Winner Round-Up / A’ Design Award & Competition 2021 – 2022

For over ten years, the annual A’ Design Award & Competition (designaward.com) has aimed to distinguish, share, and inspire good design, creators, and companies. The award is the largest annual juried design competition organized and awarded internationally in a wide array of categories ranging from industrial design to architecture.

Every year, projects that focus on innovation, technology, design and creativity are awarded to push them further for success. As well as a whole list of prizes, the competition is intended for architects, designers, and innovators who desire to gain worldwide recognition and publication for their projects.

With the 2021-2022 edition calling for regular submissions entries, ArchEyes highlights 20 of our all-time favorite design and architecture-winning projects in past editions including some of the winners of the 2020 – 2021 edition.  Announced in April the competitions awarded 2094 Winners from 108 countries in 104 different design disciplines. Entries were carefully evaluated by an internationally influential jury panel composed of established scholars, prominent press members, creative design professionals and experienced entrepreneurs who devoted great care and attention to details while voting each entry.

Registration to A’ Design Award & Competition 2021-2022 is open now.
Results will be announced to the public on May 1, 2022 and featured in ArchEyes.  

Bayfront Pavilion Public Event Space by Thomas Schroepfer

• Designers:Thomas Schroepfer, Alex Cornelius, Aloysius Lian, Thomas Wortmann, Amanda Yeo Qian Yu, Joel Yap Kar Ying, Yehezkiel Wiliardy Manik and Christyasto Priyonggo Pambudi
• Winner Category: 2020 – 2021, Winner in Architecture, Building and Structure Design Category
• Inspiration: The inspiration for the Pavilion was the environmentally comfortable and visually beautiful experience of walking under the foliage of lush trees in the tropics. This idea was translated into a design with a clear mathematical logic that was determined by extensive environmental simulations and structural optimisations. The analyses and their application to a detailed computational model led to an optimum solution for the structural form and pattern of the Pavilion. Material usage was optimised, and the embodied carbon footprint minimised, pointing the way forward for the building industry to adopt similar design tools and methods.

Imatra GIS Electricity Substation by Virkkunen and Co Architects

• Designers: Tuomas Kivinen, Anna Blomqvist and Maria Karjalainen
• Winner Category: 2020 – 2021, Silver Architecture, Building and Structure Design Category.
• Inspiration: The beautiful landscape and the historical significance of the area were the primary sources of inspiration for us. The existing, impressive industrial architecture of the context was another major factor in the design. The guiding principle has been that the new structures should form a clearly defined new historical layer. They would also have to be timeless and combine harmoniously with the context. We sought to further elevate the beauty of the site.

The Pitched Roof House by Takaharu Tezuka and Yui Tezuka

• Designers: Niitsugumi Co., Ltd., Structure: OHNO-JAPAN, Lighting: BONBOLI Lighting Architect & Associates and Landscape: GA Yamazaki
• Winner Category: 2020 – 2021, Silver Architecture, Building and Structure Design Category.
• Inspiration: Deep eaves, as one of the most important Japanese traditional architecture elements in local monsoon climate, are almost extinct in modern houses. It is essential to comprehend the meaning of these traditional elements in the modern setting. With the latest technology, the house seek to reinterpret the deep eave in the context of a humid climate, retain and create more opportunities for these distinctive Japanese qualities to sprout forth in modern architecture.

Tetris House by studiomk27

• Designers: Marcio Kogan, Carolina Castroviejo, Diana Radomysler, and Maria Cristina Motta
• Winner Category: Golden A’ Design Award Winner for Architecture, Building, and Structure Design Category in 2014
• Inspiration: There is continuity not only of the circulation between the inside and out but also of the materials, dissolving spatial limits.

Slope House Residence by Kyungsik Kim

• Designers: Kyungsik Kim
• Winner Category: 2020 – 2021, Silver Architecture, Building and Structure Design Category.
• Inspiration: The inspiration of the project came from the Kam-ak mountain near the site. Conceptually the gentle slope of the mountain extends to the house, creating the sloped roof which is a main feature of the design.

Peloponnese Rural Residential House by Ivana Lukovic  

• Designers: Ivana Lukovic architect, Collaborators: Alexandra Arampatzi architect, Kostas Geranios architect and Orestis Mpormpantonakis architect
• Winner Category: 2020 – 2021, Winner in Architecture, Building and Structure Design Category
• Inspiration: Industrial feel of the traditional stone stables characteristic for the Peloponnese rural areas was inspiration for natural materials applied on the elevation and in interior. Reclaimed local stone that was supplemented with new, grey roof tiles, black aluminum facade windows frames, washed-wood handmade shutters, black metal railing, white-oil treated OSB and cement mortar in two shades are all implemented in contemporary manner, simultaneously echoing the past while contributing to the materiality richness.

