United Arab Emirates

Date: October 29 · 2016

October 29 · 2016

Introduction

On Saturday 29th October, Roca organised the first UAE edition of the Roca One Day Design Challenge. The competition was held at Alserkal Avenue as part of the Dubai Design Week, and garnered heavy interest from the nation’s design students and young professionals: the challenge drew in 294 registrations from over 22 universities and 81 companies spread across the UAE.

The participants were tasked with creating innovative concepts related to the vanity area in a bathroom. Affordable products within this category do not differ from each other except in terms of aesthetic appearance and finish. The performance and functionality of the area remain the same and the participants were requested to tackle this lack of innovation.

The three sets of winners walked away with a first, second and third prize of AED 6,000, AED 4,000, and AED 2,000 respectively. The first place went to Priyanka Soni and Rima Chalha from the American University of Sharjah for a vanity space comprising a tilted mirror equipped with a motion sensor to trigger defogging, and a retractable sink and cabinet space housed in the bottom half; the second went to freelance designers Serena Terzian and Jessica Khouzami for designing a sink with a self-cleaning system; and the third to Nisa Punjabi, a student of the Northeastern University, for a peg board-mounted, flexible vanity area.

Awarded projects

Jury

Pallavi Dean

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Pallavi Dean

She is the founder and creative force behind Pallavi Dean Interiors. PDI is a boutique design consultancy with an award-winning portfolio. The company’s mission is to create great experiences through design! The firm has an international portfolio spanning three continents, flagship projects include the new Delano and Yotel hotels on Palm Jumeirah.
Pallavi is a trained architect and sustainability specialist, she’s won multiple awards for work across a range of sectors including commercial, hospitality and residential. She was born in India, raised in Dubai and spent years working in London; her designs reflect these eclectic influences. A former professor of interior design at the American University of Sharjah, she strives to implement the latest theoretical and practical research into the firm’s designs.
She makes her debut as a product designer at this year's Downtown Design fair. 'Tension' is a line of furniture that documents her design journey to date.

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Ignacio Gomez

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Ignacio Gomez

Design Director at Aedas.
With over 16 years of professional experience in architecture, Ignacio has been responsible for project design and management, specialising in master planning, hotel and leisure, residential and cultural projects across the Middle East. His designs have earned him various international and regional awards including Best Hospitality Project in Middle East Architect Awards 2012, Winner in Community Future category in Cityscape Global Awards 2011, Young Architect of the Year and Best Residential Project of the Year in Middle East Architect Awards 2010.

Ignacio has been invited to be a guest critic at the School of Architecture & Design of the American University of Sharjah, UAE. He regularly speaks at different conferences in the MENA region such as the World Architecture Congress in Dubai, Architectural Design Days in Riyadh and DesignMENA summit in Dubai.

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Isabel Pintado

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Isabel Pintado

Regional Managing Director at Wilson associates.
She epitomizes a style of harmonious natural and contemporary elements. She is a seasoned interior architecture professional with an invaluable familiarity of the region’s culture and business landscape combined with an in-depth knowledge of the industry. As Senior Vice President and Managing Director, Isabel leads the Dubai design studio, oversees the design direction for each project, and generates opportunities for Wilson’s global design studios. For as long as she can remember, her passion has been for design. Isabel kindles her creativity by trekking in the mountains, camping in the desert, and hosting dinner parties for friends. Much of her inspiration is found through her love for travelling, watching people on the street, and visiting exhibitions by an eclectic roster of artists and designers

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Khalid Shafar

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Khalid Shafar

As a business graduate of the American University in Dubai Khalid worked in marketing and communication for almost seven years.
In 2005 Khalid completed a degree in Fine Arts in Interior Design and by the end of 2009 had decided to leave marketing and follow his passion for design. Khalid has studied and specialized in Furniture & Objects design, first at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London, UK, then at the Centre for Fine Woodworking in Nelson, New Zealand.
In 2011 Khalid opened his own studio in Dubai and in Nov 2012 Khalid inaugurated his first showcase space ‘KASA’.
Khalid’s approach to design encompasses his personal expression of form, movement, emotion, and in particular, ‘the tale’ of objects.
Among his notable international collaborations, Khalid collaborated with the Brazilian duo Campana Brothers on an installation for Abu Dhabi Art 2010. He recently collaborated with the historical French cabinetmaker Moissonnier, with the carpet industry leader Tai Ping, with the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC), with the fashion brand COS, and with the design brand Kartell on special limited edition releases.

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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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Part of:

  • Dubai Design week