Nippon Paint Decorative Coating (Thailand) Limited, the largest paint manufacturer in Asia and the fourth largest in the world from Japan, in collaboration with the Nippon Paint Group across 19 countries in Asia, has launched a design competition in the fields of architecture and interior design at the university level under the name AYDA Awards. This year marks the 17th consecutive year of the competition aimed at raising awareness about design that considers people, communities, and the environment through an annual theme. This year, two outstanding designers were revealed as winners in the categories of Architectural Design and Interior Design for the AYDA Awards 2024.

Mr. Chayanon Chinwong, also known as Non, a student from the Faculty of Architecture at Khon Kaen University, with the project “Grow from the earth….Return to the earth”, and Mr. Chal Woradee, also known as Chal, a student from the Faculty of Architecture, Art, and Design at King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, with the project “Food Waste Transformation Project Creating New Value for Tai Market”, won the hearts of the judges, addressing this year's theme. They both claimed the Gold Winner awards in the categories of Architecture and Interior Design, receiving cash prizes of 100,000 Baht each. This year, there is an additional special award, the A5 Best Design, worth 25,000 Baht, presented by Asset Five Group Public Company Limited for designs that focus on developing community spaces that allow people to creatively and sustainably share spaces. They also received a one-year subscription to the SketchUp Studio Education Software 2024. The two winners from Thailand will prepare for the AYDA AWARDS International Summit 2025 in Japan, competing with winners from 19 other countries for a chance to participate in the special Design Discovery Program at the prestigious Harvard Graduate School of Design in the United States, gaining intensive design knowledge for one month, valued at 300,000 Baht, at no cost.

The AYDA Awards 2024 competition this year is held under the theme "Converge: Glocal Design Solutions", representing the convergence of local and global ideas into design solutions. The main goal and challenge this year is to design solutions that address the rapidly changing and severe global situations, focusing on maximizing the value of community and social spaces (Social) to promote adaptability in urban and local areas to the rapid growth of urban society (Urban), which may impact the environment (Environment). The design should connect nature and people, enhancing living conditions and harmonious coexistence with nature. All of these are global situations that designers cannot ignore. Both Non and Chal successfully created their designs through a thoughtful process, deeply understanding the users' problems and presenting design solutions that integrate art, innovation, and technology to enhance quality of life and meet users' needs comprehensively, aligning with this year's competition theme. They also believe that economic, social, and cultural progress arises from designs that promote a balance between humans, the environment, and technology, enabling community members to improve their quality of life without limits.

The project “Grow from the earth….Return to the earth” by Non was inspired by the environmental issues caused by PM2.5 dust from the sugar production process derived from sugarcane, a global economic crop that is not managed properly, leading to increased air pollution. This led to the creation of the project “Grow from the earth….Return to the earth”, which compiles useful research on transforming waste from sugar production into construction materials for architecture, returning to the community, such as bricks made from bagasse with properties comparable to concrete, used for repairing and developing homes and structures in the community. It also aims to educate and engage the community in reducing air pollution and combating global warming through collective efforts from small community initiatives to global solutions.

Mr. Chayanon Chinwong or Non, a student from the Faculty of Architecture at Khon Kaen University, the Gold Winner in Architecture, stated, “Seeing the environmental issues, especially PM2.5, and having the opportunity to experience the community of sugarcane farmers in Nong Khae, Jumjang Subdistrict, Kuchinarai District, Kalasin Province, my hometown, made me aware of the waste disposal issues from sugarcane, which is a long-standing problem with widespread global impacts. This inspired my architectural design project “Grow from the earth….Return to the earth”. This year, I applied lessons from last year's competition, researched information, visited the site, read studies, and gathered feedback from the judges to create a design for the AYDA competition again. I dedicated myself to addressing the challenge and presenting my work thoroughly to find solutions to environmental issues in the community for tangible results. I have succeeded this time, and I would like to thank the AYDA competition platform by Nippon Paint Decorative Coating (Thailand) Limited for giving new designers like me the opportunity to present my work again. For those who missed the opportunity or whose work did not impress the judges, do not give up. Use the feedback from the judges and the knowledge gained from this competition to develop your ideas and advance your design careers.

Regarding the project “Food Waste Transformation Project Creating New Value for Tai Market” by Chal, it started from recognizing the common problem in fresh markets where there is often a lot of agricultural waste. This inspired the idea of thinking about how to utilize this waste beneficially. Chal's project involves designing a space for processing leftover vegetables through interior architectural design, preserving food through methods like fermentation and drying, as well as producing various materials to pilot a fresh market model and expand it to other areas.

Mr. Chal Woradee or Chal, a student from the Faculty of Architecture, Art, and Design at King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, the Gold Winner in Interior Design, stated, “I felt both pressured and excited, and I never thought I would make it this far. Even though I was confident in my work, I had to acknowledge the flaws that the judges pointed out. This time, I received encouragement and support from my teachers and friends, as well as ideas from the judges that I can further develop. I believe that solving problems together, even in small ways, can make the world a better place, which inspired my design project “Food Waste Transformation Project Creating New Value for Tai Market”. I aimed to address design challenges from small community problems to aspire to be a designer who solves global issues. I encourage my peers preparing to join the AYDA competition in the coming years to look at the problems around them that people face globally and find solutions that the community can collaborate on. I am ready to develop and improve my work to represent Thailand in the international competition.

Mr. Watchara Siririthichai, General Manager of Nippon Paint Decorative Coating (Thailand) Limited, summarized, “Over the 17 years of the AYDA Awards 2024 project, Nippon Paint has nurtured many new designers for the design industry while conducting business with a focus on human issues and creating sustainable benefits for society and the environment, along with continuously developing high-quality paint innovations for customers worldwide. Nippon Paint is confident that both Non and Chal, along with all designers participating in the AYDA Awards 2024, will grow and become new designers who contribute positively to society without limits, creating changes in the Thai design industry and internationally, while producing works that benefit society and communities sustainably.”

The two young designers who won the Gold Winners will need to prepare themselves and their work to represent Thailand at the AYDA AWARDS International Summit 2025 in Japan next, competing for the AYDA AWARDS of The Year. Follow their competition journey and support them on the Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/AsiaYoungDesignerAwardsThailand or at the website www.asiayoungdesignerawards-th.com.