LIXIL, the pioneer of water and housing products, feted the winners and finalists from the American Standard Design Award (ASDA) 2023 during an awards ceremony and exhibition held recently at The Arts House Singapore.
Themed “A Home to Love, A Space for Everyone,” the ASDA aims to uncover the power of design in creating a well-loved bathroom space of a home.
On its second edition, the competition was launched and opened for sophomore and above tertiary design school students from 10 countries across Asia Pacific (AsPac): Australia, Cambodia, India, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
It received close to 1,500 entries—a two-fold increase from last year—which were adjudged by creative minds and thought leaders in each country and the entire region.
At the national level, a judging panel made up of architecture and design luminaries from each country evaluated entries from local participants.
The 1st prize winners from their respective countries were Azra Hrnjic (Australia), Riya Awati (India), Sin Ponleu from IndoChina (Cambodia/Laos/Myanmar), Grace Wong Jing Yee (Malaysia), Aevan Georgeline de Jesus (the Philippines), Rossalinda (Singapore), Marisa Chonpracha (Thailand), and Duong Pham Ngoc Hoai (Vietnam).
The regional contest had each of them evaluated again by the Asia-Pacific judging panel to determine the APAC grand prize awardee. Ponleu emerged as the victor.
“I am very grateful for this achievement; it has been such an incredible experience for me to move forward to higher levels. With this achievement, I will remember to keep pushing myself to improve and continuously learn new things, all in the pursuit of enhancing the quality of life through architecture,” he said.
For Arch. Le Troung, founder and chief executive officer of TT-Associates and one of the APAC jury members, judging this year’s designs was impressive as the contestants showed an in-depth understanding of each space, material, color, lighting, and ventilation conditions.
“Overall, the entries reflect clear purpose, attractiveness, allure, and high feasibility. And within it, there are technical elements, sanitary technology, convenience, and aesthetics as core values that we all aim for. ASDA has played a very crucial role in initiating and creating challenges for young designers,” he said.
This annual recognition was organized as a platform to hone and honor exceptional talent in the industry, according to LIXIL Global Design Asia leader Antoine Besseyre des Horts.
“We are thrilled to honor the winners and showcase their groundbreaking ideas. Through its rich history of over 140 years, American Standard has continuously set new benchmarks in delivering bathroom solutions that combine purposeful designs and pioneering technologies. American Standard continues to be trusted by generations for its progressive and dependable products. This event not only celebrates their achievements but also acts as a catalyst for further innovation and collaboration for sustainable architecture and design,” he said.
Each of the national winners brought home a cash prize of $2,000. The APAC grand prize winner walked away with $5,000. They also joined in a half-day tour and a design workshop at the LIXIL Design Centre in Singapore.
