Aevan Georgeline De Jesus, a fifth year Interior Design student from the De La Salle – College of St. Benilde, bagged the top award in the recent American Standard Design Award (ASDA) 2023, a competition for students that seeks to uncover the power of design to create not only a bathroom where one can recharge and rejuvenate but a space that is truly loved by everyone in the family.
Themed ‘A Home to Love, A Space for Everyone,’ the ASDA competition, organized by American Standard, part of LIXIL, aims to reflect the relevance of multi-generational living with a design approach that balances hygiene, ergonomic, safety and convenience for user of different age groups – from children to parents and grandparents.
De Jesus’ design, entitled “The Grid: Close Family Ties, an Ode to the Warmth of Home,” – in keeping with the Residential Bathroom Space Design challenge – bested more than 300 other entries, all of which focused on the importance of bathroom aesthetics for urban living in high-mass housing. The designs were judged by an esteemed panel of judges that included LIXIL Water Technology (LWT) Philippines leader Hermie Limbo, Atelier Almario Corporation creative director & co-founder Cynthia Almario, PDP Architects CEO Architect Cathy Saldaña, and WTA Architecture and Design Studio’ Arvin Pangilinan who represented principal architect William Ti.
According to De Jesus, The Grid, is inspired by the warmth of close family ties found in Asian homes. By separating every area in the bathroom, users get to perform their tasks without having to wait for the others to finish. The floor plan was designed to be functional at 360 degrees with the shower on the left, toilet on the right and opposite is the basin area with the built-in laundry. On the left side of the cube is a vanity set with hanging rods and tall mirror and a house plant to brighten the morning. Meanwhile, on the right side is a reminder board so every family can jot down notes, letters, and paper posts to organize the house activities.
De Jesus used colors, materials and finishes that mimic a warm home such as opaque glass and wood panels to create a Capiz look typical in a Filipino home. To complete the functional space, De Jesus used American Standard products that are helpful to every household member – from children and parents to the elderlies. Some of the key pieces include the Signature Vessel EasySET Exposed Shower Auto Temperature Mixer with Integrated Rainshower Kit (3- Way), Acacia Evolution High-Spout Basin Mixer (Side Lever), and Acacia SupaSleek One-Piece Toilet (S-Trap 305mm)
As the national level winner, De Jesus qualified for the Asia-Pacific (APAC) round where her design was judged by a regional panel of judges, among them LWT APAC leader Satoshi Konagai, LIXIL Global Design Asia leader Antoinne Besseyre Des Horts, and LWT APAC leader, Category Management Jihae Kim.
Renowned interior designers and architects from international firms across participating countries in Asia Pacific were also among the regional judges. Joining Almario, Saldaña, and Ti were Mai Chongchaiyo, Steve Leung Design Group’s director of design; Hayley Mitchell and Samantha Eades, directors of Mitchell and Eades; Hun Chansan, re : edge Architecture’s founder and principal Architect; Martin Aerne, founding director of Aerne Architects & Associates Co. Ltd.; Ashok Prabhu, CEO of DWP Interics; Gaurav Premchandani, MD India at JOI Design; Thiyagarajan Rajagopalan, director of DPA Consultants Pvt. Ltd; Warren Foster Brown, founder and managing director of FBEYE International; Tulsi Grover, managing principal at Hassell; Theeranuj Karnasuta Wonwaisayawan, managing director at Interior Architects 49 Limited; Giang Le, founder & deputy director at GK Archi Co., LTD; and Arch. Le Truong founder and CEO of TT-Associates. In the end, Sin Ponleu from Cambodia took home the APAC grand winner.
Aside from De Jesus, fifth year Architecture student Apryl Precious Gem Estavillo won second prize (national) for her project “BeYou.nd”, and fifth year Interior Design student Margaret Therese Hagad who finished third place (national) for her entry “Weathering Walls.”
Five special awards were also given to Deinell Khryzian Belen, second year Architecture student who won National People’s Choice; Janelle Erica Gan, fifth year Architecture student whose project was named Best in Aesthetics; Jana Beatrice Juguilon, second year Architecture student who took home Best Shared Space; Neobert Jose Borromeo, fifth year Architecture student whose project was recognized as Best in Functionality; and Caire Endaya, fourth year Architecture student who was awarded Best in Water Technology.
“This year’s national winners and recipients of special awards are proof of the brilliance and ingenuity of the new generation. With their amazing talent and skills in design, I am hopeful that they can help shape a better and more promising future for everyone.” said Hermie Limbo.
De Jesus will be travelling to Singapore with the LIXIL Philippines team for the ASDA 2023 APAC awarding where she will also be taking part in a series of activities including media interviews, exhibits, showroom and architectural tours, and many more.
The annual competition is open to Year 2 and above tertiary design school students from ten countries across the Asia-Pacific including Australia, Cambodia, India, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
For more information about the design competition and a way to be part of an impactful movement that can make a difference to consumers’ lives, please visit the ASDA website at (https://americanstandard-apac.com/asda).
