AN industrial design student of the Mapúa Institute of Technology bested other five finalists in the recently concluded Sofabed Design Competition of furniture manufacturer CLC Marketing Ventures Corp. (CLCMV).
Ivan Cendric Fabia was declared the grand-prize winner for the contest’s pioneering edition aimed at showcasing the skills and talents of interior and industrial design students in the country to build these concepts into fruition and, ultimately, share a vision of their future in furniture styling.
“Personally, I could see from the entries that the passion for furniture design continiues with our younger generation,” CLCMV EVP and COO Charles Lester Ching told the BusinessMirror during the recent awarding ceremonies for its first-ever collegiate sofa-bed design search held in Makati City.
“It only proves that the creativity among the Filipino youths remains and really different from their predecessors,” he said.
It bodes well for Fabia, who considers art is more than just an expression of craftsmanship and regards it a piece of his life.
He showed it through his entry called XED Sofa Bed, with a concept that displayed compact design. The style is function that could give the utmost comfort to a person sitting or sleeping on the sofa bed.
Currently on its third year of tertiary studies, Fabia said his dream is to make a global impact through design featuring Filipino craftsmanship and artistry.
Winning the competition, he said, could just be a start of bigger steps in reaching his dream. Also inspired to work hard and be more creative in the future was Stanley Richard Angsanto, another industrial design student from MIT, who placed second in the competition.
With his concept called Prism, he created a masterpiece that was not just a sofa bed, but also serves like an art piece in a gallery as he played with geometric forms to alter the sofa bed’s basic structure. His design also aimed to give maximum comfort and relaxation, while providing compartments for organization. Coming in third in the contest was a group of students from the Philippine School of Interior Design composed of Jerinae Chua Ching, Kristine Tiu-oyek, Sarah Salvador and Jen See-sohu. They were inspired to team up in creating design solutions that are not only stylish, but are also completely functional.
Their concept, Catalyst, is an interpretation of Art Deco design and material finishes, transforming their sofabed into a work of art, blending aesthetics with functionality.
Fourth-placer Geonelle Anne Lim Ong from the University of Santo Tomas showed in her Flick Sofa Bed the idea inspired by the urban lifestyle that surrounds her.
As the name of the concept connotes, meaning “sharp movement”, it uses the efficient click-clack system that transforms the sofa bed into a bed or a lounge, depending on one’s preference, without exerting too much effort. Her schoolmate, Patricia J. Buendia, claimed the fifth spot, with her Verho Sofa Bed that offers style, comfort and convenience, especially to those who own a small flat, studio, or apartment. It folds out to two twin beds or adjustable lounge that can be joined together to form a larger bed. It converts not only into a bed, but another type of seating furniture as well, depending on how its future owners would want it to be in their spaces.
Last, Marc Leo C. Dolotina, currently taking up Industrial Design in the University of the Philippines Diliman, showcased his craftsmanship through his piece, Ilala, which incorporates indigenous designs to innovative lighting and metal framing.
They were the six finalists who were selected from the 123 entries submitted for the competition. The top 3 winners brought home P50,000, P30,000 and P20,000 cash prizes, respectively, and trophies.
Ching said they will assess the feasibility of Fabia’s design as fit for the market. If so, this will be mass produced nationwide for one year, and he will be granted royalty fees.
Started out as an upholstery trade 35 years ago, CLCMV is now among the progressive entities in furniture manufacturing and distribution, using the most advanced systems, such as robotics, pneumatic, computer-aided machineries—utilizing up-to-date computer software and hardware technologies. This family business is present in Quezon City, Cebu and Davao, serving top-tier corporations through its more than 500 concession outlets and over 1,000 employees nationwide.
CLCMV is one of the top 5 suppliers in five furniture trade categories—home, infant, restaurant contracts, office systems and condominium home systems.