Green design competition launched

FROM left: Regala; Caringal; Goh; Dr. Lilia de Jesus, president of Interior Design Educators Council; Chona Elvas-Ponce, treasurer of Council of Deans and Heads of Architecture Schools of the Philippines, and Bobadilla

Nippon Paint has launched in the Philippines its annual Nippon Paint Young Designer Award (NPYDA), a competition that aims to inspire interior design and architecture students to apply creativity and innovation in improving their communities and to push the boundaries for future living.

Initiated in 2008, this year’s competition hews even more closely to Nippon Paint’s corporate commitment with the theme, “Re: Think. Re: Create. Our Community, Our Home.” The company expects the theme to challenge participants “to create a township that is community-centric and sustainable, providing a high quality of life” for everyone.

The theme is also meant “to enhance students’ knowledge of how color and design can contribute to beautifying the environment and how it can benefit people and the community.”

Almost a third, or 30 percent, of ratings in the two contest categories—interior design and architecture—will come from green design elements.

Green is not just plants

Nippon Paint says that although its products are available in “thousands of colors,” it is “most interested” in green. But contrary to some people’s view that green is having potted ornamentals and a few shrubs, Nippon’s green means protecting and preserving the environment.

It says it  “dedicates our best efforts to protect and preserve Mother Nature for the benefit of future generations,” reducing energy consumption and minimizing water disposal in the production process, and developing products with “ultra-low” volatile organic compound—chemicals that evaporate or vaporize,  rapidly posing a threat to human health and the environment—and are energy-saving.

Gladys Goh, group general manager of Nippon Paint Malaysia, says the company “has a long-standing belief that the ability to break convention and boundaries is found in the minds of the young, the new generation.” NPYDA, she says, aims to help shape future interior designers and architects.

Rogelio Caringal, national president of Philippine Institute of Interior Designers (PIID), says NPYDA will challenge young designers to use creativity and ingenuity.

Maria Benita Ochoa Regala, national president of United

Architects of the Philippines (UAP), says design has “contributed to the evolution of culture [and] played a critical role in developing society through the use of indigenous materials.”

Bernice Bobadilla, senior marketing manager of Nippon Paint (Coatings) Philippines Inc., says the competition is open to interior design and architecture students from third year in schools affiliated with UAP and PIID. Each student is allowed only one entry and the deadline for submission is Oct. 31.

Site planning, too

Aside from green design elements, interior design contestants will be judged on color elements, planning and design, and design statement. Architecture has an added criterion— site planning—which will account for 10 percent of an entry’s overall rating.

Entries may be sent by e-mail to [email protected] or sent through LBC Express for free. A contestant should present a valid school ID and filled-out entry form to avail of the free courier service.

The Gold awardee will win P50,000 in cash and a six-month internship at Lor Calma & Partners, plus a fully paid trip to Japan for Japan Learning Program, an exclusive cross-country learning program in March in Osaka crafted specially for winners  and featuring internationally renowned speakers in the fields of architecture and interior design.

The Philippines’ Gold winners and their peers from Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Pakistan, China, Japan and Hong Kong, the countries currently participating in NPYDA, will be coached by world-class experts.

The Philippine winner’s professor or adviser will get a P10,000 cash prize while his or her academic institution will receive a P10,000 cash prize and P10,000 worth of paint vouchers.

The Silver awardee will receive a P30,000 cash prize and plaque. Eight finalists will get P10,000 each. Winners of special awards—best color choice and best green innovation— will each get a P5,000 cash prize.

In 2008, NPYDA drew only 87 entries.  This year, the competition is expected to top 2013’s “mind-blowing total” of 2,033.

Supporting NPYDA in the Philippines aside from PIID and UAP are Interior Design Educators Council and Council of Deans and Heads of Architecture Schools of the Philippines.

Log on to www.youngdesigneraward.ph for more information. Contact Nep at 0915-9935256 ([email protected]) or Fhel at 0927-4508036 ([email protected]).