Words and images The Kanto team, with DAIKIN
(DAIKIN Designer Awards)
Raring to stretch those design muscles? A new competition is on the horizon for Filipino designers and architects, organized by DAIKIN Indonesia, now in partnership with the Philippine Institute of Interior Designers (PIID). The DAIKIN Designer Awards ASEAN 2026 marks the first time the competition has opened registration to the Philippines, and DAIKIN Airconditioning Philippines Inc. General Manager Arianne Lamug calls it the payoff of a relationship years in the making. “Even before the DAIKIN Designer Awards, we have been working closely with the PIID to push forward our mission of improving air quality through design,” she says.
Underneath the accolades and the prize money is an argument DAIKIN wants designers to reckon with: climate-responsive design too often gets treated as an afterthought, bolted on once the architecture and interiors are already resolved. DAIKIN’s position is that it belongs at the very start of the design process.
First launched in 2020 as a recognition platform for Indonesian architects and interior designers, DAIKIN invited Malaysian entrants in 2025 before arriving at its sixth edition this year as an expanded ASEAN competition, with the Philippines and Singapore joining Indonesia and Malaysia on the roster. “As Filipinos, we are known for our creativity, resourcefulness, and spirit of innovation,” Lamug says. “DAIKIN Designer Awards is the perfect stage to showcase local talent, especially our young, emerging designers.”
Where can Filipino entrants compete in?
Finished Project splits into two tracks by building type: Residential, for completed detached homes, and Apartment/Condominium, which covers a completed interior renovation of a single unit. Unbuilt Projects are divided as follows: Conceptual Architecture and Conceptual Interior Design each carry a Professional division split into Residential and F&B briefs, plus a Student division focused on Residential design.
Filipino entrants are cleared to compete in Finished Project, since DAIKIN’s Home Central AC system is already installed in the country through accredited local contractors, meeting the category’s technical requirement. DAIKIN Philippines expects most first-year Filipino entries to land in the Conceptual categories, given this is the country’s first year in the competition. A People’s Choice Award, decided on the night itself, rounds out nine categories in total.
Who won last year?
Last year’s roster shows the diverse range DAIKIN Designer Awards rewards. Finished Project’s top prize went to The Steric Spes, by Arch. Gerard Tambunan and Arch. Diana Pardede of GETS Architects in Indonesia, with second place going to Borderless House, by Ar. Lee Cherng Yih and Ar. Caleb Ong Yan Weng of Malaysia’s FORMZERO. On the conceptual side, Weave, by Yoval Julianto and Lady Viona Yacup of Indonesia’s Dreamlabs Architects, took first place in Conceptual Architecture Residential.
Who’s judging this year?
Cecil Ravelas, PIID president, joins the jury as the competition’s only Filipino name this year. She sits alongside Indonesia’s Cosmas Gozali, Tan Tik Lam, Alex Bayusaputro, and DAIKIN’s own Wenky Handono, plus Tay Ei Ling representing Malaysia and Henry Yew representing Singapore, for seven judges in total.
How do I actually enter?
Entry runs in two stages. First, register on the competition site at daikindesignerawards.daikin.co.id/pre-register by creating an account, filling in personal details, and choosing a category, with registration open May 1 through August 31, 2026. Second, submit the actual entry materials by September 30. For Finished Project specifically, the competition’s own terms list Residential/F&B layouts, exterior and interior 3D renders, and an AC layout as the required submitted data. Participants can enter individually or as a team of up to three, but only in one category each. The 2026 FAQ is explicit that multi-category entries aren’t allowed this year, so choose carefully before registering. Presentations run 10 minutes, delivered in either Bahasa Indonesia or English. For exact submission requirements under the Conceptual categories, check the official competition website or message DAIKIN Philippines directly. Entry is free.
What happens after I submit?
Judging follows, with a one-time official briefing in Jakarta on July 3, open to Filipino entrants online, plus a separate local briefing the Philippines will hold on its own timeline. Winners are announced at the awards night on November 27, 2026, held in Indonesia; all finalists, Filipino entrants included, are expected to attend in person.
What do winners actually take home?
Across every category, DAIKIN has put up a combined ₱1,581,000 (Rp 465,000,000, rate as of July 29, 2026) in cash prizes, spread across 19 winning placements this year, including the People’s Choice Award. Finished Project carries the richest purse of the lot, and both of its categories, Residential and Apartment/Condominium, hand out their own full set: ₱170,000 for first place, ₱136,000 for second, ₱102,000 for third. The Conceptual categories for working professionals, split between Architecture and Interior Design and each further divided into Residential and F&B briefs, pay ₱136,000 for first and ₱68,000 for second.
Student entrants compete for smaller but still meaningful purses, topping out at ₱51,000 for first place in the Conceptual Residential categories. The People’s Choice Award, decided on awards night itself, adds another ₱17,000 to the pot.
So, why join?
Beyond the accolades and the cash prizes, there’s the platform itself: for a first-time Filipino entrant, a placement means a seat at a regional table judged by names most local designers would otherwise only encounter at international conferences, while also offering unparalleled networking opportunities.
Ravelas, for her part, frames the competition as a mandate for the region’s design community. “It is a call for the design community to find solutions and push the boundaries, especially at a time when quality of air is becoming more and more of a concern,” she says. “The DAIKIN Design Awards emphasize how the quality of air is an important factor in good design. Most importantly, it is a chance for us to bring out the voice of the region, share our local narratives, and become a part of this important conversation around designing for quality air.” •
DAIKIN Designer Awards 2026
Open to architects, interior designers, and students from
the Philippines, Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia
Registration open until August 31, 2026
Register at daikindesignerawards.daikin.co.id/pre-register
For questions on eligibility, submission requirements, and other queries,
check the official competition website or message DAIKIN Philippines directly.
