Words Danielle Austria
Images LIXIL Philippines
Building on the success of this year’s competition, the American Standard Design Award (ASDA) is calling on more Architecture and Design students to join the 2023 edition. For close to 150 years, American Standard has been raising the standard on bathroom and kitchen design, bringing the world products that are beautiful and functional. Through ASDA, they are also helping create a path for future architects and interior designers who are driven to solve real-world problems through design.
If you’re undecided, allow us to give you a little nudge. Here are five key reasons for you to participate in ASDA 2023:
The brief is interesting and culturally relevant to Filipinos.
The theme for next year’s competition is ‘A Home to Love, a Space for Everyone.’ In a country as family-oriented as the Philippines, multi-generational living is not a new concept, and the rest of the world is catching up on its emotional and economical benefits.
No matter how normalized it is here, however, spending almost all our time together in one place has exposed that the typical home may not be as fit for multi-generational use as we believed. In the last two years, we’ve all felt the need to re-evaluate our spaces—the intimate ones and the shared ones—and the bathroom is not spared.
ASDA’s challenge for students is this: How would you balance hygiene, ergonomics, safety, and convenience in one space? How would you design specifically a bathroom that will cater to and be loved by everyone at home, especially by families that include the elderly and young children?
Local talents shine on a global platform.
ASDA is organized by American Standard, a brand that’s been focused on designing better bathrooms and kitchens for over 150 years. Along with its parent company, LIXIL, American Standard has a presence in many parts of the world. By joining the competition, you get the chance to compete among Asia Pacific’s best young minds, namely aspiring designers and architects from Australia, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, India, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Your work will be critiqued by a world-class panel of architects and interior designers.
In the Philippines, we have IDr. Cynthia Almario (Creative Director and Co-founder of Atelier Almario), Arch. Cathy Saldaña (CEO of PDP Architects), and Arch. William Ti (Principal Architect at WTA Architecture and Design Studio). They are joined by Hermie Limbo, country manager of LIXIL Philippines.
For the Asia Pacific level, the jury includes key figures at LIXIL, namely Satoshi Konagai (Leader, LWT APAC), Antoine Besseyre des Horts (Leader, Global Design for Asia), Jihae Kim (Leader, Category Management, LWT APAC), and the respective panels from all competing countries.
Judging Criteria
Purposeful Design (40%)
Concept should address the needs of family members in multi-generational living, and participants should showcase how the bathroom space design and the choice of American Standard product address this need.
Inviting Style (30%)
The design aesthetics should be inviting and appealing to the target audience.
Originality (20%)
The entry should showcase the participant’s imagination while aiming for a unique solution. The participant should demonstrate the ability to look at the problems with a fresh perspective and an approach that is not influenced by what is already available.
Feasibility (10%)
The concept should be feasible and realistic allowing the implementation in a real-life scenario.
Note: Bonus points will be awarded for using recommended products (maximum of 5 points).
The prize pot is unmatched.
On a National level, the 1st prize winner takes home USD 2,000, the 2nd prize USD 1,500, and the 3rd prize USD 1,000. The 1st prize winners for each country will be judged as the APAC Grand Winner, who will eventually bag USD 3,000 and a sponsored trip to the LIXIL Design Centre in Singapore. The visit treats them to a preview of LIXIL’s design process at play and allows them to engage with the brand’s innovations first-hand.
LIXIL Philippines will also give out five special awards worth PHP 15,000 each: People’s Choice Award, Best in Shared Space, Best in Aesthetics, Best in Functionality, and Best in Water Technology.
Each winner will receive an Award plaque. All participants will get a certificate of participation.
You get to represent a new generation of designers.
With every new crop come innovations and shifts in ideologies. We’re dying to know: What is the Gen Z spirit of design? How do you view and seek to evolve the spaces you use? Clichéd as it may sound, it is true: you are the future of architecture and design, and ASDA 2023 is a wonderful opportunity to showcase your fresh ideas and unique strengths.
Quick Q&A with the ASDA 2023 Panel
In the last two years, designers have introduced many fantastic innovations that have changed our relationship with the spaces we move in. Is there a trend or behavior that you believe will carry over to our looming post-pandemic reality?
Cynthia Almario, Almario Atelier: The thrust in designing with sustainability in mind, cradle-to-cradle design, makes all the equity holders more intentional in their use of materials and their understanding of its afterlife. The possibilities of upcycling and designing for longevity have been more evident over time.
Cathy Saldaña, PDP Architects: One of the trends that prevailed during the pandemic and will continue in affection space planning is the consciousness on materiality. Exploring new spaces means understanding the surfaces and materials that do not harbor bacterial and microbial growth.
William Ti, WTA Design and Architecture: There’s been a shift towards larger homes and an appreciation for gardens and outdoor spaces. This should carry over.
How do you see Gen Z evolving or influencing the design culture? And what are your hopes for this new generation of designers?
Almario: Gen Z will trade in experiences, such as travel and exposure, which accelerates their growth vis-à-vis a desire to accumulate. They seem to have deeper values, but will these values lead to a more ascetic look in their built environments? Definitely something interesting to observe.
Saldaña: Gen Z designers envision architecture and interiors that are fresh, contemporary, and user-friendly. Technology is vital and smart design is a plus.
Ti: There will be more opportunities for impromptu pop-up architecture. More focus on the current moment. Hopefully, this leads to less egotistic monument building.
What do you hope participants take away from the experience?
Almario: I want the participants to enjoy the feeling of being challenged, of rising to the occasion, and of succeeding.
Saldaña: I hope that the batch of new designers values sustainability, innovation, and wellness in all design projects. ASDA 2023 will offer you mentoring, openness to new ideas, and collaboration with experienced architects. You will embrace challenges and take on new directions, you will go beyond the limits of your design skills, and you will explore out-of-the-box thinking
Ti: The exposure and challenge will allow them to be hopeful and create determination and interest to be better at their craft.
The deadline for entries is on January 15, 2023. Students must be enrolled as a sophomore or older in architecture or design-related courses in the Philippines.
The winners will be announced on April 28, 2023 (National Winners) and May 24, 2023 (Asia Pacific Grand Winner).
Submit your designs through the ASDA 2023 website. •
One Response
Is it free to join?