Design and architecture students are invited to showcase their creativity and innovation for the chance to win a cash prize and national recognition as part of the FORM Student Innovation Competition by Formica Corporation, which opens September 5, 2017.
The FORM Student Innovation Competition is a modern take on the original “FORM: Contemporary Architects at Play” challenge, held in 2008, in which 10 world-renowned designers and architects — including Zaha Hadid, Michael Graves, Bernard Tschumi and Massimo Vignelli — constructed works of art from Formica® Brand products to meet the challenge of something to “sit upon, lay upon, lean upon or play upon.” The designs, which ranged from domestic pieces to conceptual sculptures, were then exhibited at the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati, where Formica Corporation is headquartered.
Now, the next generation of architecture and design students have the opportunity to take on the same challenge that some of the greats took on a decade ago by creating and submitting a colour rendering of their own original design. The student competition is designed to honour the architectural and design icons who participated in 2008 and pay homage to their legacies by inspiring the next generation of influential design professionals.
“Students who enter have a tremendous opportunity to follow in the footsteps of these design greats and have their work reviewed by individuals from some of the top architectural firms in the industry,” said Renee Hytry Derrington, Group VP of Design for Fletcher Building’s International Business Division, which includes Formica Corporation.
“We have no doubt that there are many students out there who have amazing talents yet to be discovered.”
The grand-prize winner will be awarded $1,500 in cash, and their design will be fabricated and showcased at an unveiling event at the Cincinnati Contemporary Arts Center in 2018. The second place winner will be awarded $1,000, and the third place winner will receive $500.
Together with Hytry Derrington, a panel of esteemed judges including Melodie Leung from Zaha Hadid Architects, Rob Van Varick and Donald Strum from Michael Graves Architecture & Design, R. Roger Remington from the Vignelli Center for Design Studies and Rochester Institute of Technology and Raphaela Platow from the Cincinnati Contemporary Arts Center will review finalist submissions.
Entries will be accepted beginning September 5, 2017 until November 10, 2017, and can be emailed to: [email protected]. For more information, including complete contest details and rules, visit formica.com/studentcompetition. Winners will be notified in December 2017, and officially announced to the public in March 2018.
The original designs from the 2008 FORM Challenge are available to view on Formica Group’s Facebook page.
More information about Formica Canada is available via their official website, linked here.