Nippon Paint Philippines Asia Young Designer Award 2017 (AYDA) Winners

11/30/17


The next generation of Filipino architects and interior designers' creativity are challenged once again at the Asia Young Designer Award 2017.

“How would an innovative designer craft the dwelling space and structure that would meet the needs of tomorrow?” How would this design be resilient through the years?”

The challenges

The Asia Young Designer Award (AYDA), a prestigious design competition pioneered by world-renowned paint manufacturer, Nippon Paint (Coatings) is now on its 10th year and the competition is the company’s flagship CSR (corporate social responsibility) program that aims to encourage the next generation of design professionals to harness their talents, express their creativity, and fuel their passion for design.

After the launch last July of its AYDA 2017 Philippine leg, Nippon Paint executives and industry practitioners announced the Gold winners during its awarding ceremony held on November 24 at The Elements in Eton Centris, Quezon City. 

With the theme “You for Tomorrow: Future Living as Envisioned Today,” this year’s leg received over a thousand entries from participants in several colleges and universities nationwide. The theme tested both the technical ability and foresight of young architects and interior design professionals to create design concepts that fulfill the needs of tomorrow’s dwellers and societies. 

The humble beginnings

From its debut in Malaysia in 2008 as the Nippon Paint Young Designer award, AYDA has now expanded to 15 countries namely: Philippines, Singapore, Bangladesh, Thailand, Pakistan, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Vietnam, China, Japan, and Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, India and Taiwan. It was relaunched last year as Asia Young Designer Award to signal its emerging influence and scale in the region. In the country, AYDA Philippines started three years ago and has been growing its popularity and participation nationwide.

The competition

For this year’s competition, the judges were composed of renowned and distinguished Filipino architects and designers from the industry. It also had renowned Malaysian Architect Boon Che Wee, Director of GRA Architects Sdn Bhd and President of Pertubuhan Akitek Malaysia (PAM), and award-winning Singaporean Interior Designer David I. Tay, Principal of ETHOSpace Pte Ltd. and recognized as one of the leading designers in Asia, as its first ever regional judges in the history of AYDA.


All design entries were screened and judged accordingly until 10 finalists were chosen in the two categories: architecture and interior design. Gold and Silver winners, as well as Special Awardees in Best Design Innovation and Best Color Concept were also selected. Judging was presided by Architect Consuelo “Peach” Buencamino (Head Judge) and Architect Nina Bailon-Arce (Co-Head Judge), Architect Maria Benita Regala, Architect William Ti,Jr, Architect Boon Che Wee, Architect Veronica Villanueva, Architect Jose Ramon Carunungan, and Architect Chona Ponce; and, Interior Designer Wilfrid Magcase (Head Judge) and Interior Designer Michael Pizarro (Co-Head Judge), Interior Designer Belen Morey, Interior Designer Cynthia Almario, Interior Designer Ivy Almario, Interior Designer Cara Marie Marcrelo, and Interior Designer Rachelle Medina and Ms Mel Reyes for the Architecture and Interior Design categories, respectively.

The finalists 

Through AYDA, Nippon Paint steadfastly leads in its advocacy to train and develop the minds of young designers. After the intense selection process, a total of 20 finalists prevailed, 10 from each category.

Gold winners in both categories bagged Php50,000 cash each, a six-month Internship with Casas+ Architects, Aidea Inc. and/or 8990 Holdings Inc. The Silver winners, on the other hand, individually got Php30,000 cash. The eight remaining finalists went home with a cash prize of Php10,000 each and special awardees for Best Green Innovation and Best Color were given Php5,000 each. 

Likewise, the Gold winners in both categories also secured their slots to represent the Philippines in the AYDA regional competition and get a chance to win USD1,000 cash. Moreover, there is the AYDA Learning Programme, an all-expense educational opportunity to meet and exchange ideas with the Gold winners of the other 14 countries (Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, China, Japan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Taiwan, Papua New Guinea and Sri Lanka), and to attend exclusive sessions and lectures given by Asia’s leading Architects and Interior Designers. All of these events will happen in Malaysia next year, as coincidentally, the 10th year celebration of Asia Young Designer Award. 


At the end, the following bagged the major prizes: Architecture Silver Award - Edward Sarco, Eugelio Amang Rodriguez Institute of Science and Technology (EARIST), project Vinta Tahan and Gold Award was given to Marie Eirene Fabon of University of the Philippines - Diliman, project Bigkisan. 


Major wins were awarded to University of Santo Tomas students for the Interior Design Category: Marigold Martinez for project Mabote and Diana Marie Manansala for project Alpas Sensory Center.

This competition was made possible by the supporting partners: United Architects of the Philippines, Philippine Institute of Interior Designers, Council of Interior Design Educators and Council of Deans and Heads of Architecture Schools. Internship partners are Aidea Inc, Casas + Architects and 8990 Holdings Inc. 

Notwithstanding the prizes, it is the accolade of taking part and being chosen as one of Asia’s gifted young designers that go with it that matters.



About Nippon Paint (Coatings) Philippines

Nippon Paint (Coatings) Philippines is part of the Nippon Paint Group, which is currently Asia’s No. 1 coatings manufacturer spanning 15 countries, and built on a heritage of over 130 years dating back to 1881 in Japan. In the Philippines the company has been operating since 2014 with a manufacturing plant in Light Industry and Science Park 1 in Cabuyao, Laguna. 

The Nippon Paint Group places strong emphasis in Research and Development (R&D) activities, which remains a core priority to its success in product innovation. As a global leader in coating technologies with a database of more than 10,000 paint formulations, Nippon Paint prides itself in being a Total Coating Solutions provider with a multi-segment portfolio of offerings ranging from Architectural, Automotive, Industrial, Protective to Marine coatings. 

The Group has been awarded the Best Company for Leadership in Paint Technology Asia by IAIR in 2014. The Group has also won consumer choice awards such as the Reader’s Digest Asia Trusted Brand Awards 2016 where it placed Gold in the Paints category. In its concerted effort to champion sustainability towards a greener footprint, the Group has been recognized with several Green Excellence Awards by Frost & Sullivan.