From many watching the progress of the INDE.Awards we’re hearing that finding out who will be the 2017 INDE Prodigy is hot on their list. This is hardly surprising. Celebrating the need to innovate, the quality to anticipate, and the prowess by which new trendsetters are creating designs that carry both solution and value, your INDE Prodigy will represent the perfect synthesis of skill and vision.

Whether an individual or a small team, the shortlist for the 2017 INDE Prodigy Award serves as a standout reminder that the next generation of Asia Pacific design maintains an air of progressiveness in the combined attitude towards the imaginative practice of architecture and design. From skills to service, talent and expertise, the use of technology, and the fresh perspectives on materiality and big-picture thinking, all nominees hold these qualities, sharing them throughout the industry in a new knowledge economy based on collaboration, cross-disciplinarity and mutual opportunities to learn and grow.

But, these are qualities shared by many emerging design practices. What makes these select people stand out – your 2017 INDE Prodigy shortlist – is an additional willingness to challenge accepted practice: to colour outside the lines, and to serve as a shining example for the Asia Pacific region’s experimental and rebellious approach to A+D.

As the official partner for the 2017 INDE Prodigy Award, Cosentino understand the importance of an entrepreneurial attitude coupled with uncompromising skill, drive and the necessity to embrace forward-thinking technology. Having begun in 1940 with quarrying and basic marble processing, Cosentino has since grown in size to become one of the largest providers of innovative architectural surface solutions to have graced the market.

However, Cosentino has still maintained the same qualities seen in this year’s Prodigy nominees, despite their size. Committed to quality, safety, the environment, society, enthusiasm, seriousness and personal effort, Cosentino nonetheless remains an accessible brand to all involved – from clients to collaborators, suppliers and the public. This goal is made possible by pioneering leading brands in their respective segments such as Silestone, Dekton and Sensa by Cosentino – all technologically advanced surfaces for creating spaces and unique designs for the home and public areas.

Of course, none of this would matter if Cosentino and our nominated Prodigies alike were not self-directed and flexible in the face of change. Being able to colour outside the lines is dependent on being able to identify where those lines currently exist, and where to push them in order to guide the rest of the industry forward. Pushing boundaries for the sake of boundary-pushing will, quite bluntly, no longer cut it in this deep-thinking sector. New challenges represent an opportunity to continuously improve our creative process, positively impacting those involved from drafting table all the way through to delivery.

Seeking to foster the continued preeminence of design vision in this region, Cosentino frequently teams up with emerging design talent to help us all reimagine the limits of our creative practice. A recent collaboration at the 2017 Milan Design Week between Cosentino and ceramic atelier and Spanish design studio lead by Xavier Mañosa –  Dektonclay by Cosentino X Apparatu – explores the versatility of and seeks to discover new limits for the application of the ultracompact surface Dekton (pictured). In his own words, Mañosa and Cosentino sought to “discover new ways of working with Dekton, to find out how the material behaved under different temperatures or conditions of density, and to find out how versatile Dekton could be”.

Wowing punters all over Milan last week, the new project was lauded for innovative approaches to reconceptualising the kitchen, creating a collection of pieces that gathers cooking and eating through one material. Attracted by the idea of using the same material in every part of the kitchen, the collaboration resulted in an inspiring collection of table and kitchenware, furniture pieces and even a kitchen itself. The ovens, the kitchen top, the structure and all hardware were forged with Dekton, modelling, pressing, extruding, and firing, pushing the malleability of the material and reconceiving the breadth of its material dimension.

At Indesign Media, we wish to thank Cosentino for joining our search to find your 2017 INDE Prodigy,

To view this year’s Prodigy Award nominees and to vote for the boldest of the bunch, click here.

Get close to greatness and join us at the inaugural INDE.Awards Gala on Friday 30^th June in Sydney for the most exceptional awards ceremony the industry has seen.