Formica announces student innovation competition winners
For the first time ever, a Canadian student has won the top prize at the annual FORM Student Innovation Competition.
The competition, which is organized by laminate and surfacing product manufacturer Formica Canada, challenges post-secondary students to design pieces of furniture for use in residential and commercial settings. The theme for this year’s challenge was “Blurred Lines” in which participants were invited to design furniture at the intersection of nature and technology. The competition attracted 150 submissions from across Canada and the United States.
This year’s winner was Alexandra Clément, an interior design student at Cégep de Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu. She becomes the first Canadian to win the competition. Placing second was Jacob Ethier, master's student in environmental design at the Université du Québec à Montréal. Matthew Lam and Benjamin Ma, students at the University of Waterloo received an honourable mention for their joint project.
“We are very pleased with the enthusiasm that many students and teachers from Canada had for the FORM 2020 Student Innovation Competition. We are particularly delighted that students from our country distinguished themselves this year to obtain the two first places and an honourable mention,” said Johanne Levesque, marketing director at Formica Canada. “This competition was created to stimulate creativity and promote the talent of the next generation of architects and designers. The participation of each student is a great learning experience.”
Clément’s submission was an origami desk that plays with various shapes and volumes to maximize its possible uses, including multiple built-in storage compartments.
“Alexandra’s origami desk beautifully showcases the intersection of nature and technology through its use of nature-inspired patterns and functional features,” said Renee Hytry Derrington, international design lead at Formica Group. “Paying homage to the thoughtful, clean and functional design of many Japanese interiors, this desk encourages a variety of uses, from a space to work to a place to share a meal or converse with others, and even keeps clutter at bay with smart organizational features.”
Ethier’s Post-Industrial Bookshelf design employs laser-cutting technology to create a new type of panel to add texture and colour. It is designed so objects stored inside can’t be seen, simplifying the surrounding environment and enhancing visual appeal.