School of Design’s Graduating Cohort Showcase Works of Passion and Grit 

More than 400 innovative, meaningful ideas across fashion, architecture, film, product design and communication design disciplines were showcased at the 27th run of the annual Design Show held earlier this month.

This year, in an effort to train young minds to be responsible designers, TP’s BeyonDesign Centre (BDC) launched the inaugural Sustainability Awards which honoured the top three student projects that addressed bigger issues of the world through their designs such as reducing poverty, resolving hunger and responsible consumption.

These were the winners, announced at the event opening, with each bagging a $1,000 cash prize.

An Urban Grow.cer for the Community

This award-winning idea by Interior Architecture & Design student Sun YaNan utilised the unused spaces of HDB blocks to provide for the needs of elderly people in Singapore who may face difficulty in daily purchasing due to immobility or lack of nearby amenities.

The space not only functions as a market but also has delivery and catering services. To promote green living, YaNan proposed having vertical farms in a communal garden to educate and encourage residents to grow their own food.

“I feel thankful for the opportunity and people that supported me, especially my lecturer Madam Catarina who believed in me and recommended me for this competition” shared YaNan, who felt immense pride and confidence the moment her name was called out as one of the winners.

No More Food Wastage with Byexpiry 

Communication Design student Javier Ng’s winning idea tackled the issue of food wastage in Singapore after recent reports noted some $200 million worth of food thrown away annually.

“Many of us are guilty of taking food for granted and I wanted to change this mindset, and do my part to ensure food sustainability, for others and for myself,” said Javier about the inspiration behind his project.

His mobile app aims to help Singaporeans manage their food resources better and remind them to consume food items before it expires, and offers users recipe suggestions for these perishables.

WARP WAYS: Making the Unwanted Wanted 

This team of Apparel Design & Merchandising students Ethel Tasha Leong, Guo Bingjie and Jamie Ng developed a one-of-a-kind collection assembled with 100% recycled fabric from fashion factories and textiles from second-hand clothes.

Chow Chee Yong, Manager at BDC said the 17 award finalist projects “exude the character of sustainability and promotes the circular economy. The exhibits were also highly finished, functional and aesthetically pleasing; many with a high possibility of realisation.”

by Sasha Fong