Singapore – The winners of Nippon Paint’s Asia Young Designer Awards 2022 (AYDA) were announced on 28 February 2023, with Sheryka Umaya from Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, and Ryan Kuah Kun Hao from the National University of Singapore taking home the gold awards for the Interior Design and Architecture categories respectively. Now into its 14th rendition, the award seeks to provide a platform to recognise and nurture the next generation of creative designers in the interior and architectural design industry.
This year’s competition theme was centered around ‘Converge: Pushing The Reset Button’, which focuses on embracing a post-pandemic world and delivering a localized solution for communities to help cope with life after the pandemic. Designers are challenged to pause, think and re-evaluate the community’s needs in the light of the after effects of the pandemic.
Ryan Quah, the winner for the Architecture category, designed a space called ‘Urban Tarzan’, to revitalize small leftover spaces in downtown Singapore. It reimagines how nature could be experienced in a modern superstructure setting.
“My project responds to the increasingly hostile urban environment of downtown Singapore, where buildings are often cold, armored, and heavy. I hope that Urban Tarzan will inspire a paradigm shift in attitudes and methodologies towards high-density development and commercialism. Through AYDA, I gained valuable insights into different approaches to design and learned how to communicate my ideas more effectively.”
The winner of each category received $1,500 in cash and has the honour of representing Singapore at the regional AYDA Summit 2023. The annual AYDA aims to challenge budding young designers, often students honing their craft in esteemed local and regional institutions, in their knowledge of the latest trends and needs in the community and communicating that to the world through their works.
With outstanding entries from students across a diverse range of tertiary institutes offering Architecture and Interior Design courses such as Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Lasalle College of the Arts, Singapore University of Technology and Design, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Nanyang Polytechnic and more, talented architects and interior designers also gain the opportunity to work with and learn from established industry experts through a rewarding internship experience.
“Year by year, we work hand in hand with our Advisory Panel to craft a unique learning experience and design challenge with the goal of pushing boundaries and helping the next generation of talents reach greater heights in design.” says Wee Siew Kim, Group Chief Executive Officer of NIPSEA Group. “Turning 15, AYDA Awards has grown to become way more than just a competition but a holistic growth accelerator for budding designers, an avenue for great minds to collide and nurture talents.”
Interested applicants for AYDA 2023/2024 can submit their entries from now until 15 December 2023 on www.nipponpaint.com.sg/AYDA. The theme for next year is ‘Converge: Championing Purposeful Designs’, which focuses on a designer’s journey in searching for a cause worth fighting for.
