Formica Canada Inc. has launched its 2019 FORM Student Innovation Competition, inviting interior design and architecture students to create furniture designs using Formica brand laminate. Students have the chance to win cash prizes, attain international recognition and have their work showcased in a public exhibit.
Participants must use three or more Formica-brand laminate products to create a “resi-mercial” furniture design that blurs the line between residential and commercial spaces. The industry and design professionals that are tasked with judging the entries include Leanne Ford, interior designer and star of “Restored by the Fords” on HGTV; Tristan Butterfield, chief creative officer at Baker Interiors Group; Jaime Velez, former director of interior design at SOM; Renee Hytry Derrington, global design lead at Formica Group and Steven Matijcio, curator for the Contemporary Arts Centre in Cincinnati.
“As we continue to see the line between commercial and residential design blur, with residential spaces inspired by hospitality settings and office and health care environments designed to feel like home, we are excited by the emergence of the “resi-mercial” trend,” said Hytry Derrington, in a press release. “I can’t wait to see what today’s talented students will envision in their entries.”
The 2019 FORM Student Innovation Competition is accepting entries until December 10, 2018. Winners will be unveiled on March 11, 2019. The grand prize winner will receive an award of US$1,500 cash, and their design will be created and displayed at an unveiling event at the Cincinnati Contemporary Arts Centre on March 22, 2019. The second-place winner will be presented with a cash prize of US$1,000, and the third-place winner will receive US$500.
“I am so excited to see how students interpret the new wave of “resi-mercial” design,” added Leanne Ford. “In reality, this is a style that has been around for years and will continue well into the future, but now it has a name. I love that these rising design students will undoubtedly have an impact on how it continues to evolve as they jump into their careers.”
The 2019 FORM Student Innovation Competition is inspired by the original contest, which was held in 2008, in which the company invited 10 world-renowned designers and architects to create artwork using Formica brand products. The design professionals created products ranging from domestic pieces to conceptual sculptures, which were then exhibited at the Contemporary Arts Centre. The 2019 FORM Student Innovation Competition upholds the spirit of the original competition.
