA Stirling Prize in 2010, and Festival House, a wedding chapel on the seafront in Blackpool. In 2013, dRMM was recognised as Building Design ‘practice of the year’.

Rob Barnby and Lewis Day (Barnby & Day) are furniture designers and makers, based in Hay in Wales. Rob Barnby studied furniture design at Nottingham Trent University and, more unusually, Lewis Day studied aeronautic engineering. They set up their business in 2012 and make everything themselves, using a simple almost Scandinavian aesthetic and working exclusively in FSC-certified timber.

For over 25 years the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) has been at the forefront of international wood promotion, successfully building a distinctive and creative brand for U.S. hardwoods. AHEC’s global programme of activities secure a future for American hardwoods by demonstrating the performance and aesthetic potential of these sustainable materials, while providing valuable creative inspiration and technical advice.

Benchmark is a leading company of craftspeople and designers, founded 30 years ago by Sir Terence Conran and Sean Sutcliffe. Based in West Berkshire on a converted farm, the team is now 50 strong in over 40,000 sq ft of workshops for timber milling, carpentry, veneering, spraying, specialist metalworking and upholstery, as well as design studio and furniture showroom. Benchmark works extensively on design solutions for hotels, restaurants, public buildings, offices and private residences.

The London Design Festival was conceived by Sir John Sorrell and Ben Evans. Building on London's existing design activity, their concept was to create an annual event that would promote the city's creativity, drawing in the country's greatest thinkers, practitioners, retailers and educators to a deliver an unmissable celebration of design. First staged in 2003, the London Design Festival is now one of the world's most important annual design events. The estival programme is made up of over 300 events and exhibitions staged by hundreds of partner organisations across the design spectrum and from around the world.

The London Design Festival works closely with, and receives financial support directly from, the Mayor’s Office – having transferred support from the London Development Agency. The Festival also receives support from Arts Council England, as a National Portfolio Organisation 2012-15.

The V&A is the world’s leading museum of art and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.3 million objects that span over 5,000 years of human creativity. The Museum holds many of the UK's national collections and houses some of the greatest resources for the study of architecture, furniture, fashion, textiles, photography, sculpture, painting, jewellery, glass, ceramics, book arts, Asian art and design, theatre and performance.

James Latham

Morgan Timber