Top Image: I-DEA Singapore – Workplace Design, Kallang Junction by Rene Tan of RT+Q Architects (Gold)

A wider range of projects will be considered for this year’s Design Excellence Awards (DEA), which is in its fourth cycle. Split into four sections, I-DEA Singapore and I-DEA Asia Pacific for professionals, and SPADE Singapore and SPADE Asia Pacific for students, entrants may select from expanded subcategories within the main categories of Retail, Hospitality, Food & Beverage (F&B), and Workplace, to name a few.

For instance, the Retail Design group for this year includes ‘Best Under 2000 Sq ft.’, ‘Best Above 2000 Sq ft.’ and ‘Under 5000 Sq ft.’ categories. Under Residential, entrants can submit for ‘Best Kitchen Design’ or ‘Best Living and Dining Room Design’. DEA explains that this specialisation makes it “more effective in the way the works are judged,” as proven by the awards last year, which saw new competition categories enable industry players to compete on a greater level playing field.

I-DEA Singapore – F&B Design, The Fat Cow Restaurant by Robert Cheng of Brewin Design Office

DEA 2015 was the first year that the competition was opened up to practitioners and students across the Asia Pacific region. It attracted 178 entries, with 60 designers from 40 firms and 23 students from nine design institutes awarded a Bronze, Silver and Gold award for their spatial work.

The professionals last year who walked away with the highest ‘Gold’ accolade for I-DEA Singapore included Robert Cheng of Brewin Design Office for The Fat Cow Restaurant (F&B); Mike Lim of DP Design Pte Ltd for One Farrer Hotel & Spa (Hospitality); Tung Ching Yew of Spirit of Design Analogy Pte Ltd for SINGAPORE NIGHT FESTIVAL 2015: ILLUMINATE (Installation); and Rene Tan of RT+Q Architects Pte Ltd for Kallang Junction (Workplace), to name a few.

I-DEA Singapore – Hospitality Design, One Farrer Hotel & Spa by Mike Lim of DP Design

Gold winners from the Asia Pacific category included Joris Angevaare from Designphase DBA Pte Ltd for his work on SALT Grill & Sky Bar and Artisan Boulangerie Co. at Asia Square (F&B) and Robinsons Orchard (Retail); Ko Shiou Hee of K2LD Architects for G Hotel Kelawai (Hospitality) and many other projects.

I-DEA Asia Pacific – Hospitality Design, G Hotel Kelawai by Ko Shiou Hee of K2LD Architects

“This year, we expect to receive a record number of competition entries, including young talents from schools. [We are] hoping to see more cutting-edge works that will undoubtedly raise the bar across the industry regionally,” says George Budiman, President of the Interior Design Confederation Singapore (IDCS), organiser of DEA.

SPADE Singapore – Retail Design, The Paper Pavilion by Larry Teo of Temasek Polytechnic

The DEA 2016 ceremony will take place at the Capitol Tower, STI Auditorium. The event is set to be a gathering of interior design talents, including seasoned industry players and up-and-coming young talents from Singapore and the Asia Pacific region, highlighting the growth of the design industry across various fields.

Call for entries for DEA 2016 has begun. Firms and students are invited to submit their work from now until 16 September 2016.

Design Excellence Awards
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