TWO students will represent Malaysia in the final competition for the ‘Asia Young Designer of the Year’ title.
Young Hui Qi from UCSI University and Zachary Ding Tok from City University of Malaysia won the Architectural and Interior Design categories of the 2022 Asia Young Designer Awards (AYDA) by Nippon Paint.
The two will vie against 15 other geographical locations for the ‘Asia Young Designer of the Year’ title next year.
They also stand a chance for a spot at the Harvard Graduate School of Design in the United States of America.
Winners of AYDA will get the chance to spend three weeks in Harvard School of Design which is part of the main prize. Other participating locations include Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkiye and Vietnam.
“AYDA has always been committed to nurturing young talents in architectural and interior design to become individuals capable of constant adaptation. That said, design paradigms are always changing according to the needs of society.
"It is thus important for designers to constantly be critical and innovative to meet current market demands,” said Datin Wong Meng Lee, assistant general manager of Marketing at Nippon Paint Malaysia.
“Nippon Paint is proud to present the top two young designers that will represent Malaysia in the finals. Hui Qi and Zachary were able to utilise their critical and creative thinking skills to come up with designs that have the potential of uplifting society.
"We hope they continue their current momentum and attain new heights in this competition,” she added.
Hui Qi said that it has always been her dream to go to join the camp at Harvard and it is like a dream come true.
“I know that it will be tough going against designers from Japan where their country is known worldwide for their simple and minimalistic [designs], yet [with] amazing elements incorporated. I hope to make my family, university and AYDA Malaysia proud by winning this round through my ‘Unity’ project,” she said.
Meanwhile, Zachary who featured his identity as a Sarawakian through his design “Kamek” (which means “I”) hopes to bring his culture to the international stage.
“It has always been my dream to expose the beauty of my culture to the world. We see Balinese or Japanese-inspired architecture everywhere, but we see less of us in our own country. And that is what I want to showcase to the world,” he said.
AYDA’s chief judges for Architectural and Interior Design, Sarly Adre Sarkum and Dr Ooi Boon Seong, say this year’s participants had showcased strong determination and fresh new ideas.
“AYDA has served its purpose to nurture young talents and open doors for them to challenge themselves not just at a local level but also internationally. I wish to see another Malaysian win the trip to Harvard, and with that, I wish Zachary and Hui Qi all the best,” they said.
Parked under Nippon Paint’s Colouring Lives initiative, AYDA Awards 2022/2023 is themed ‘Convergence: Pushing the Reset Button’ to challenge participants to think outside the box and merge man-made structure with personal rejuvenation and healing needs.
Since 2008, the AYDA Awards has provided a creative and impact-driven platform for architects and designers. This year, AYDA Awards 2022/2023 received 1,101 entries from 58 colleges and universities across Malaysia.
Nippon Paint also provides students with the funds they need to pursue their education at Harvard GSD through the Gennosuke Obata Fellowship Fund. Nippon Paint will be connected to Harvard GSD’s alumni around the world to allow more collaboration between Harvard GSD and AYDA in the future.
Be part of the AYDA Awards 2022/2023 experience by following the AYDA Facebook page AYDA Malaysia or visit www.asiayoungdesignerawards.com. – The Vibes, December 16, 2022
