Bulgaria

Date: April 21 · 2018

April 21 · 2018

Introduction

On April 21st 2018, Expo Baño Sofia, the largest Roca showroom in the Balkans, hosted the first edition of the Roca One Day Design Challenge in Bulgaria, with the participation of over 135 young architects and designers.

On this occasion, the briefing consisted of designing a bathroom that took into account the difficulties faced by the elderly in the bathroom space. The proposals were intended to provide a solution to traditional user interface and usability problems, as well as to increase the level of security with regard to the products currently available.

The winning project of the first prize, awarded with 2,000 BGN, was Carie, by Angel Alexandrov and Tsarina Ruskova. It consisted of a piece that combined the toilet and shower function into a single element. Both the toilet and the shower were fitted with handles to make it easier for users to hold on.

The second and third prizes of 1,000 and 600 BGN went to Shape of independence, by Bilyana Yoncheva and Denitsa Bateva, and to Bath seat by Alexander Chokoyski and Ralitsa Geneva respectively. Finally, the 600 BGN of the We Are Water Sustainability Award went to Safe & Save by Kristiana Gecova and Radoslav Yordanov.

Awarded projects

3rd prize

BATH SEAT

Ralitsa Geneva

Alexander Chokoyski

Jury

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Gencho Goev

He is one of the most emblematic names in Bulgaria’s interior design, with numerous awards and more than 330 completed projects, including nearly 120 commercial facilities of international brands.

He is the founder of The National Platform for Interior and Product Design “Dibla”, with more than 700 professional members. This platform organizes all main events in the branch in Bulgaria, including the annual Dibla Design Awards.

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Lubomir Stanislavov

Graduated in Architecture from UACEG Sofia and specialized in the University of Valladolid and the Technical University of Graz. He is currently a Lecturer at UACEG.

Throughout his career, he has led the design team for projects such as the reconstruction of the National Palace of Culture for the Bulgarian presidency, the creation of the Plana Heights satellite city (3000 houses), the Infiniti and Hyundai centers in Sofia, Serdika Center Mall & office building, the restoration of the Synagogue in Vidin and many more.

He won a prize for the reconstruction project of the Saint Sofia Hall in the National Assembly. From 2004 to 2015, architect Stanislavov was also a publisher with international partners such as BBC Worldwide, Conde Nast, Hola!, Axel Springer or Economist. From November 2015 he has also been the CEO of Automotive Cluster Bulgaria.

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Valentin Vodev

He was born in Sofia, Bulgaria. He holds a Master's degree from the University of Applied Arts in Vienna (Mag. art. Industrial Design) and from the Royal College of Art in London (MA RCA in Design Products).

His studio, called Vodev Studio and located in Vienna, Austria, develops products in the area of transportation, furniture, lighting design and interiors. Some of his clients include Absolut Vodka, Barbican Art Centre, BASF, Conform, Mothercare, Tetra Pak, Villeroy & Boch, Vienna Insurance Group.

Vodev has collaborated with Ron Arad in his exhibition Restless at the Barbican Art Gallery in London (2010), with Jakob Illera and Marlene Liska in Creative Industrial Objects, with the British designer Sebastian Conran and the Sofia Design Week, which he curated in 2011. With the generous support from Impulse/AWS, Vodev developed the Vienna Bike, which was launched at London's eco-rally in 2011.

For him, converting ideas into products is a metamorphosis from the common to the unexplored – a discovery through which he can define new functions and forms. Design can be used everywhere - from the modeling of children's toys to the cockpit of a lorry. In short – design is a cocktail of logic, aesthetics and art.

He was a member of the international jury of Roca’s jumpthegap international design contest in the 2016/2017 edition.

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Angel Zahariev

Born in 1978 in Sofia, Bulgaria, Angel Zahariev graduated in MA Architecture from UACG in Sofia. In 2004, he got a post-diploma specialization at the Institute of Housing and Urban Development Studies.

In 2005, Angel Zahariev founded the architectural bureau A&A Architects with Assen Milev. As a manager and leader of the design team, he has been rewarded with multiple professional awards: Architect of the Year, Building of the Year, Archinova, Student of the Year, among others.

Angel Zahariev has worked in the design of many key projects that have significant influence in the contemporary Bulgarian architecture, such as Business Park Sofia, Capital Fort, Sky Fort, Muzeiko or GTower.

Moreover, he has been a lecturer, tutor, jury and participant in numerous workshops, symposiums, conferences and competitions in Bulgaria and Europe.

Angel Zahariev is one of the founders of Grupa Grad NGO, where together with other young and popular Bulgarian architects he strives for positive change in the public architecture and urban planning in Bulgaria.

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Xavier Torras

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Xavier Torras

Brand Communications Director of Roca and Director of the We Are Water Foundation since its creation in 2010. He has developed his professional career in the fields of marketing, business strategy and communication.

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