By Jae Denise Adolfo / Special to the BusinessMirror
Nippon Paint (Coatings) Philippines Inc. said it relaunched on Thursday the new Asian Young Designer Award (AYDA) 2016.
The awards seek local young interior-design and architecture talents that will represent the country in an international competition with 14 other countries this year.
“We are relaunching our design program as the Asia Young Designer Award, which places the competition on a higher echelon of gathering young talents across borders and spurring innovative thinking on how to make life healthier, more convenient and eco-efficient through design,” General Manager Michael Chung of Nippon Paint (Coatings) Philippines said in a media conference on Thursday.
Formerly known as Nippon Paint Young Designer Award when it was launched in 2014, this year’s theme, “Be Bold. Be Free. Be You,” seeks designs that are unconventional, nonconformist, innovative and with a focus on individuality.
“We have challenged the youth to observe what is needed in our society, to think beyond convention and to create corresponding designs that express their distinct mark as tomorrow’s leaders in architecture and interior design,” Chung said.
The competition has two categories: interior design and architecture.
Designs under the interior-design category should explore unique opportunities to improve not only the space, but the lives of the people who use and move in it, while that in architecture has to offer a one-of-a-kind and fresh perspective in solving common problems that face human habitation.
The grand winners will be granted P50,000, a six-month internship under Lor Calma & Partners or Aidea Inc., and a chance to participate in a learning experience in Bali, Indonesia, organized by Nippon Paint.
AYDA’s competition judges, among the most talented and well-respected in the industry, were also announced. For the architecture category, the judges are architects Nina Bailon Arce, Consuelo Buencamino, Eduardo Calma, Jose Ramon Carunungan, China Elvas-Ponce, Maria Benuta Regala and Abelardo Yolentino Jr.
The judges for the interior design are interior designers Marichie Costelo, Jose Maria Hubilla, Wilfrid Nicholo Magcase, Belen Morey, Michael Pizarro, Mel Reyes and Vincent Louie Tan.
Nippon Paint (Coatings) Philippines Inc. has partnered with the Council of Interior Design Educators, Council of Deans and Heads of Architectural in the Philippines, LorCalma & Partners, Aidea Inc., Philippine Institute of Interior Designers, United Architects of the Philippines and LBC to encourage the design leaders of tomorrow to create innovations that address the crucial needs well-beyond expectations.
Nippon Paint has won gold in the Paints category in the recently concluded Reader’s Digest Asia Trusted Brand Awards 2016.