Above: Reece BIA 2013 Professional Winner: Wind Rain Fire by Chris Connell

The Reece Bathroom Innovation Award (BIA) will turn its focus to the endless potential of bathroom furniture in 2014 and reward Australia’s most innovative bathroom product designers with money-can’t-buy industry experiences.

THE FUTURE OF BATHROOM FURNITURE IN FOCUS 

“Bathroom furniture is one of the essential elements of the bathroom space and, from a design perspective, we’ve seen renewed focus in this area internationally in recent years,” says Reece Bathroom Marketing Manager Belinda Geels.

“Recent research1 shows that Australians now consider the vanity unit the preferred feature of their bathroom space, making its place as the cornerstone of today’s bathroom experience clear,” says Ms Geels.

“The BIA has always been about pushing the boundaries of bathroom product design so this year we’re looking to student and professional designers to really explore the possibilities of bathroom furniture. We want to see how Australia’s emerging design talent can reinvent and truly redefine the vanity unit in a way that uniquely enhances the bathroom space.”

Reece 2013 BIA Student Award Winner: At The Touch – Amanda Paukner

CAREER DEFINING PRIZES 

It’s not just the BIA brief that’s been updated for 2014 – the competition’s prizes have been revamped to include career-defining opportunities for both the professional and student winners. Along with a $10,000 cash prize, the 2014 BIA professional category winner will have their entry prototyped by Omvivo, one of Australia’s leading vanity unit manufacturers.

The student winner will head to Barcelona for a two week internship with the leading global designers at Roca, the world’s largest bathroom manufacturer, as well as collecting $5,000 in cash. The student winner’s tertiary institution will also be awarded a $5,000 prize. According to Ms Geels, the new prize offerings represent the next level in the BIA’s commitment to fostering Australian design talent.

“Since its inception, the BIA has sought to encourage and celebrate innovative Australian design, but we recognise that industry experience is crucial for designers today.

“We’re proud of the BIA’s ongoing role in supporting emerging and established design talent and believe the opportunities these new prizes present will amplify that even further.”

Reece Bathroom Innovation Awards
bathroominnovation.com.au