Nippon Paint Young Designer Award 2014 search is on

MANILA, Philippines - Nippon Paint is on the lookout for the most promising Filipino architecture and interior design students as it launched Nippon Paint Young Designer Award (NYPDA), a regional competition across 10 Asia Pacific countries. For the first time, Filipino students now have the opportunity to win a fully-paid trip to Japan for a cross-country learning program, among other prizes.

Using this year’s theme as their guiding principle, “Re:Think. Re:Create Our Community, Our Home,” participating students are challenged like never before to further push the boundaries for future living by creating a township that is community-centric and sustainable, providing a high quality of life for both young and old, from every walk of life. 

“Nippon Paint has a long-standing belief that the ability to break convention and boundaries is found in the minds of the young, the new generation who will be the designers and builders of the future,” said Gladys Goh, group general manager of Nippon Paint Malaysia Group. “Young talent is a valuable resource, one that needs to be nurtured and developed so that all of society can benefit. By giving them the opportunity to be acknowledged by their peers as well as industry professionals, we hope to give them a head-start in their chosen profession.”

This year’s theme is an extension of Nippon Paint’s business philosophy of helping cultivate young talent by driving them to new standards of excellence and providing them greater visibility and exposure not only in the Philippines but throughout the Asia Pacific region.

Working with professional societies such as Philippine Institute of Interior Designers (PIID), Council of Interior Design Educator (CIDE), United Architects of the Philippines (UAP), and Council of Deans and Heads in Architecture Schools in the Philippines (CODHASP), the NPYDA expects to see a big pool of talent from schools nationwide.

The NPYDA has two categories — Architecture and Interior Design, both open to students who are at least on their third year from schools affiliated with the United Architects of the Philippines and the Philippine Institute of Interior Designers. Each participant is given a fixed area size to “Re:Think Re:Create” their ideal future living space by showing their knowledge on how colour and design can benefit the community.

Criteria for judging are Green Design Elements (30 percent), Colour Elements (30 percent), Planning & Design (30 percent), and Design Statement, plus Site Planning in architecture category (10 percent). Deadline of submission of entries is on Oct. 31.

The Gold Awardee will win P50,000 cash prize, a six-month internship at Lor Calma & Partners plus a fully-paid trip to Japan for the Japan Learning Program, an exclusive workshop crafted specially for winners featuring internationally renowned speakers in the fields of architecture and interior design. Here, winners will be coached by world-class experts, a priceless, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The internship with renowned architect Ed Calma shows that the NYPDA is not just about ideas on paper but also a rare chance to get real world industry experience.

The winner’s professor/adviser will also get P10,000 cash prize while his or her academic institution will receive P10,000 cash prize and P10,000-worth of paint voucher.

The Silver Awardee will receive P30,000 cash prize and a plaque. Eight finalists will get P10,000 each. Special awards will also be given out to Best Colour Choice and Best Green Innovation with P5,000 cash prize each.

The Gold winner per category from the Philippines will be attending the cross country learning program in Osaka, Japan in March 2015 with other winners from Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Pakistan, China, Japan, and Hong Kong.

For information, visit www.youngdesigneraward.ph.