One Main Office by dECOi Mark Goulthorpe, Raphael Crespin

• Designers: dECOi – Mark Goulthorpe (Principal), dECOi – Raphael Crespin (Designer), dECOi – Gabriel Blue Cira, dECOi – Matt Trimble, dECOi – Priyanka Shah, MIT – Kaustuv de Biswas, Oxford University – Prof Alex Scott, Gensler – Helen Heitman, Gensler – Pablo Garcia, Tricore
• Winner Category: 2015 – 2016, Platinum A’ Architecture, Building, and Structure Design Award Winner
• Inspiration: The project displaces the combinatorial logic of ready-made components typical of the late-industrial process for a seamless and non-standard protocol of customized fabrication. A formal aesthetic emerges from these processes, imbuing the design with a curvilinear continuity at a detail and spatial level.

The Curtain Sales Office by Larry Wen and Yibo Wang – Aoe

• Designers: Larry Wen, Yibo Wang, Chao Xie, and Yusong Zhang
• Winner Category: 2017 – 2018, Platinum A’ Architecture, Building, and Structure Design Award Winner
• Inspiration: Reshaping the cultural self-confidence with innovative design solutions. The Metal Mesh works as an energy-saving material to block the direct sunlight and aesthetically related to Chinese culture.

P Residential House by studiomk27

• Designers: Marcio Kogan, Lair Reis, Diana Radomysler, Carolina Castroviejo, Carlos Costa, Laura Guedes, Mariana Simas, Oswaldo Pessano and Suzana Glogowski
• Winner Category: Golden A’ Design Award Winner for Architecture, Building, and Structure Design Category in 2014
  
• Inspiration: Since China has developed from agricultural civilization to industrial civilization, history never goes back. The Chinese peaceful and indifferent life aesthetics and faith for the integration of nature and humans are challenged and neglected. We do not deny development, but China needs to regain attention to its own culture at this stage.

Ging Chair by Alan Hung

• Designers: Alan Hung
• Winner Category: 2017 – 2018, Platinum A’ Architecture, Building, and Structure Design Award Winner
• Inspiration: “When I was a child, I remember picking up wood sticks and made my own slingshot. The unique shape of the slingshot inspired the form of the chair. At the same time, it reminds me of the joy and memory when I first made my own craft. The chairs’ form inspired by the slingshot is aesthetically intriguing, and also structurally relating.” – Alan Hung

Twins Seating Units by Ece-Oguz Yalim

• Designers: Ece Yalim, Oguz Yalim, and Feride Toprak
• Winner Category: 2011 – 2012, Gold A’ Furniture, Decorative Items, and Homeware Design Category
• Inspiration: “The challenge was to create a friendly, simple design that can find its place in various contemporary office designs. Linear furniture, rectangular spaces of contemporary office interiors inspired us to create a pleasing contrast with a sculpturesque, dynamic form which comes from slight angles of the object.”

Termalija Family Wellness by Enota

• Designers: Dean Lah, Milan Tomac, Peter Sovinc, Nuša Završnik Šilec, Polona Ruparčič, Peter Karba, Carlos Cuenca Solana, Jurij Ličen, Tjaž Bauer, Sara Mežik, Eva Tomac, Jakob Kajzer, Maja Majerič and Goran Djokić
• Winner Category: 2019 – 2020, Gold A’ Building and Structure Design Award Winner
• Inspiration: Termalija Family Wellness is the latest in the series of projects which we have built at Terme Olimia in the last fifteen years and concludes the complete transformation of the spa complex. A lot of effort was invested in designing the buildings in such a way that they don’t fill the space but connect it even more with the surrounding nature. The volume of necessary space required siting of a larger structure that couldn’t merely be buried below the grade like in our previous projects on the site. No longer being able to reference only the surrounding natural landscape, the solution was found in scale and form of surrounding vernacular structures. The large roof above the water area was divided into sets of smaller segments to prevent its scale from overwhelming surroundings. Viewed from a distance, the shape, color, and scale of the new clustered structure of tetrahedral volumes is a continuation of the cluster of surrounding rural buildings, which visually extends into the heart of the complex.

