The search for the next Asia Young Designer begins

KUALA LUMPUR: The search for the next Asia Young Designer has begun with the launch of the 12th instalment of the Asia Young Designer Awards (AYDA) on April 9. The Malaysian winners will go on to compete with winners from 14 other Asian countries.

Committed to nurturing and empowering the next generation of young design talents, AYDA 2019/20 is organised by Nippon Paint Malaysia Group in collaboration with property developer IJM Land Bhd.

The 12th AYDA is themed “Forward: A Sustainable Future” and it aims to challenge the next generation of architects and interior designers to break the boundaries of current design concepts by immersing their creations with functional elements of social sustainability.

“AYDA is dear to my heart as Malaysia was the first country to spearhead this platform. In our 12th year, the programme has reached 15 geographical locations across Asia and I am honoured to have had the opportunity to observe how AYDA continues to grow by leaps and bounds,” said Nippon Paint Malaysia assistant general manager of marketing Datin Wong Meng Lee at the AYDA launch.

“We believe we need to continue nurturing the new generation as they are key to unlocking creativity, innovation and sustainability.

“Together, let us all set our sights on moving in the one, same direction – forward,” she added.

Meanwhile, managing director of IJM Land Edward Chong said: “As a progressive developer, we at IJM Land are keen to play a role in shaping real estate of the future and to reinforce our desire to see a growing design movement.

“We believe that the youth will define our world’s future and that we as the leaders of the day, must nurture and raise this cohort to become a generation of socially responsible individuals, adept in critical and creative thinking.”

At AYDA 2018/19, two young Malaysians were recognised for their outstanding talent, winning the award for ‘Best Design Impact’ in both the Interior Design and Architecture categories.

Loo Yi (winner of the architecture category) from Universiti Malaya and Zachary Khaw Lit Siang (winner of the interior design category) from Taylor’s University, each received a cash prize of US$1,000 (RM 4,110).

Their respective projects — “Mangrove Charcoal Living Museum” and “The Weave” — displayed elements of forward-thinking design and also challenged boundaries from various design-related perspectives.

This story first appeared in the EdgeProp.my pullout on April 19, 2019.You can access back issues here.