Two Malaysians sweep top award at “Asia Young Designers of The Year” 2017/2018

PETALING JAYA (March 22): Two Malaysians were crowned the winners at the Asia Young Designers of the Year 2017/18 at the Asia Young Designer Summit 2017/18, beating entries from 12 other countries including Hong Kong, Taiwan, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.

The two winners are Ng Wai How, who is currently pursuing his Master of Architecture from the University of Malaya, who won the Architecture category and Shahmeena Labeeb, a recent graduate in Interior Architecture from Taylor’s University, who won the Interior Design category.

They walked home with a cash prize of US$5,000 (RM19,535).

Ng’s project was titled War Museum - Extension of ‘Tugu Negara’ (Malaysia’s National Monument) featuring thematic galleries that use light, shadow and texture for greater impact.

The planned site for the project on the lower hill of the original monument helps to preserve the natural landscape as much as possible while paying homage to the original monument without overwhelming it.

“From my childhood memories, I felt a lack of narrative behind the National Monument. There’s no point to the future if we forget what our ancestors have done in the past, hence my idea was to revive the untold story of the monument. This is because we must always remember that sacrifices were made so we could be where we are today,” said Ng.

Meanwhile, Labeeb’s idea is centred around the declining population of honeybees around the world.

According to Labeeb, the idea focused on using an abandoned space in Kuala Lumpur as her site, as she designed a project incorporating bee-friendly fruit and vegetable trees, with design elements inspired by honeycombs.

Named Plan Bee - City Beekeeping, it creates employment for urban beekeepers and gardeners, with a café and retail space for produce made from honey.

“I’m so glad the judges saw the passion and creativity behind my idea! I’m passionate about what I do and Plan Bee was my final year project so this experience greatly broadened my spectrum as a designer. Moreover, the extensive research allowed me to create a design that would benefit the environment as well as people for a better tomorrow. I hope I will inspire other design students to dream big and work towards their goals,” said Labeeb.

Nippon Paint South East Asia Group CEO Wee Siew Kim said the organisation has always prized innovation, and their experience and willingness to push boundaries encapsulates the spirit of the Asia Young Designer Award.

“For us, the theme ‘You for Tomorrow’ represents the future of architecture and interior design, and we are proud to see such a gathering of regional talents and experts united in an industry-wide initiative that lays the foundation for friendships and cross-learning opportunities,” said Wee.

Organised by Nippon Paint, the summit is the culmination of the Asia Young Designer Award, which also involves regional winners from the 13 participating countries gather for an intensive learning programme that involves study tours, and sharing and coaching sessions by renowned industry professionals.

The summit is held annually, with more than 500 talented design students, judges, industry experts, and lecturers participating.