Coupe Kitchen Stool Kitchen Stool by Nagano Interior

• Designers: Hisao Hara, President: Takahiro Nagano, Vice President: Yohei Nagano, Product Development Section Chief: Kazunari Tanaka, Product Development Sub Section Chief: Kenichi Imagawa and Sales Promotion Section Chief: Keisuke Maeda
• Winner Category: 2019 – 2020, Platinum A’ Furniture, Decorative Items, and Homeware Design Award Winner
• Inspiration: “In the living space, dining chairs and relaxation sofas have been proposed as necessary furniture already. However, when we were analyzing actual behavior, it was found that there were many situations where a chair was required to hold the posture of movement in the middle of standing and sitting. We found the possibility of a high stool that can sit in a posture close to standing.”

Codependent Table by Fletcher Eshbaugh

• Designer: Fletcher Eshbaugh
• Winner Category: 2019 – 2020, Gold A’ Furniture, Decorative Items, and Homeware Design Award Winner
• Inspiration: “This design was inspired by a fascination of how profound a role psychological conditions play in an individual’s lives. This often goes unnoticed by the affected and is the source of unresolved discomfort. With this, the larger vision for this table was the hope that the design can spur a larger conversation about mental health, psychology, and well being.”

Bandage Sofa by Olga Bogdanova and Elena Prokhorova

• Designers: Art direction – Olga Bogdanova and Product designer – Elena Prokhorova
• Winner Category: 2018 – 2019, Platinum A’ Furniture, Decorative Items, and Homeware Design Award Winner
• Inspiration: Creating this product, Bogdanova Bureau team wanted to embody a comfortable piece of furniture that meets all the requirements of the consumer. Soft lines and modern design – creating this sofa, the team wanted it to fit into almost any modern interior.

Bo Du Resort Hotel Design by Zhang Can – CSD Design Office

• Designers: Zhang Can and Lighting Design: Wan Xia
• Winner Category: 2018 – 2019, Platinum A’ Interior Space and Exhibition Design Award Winner
• Inspiration: Bodu in Chinese means providing a place for rest. And that is precisely what the Bodu hotel brand aims to offer, a place to meditate close to nature. The historic Tengchong is inseparable from the ancient silk road. Many of Tengchong’s charms come from its rich culture, which inspired many poets and calligraphers.

EN Skincare Salon and Store by Yusuke Kinoshita

• Designer: Yusuke Kinoshita
• Winner Category: 2019 – 2020, Platinum A’ Interior Space and Exhibition Design Award Winner
• Inspiration: Adding a series of circular partitions across four rooms and two levels to define the various functions of the space gently. This leans into the Japanese hospitality principle of discovery; patrons must wind through the store to find each treatment area, rather than walking into an obvious open-plan. The unusual geometric forms serve to spark curiosity in the customer. The concept of ”beauty” by choosing golden polished brass for the circular partitions and accent pieces throughout the store.

Beel Seat Ware by Selami Gündüzeri

• Designer: Selami Gündüzeri
• Winner Category: 2018 – 2019, Gold A’ Furniture, Decorative Items, and Homeware Design Award Winner
• Inspiration: “I was inspired by the clean and minimalistic shapes and designed with inspiration from the human spine system, Beel offers comfortable sitting and healthy posture.” –Selami Gündüzeri

Dream House Island Rural Renewal by Tianqi Guan

• Designer: Tianqi Guan
• Winner Category: 2018 – 2019, Gold A’ Architecture, Building, and Structure Design Award Winner
• Inspiration: “This is a project for the TV program to convey a notion that makes people more aware of the relationship between environment and structures, encouraging them to care about the living environment and maximize spatial delight and spirit. People often concern grand narrative-themed buildings and usually turn a blind eye to many houses that are humble but still relevant to daily life. Moreover, we pay too much attention to how good a building looks on the outside while ignoring what lies inside.” – Tianqi Guan

The Black House Housing by Buero Wagner

• Designers: Fabian A. Wagner, Sophia Eun Joo Pfeiffer, Maxi Wagner
• Winner Category: 2018 – 2019, Gold A’ Architecture, Building, and Structure Design Award Winner
• Inspiration: The Black House is located next to a forest not far from Ammersee, one of Germany’s largest lakes one hour southwest of Munich, Bavaria. Encompassing an 80 square meter plot, ”The Black House” directly adjoins to a larger family home next door, yet is distinguished as an independent building. The residence is characterized by its carbonized wood facade, with rooms of different heights stacked together to create a variety of spatial situations.

Registration to A’ Design Award & Competition 2021-2022 is open now.
Results will be announced to the public on May 1, 2022 and featured in ArchEyes.