Painting a world of opportunities

MANILA, Philippines - Opening a window of opportunity for talented and deserving Filipino architecture and interior design students is Nippon Paint (Coatings) Philippines as it launched its prestigious Nippon Paint Young Designer Award (NPYDA) in the Philippines at the Shangri-La Hotel in Makati City.

The program, a regional competition that began in 2008, covers 10 Asia Pacific countries, including the Philippines. Among its prizes is a trip to Osaka for the Japan Learning Program in March 2015 where students will be mentored by the region’s top architects and interior designers, as well as meet the fellow winners from other countries.

General manager of Nippon Paint Malaysia Group Gladys Goh welcomed guests to the whole-day event, which began with a media launch in the morning and a briefing session with architecture and interior design associations, educators and students in the afternoon.

Goh said, “With Nippon Paint Young Designer Award, we want to utilize our resources and give young Filipino students one-of-a-kind opportunities that promote creativity and innovation, which they can use to build their communities.”

The NPYDA is supported by highly respected architecture and interior design organizations in the country: Philippine Institute of Interior Designers (PIID), Council of Interior Design Educators (CIDE), United Architects of the Philippines (UAP), United Architects of the Philippines Student Auxiliary and Council of Deans and Heads in Architecture Schools in the Philippines (CODHASP).

For their part, UAP national president Beth Regala and PIID national president Rogelio Caringal expressed their gratitude to Nippon Paint for launching the regional competition in the Philippines. They were later joined by Nippon Paint executives in the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement that also included UAP committee chair for architectural competitions Eliezer Villaruz, CIDE president Dr. Lilia De Jesus and CODHASP treasurer architect Chona Elvas-Ponce.

The competition is open to college students who are at least on their second year for the Interior Design category and at least third year for the Architecture category. NPYDA dares the students to design an 800-sq.-ft. of living space for the interior design category; and four hectares (10 acres) of land focusing on one structure for the architecture category. Gold awardees will win P50,000 cash prize, a six-month internship at Lor Calma & Partners and a fully-paid trip to Japan for a learning program.

NPYDA also unveiled a powerful line-up of judges. For Interior Design category, the judges are Lor Calma & Partners principal architect Eduardo Calma, Michael Pizarro Interior Design and Acanthus Home Furniture and Furnishing founder Michael Pizarro, Real Living magazine editor-in-chief Rachelle Medina, De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde Department of Interior Design chairperson Vincent Louie Tan and renowned interior designer Belen Morey. For Architecture category, the judges are Professional Regulatory Board of Architecture chairman architect Rolando Cordero, 2014 Outstanding Professional for Architecture by the Professional Regulation Commission architect Jose Ramon Carunungan, executive director for the Commission on Professional Practice of the United Architects of the Philippines architect Consuelo Buencamino and UAP’s Architect Fellows Chona Elvas-Ponce and Virgilio Regala Jr.

(For more details about the competition, visit www.youngdesigneraward.ph.)