The international competition "AYDA International Awards," a global CSR program by Nippon Paint, was held for the 18th time on June 11-12, with Bangkok, Thailand, honored to host the event grandly again after a decade. The AYDA Awards 2025/2026 welcomed over 9,000 submissions from students across 17 countries/regions under the theme CONVERGE: Crafting Cultural Legacies, encouraging new-generation architects and designers to celebrate cultural heritage while driving and creating spaces for the future. Meanwhile, the "Creative Colour Awards 2026" accepted entries from professional architects and designers, announcing five prestigious awards for works that powerfully utilized "Nippon Paint colors" to create meaningful designs.

The highest honor, “Designer of the Year”, at the AYDA Awards 2025/2026 this year was awarded to two outstanding creators among emerging designers. Ejhey Durias from the University of Mindanao, Philippines, won the Designer of the Year award in the Architectural category, while Jackie Jiang Haoran from the Central Academy of Fine Arts, China, received the Designer of the Year award in the Interior Design category. Both were recognized for their works that reflect the idea of creating spaces where cultural heritage and contemporary vision converge seamlessly.

For the Designer of the Year award in the Architectural category, Ejhey's work, “Banuas Lawod,” emerged from a quietly developing crisis across Southeast Asia: the decline of global aquaculture and environmental degradation, forcing entire fishing communities to abandon their unique lifestyles. Ejhey's design aims to restore both the livelihoods of fishermen and their cultural identity through the creation of a holistic aquaculture community hub, allowing displaced communities to return to their original areas and lifestyles before their cultural heritage is completely lost.

Meanwhile, Jackie’s winning work, “Echoes of Xuan Paper,” focuses on the crisis facing the production of “Xuan paper” (Chinese rice paper), one of China's oldest crafts. The rise of industrial machine production has led to the closure of traditional handmade paper factories, causing skilled artisans with over 40 years of expertise to lose their livelihoods. Jackie’s design transforms the original factory into a living learning center for the village community, where craftsmanship, tourism, and local economy converge, aiming to create an environment where the endangered craft can survive for generations.

Both winners will have the opportunity to participate in the Design Discovery Program at Harvard University's Graduate School of Design in Boston, USA, with all expenses covered, totaling over $10,000. This program will provide an intensive three-week learning experience and will be a significant step in shaping their future in design.

In addition to the top awards, the AYDA Awards 2025/2026 also celebrated numerous design excellence, with the complete list of winners as follows:

Architectural Category

  • Designer of the Year - Ejhey Durias, University of Mindanao, Philippines
  • Best Sustainable Design Award – Michelle Woon Yi Ling, University Malaya (UM), Malaysia
  • Best Design Impact Award - Sinem Gerl, Istanbul Technical University, Turkey
  • Nippon Paint Colour Award - Chiu Jerome Millian, National University of Singapore, Singapore
  • Honorary Mention - Pavithran Thurai Ratnam, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka

Interior Design Category

  • Designer of the Year - Jackie Jiang Haoran, Central Academy of Fine Arts, China
  • Best Sustainable Design Award - Sasis Kittiprasert, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand
  • Best Design Impact Award - Jichun Kalidas, Chennai Academy of Architecture & Design, India
  • Nippon Paint Colour Award - Patricia Daniel Malayan, De La Salle - College of Saint Benilde, Philippines
  • Judges’ Choice - Swee Ying Hai, City University, Malaysia
  • Honorary Mention - Shufro Kumar Gosh, Khulna University Of Engineering & Technology, Bangladesh
  • Honorary Mention - Su Lawoon, Raffles College of Higher Education, Singapore

Guiding Emerging Designers to Discover Their Identity

AYDA was originally known as the Asia Young Designer Awards. This platform has continuously grown over nearly two decades since its establishment in 2008, and today, the AYDA Awards has become one of the most trusted platforms in the architecture and interior design industry. It has also become a cornerstone of Nippon Paint's global CSR activities under the concept of “Colouring Lives.”

This competition is not just about judging works; it is a project built on mentorship, cultural exchange, and hands-on learning. Over the past 18 years, this platform has received over 76,000 submissions from more than 1,600 higher education institutions in 20 countries/regions. With Nippon Paint's philosophy of Colouring Lives, the AYDA Awards are open without restrictions, no application fees, and no conditions other than talent, to connect emerging designers with industry leaders, design education institutions, and a global alumni network that continues to shape the direction of creative design, regardless of how long ago the competition has passed.

For Nippon Paint, the AYDA Awards represent more than just a competition; they signify that design and color are inseparable forces, and that the new generation deserves to step onto the global stage to prove this. This belief has grown over time, evolving into a greater convergence of creativity that encompasses all dimensions of design, from the boldness of architectural vision to the transformative power of color in spaces.

The international final event in Bangkok was also a gathering of future design leaders, featuring speakers who shared their knowledge, including Chatpong Chuenruedeemol, Director of CHAT Architects and CHAT Lab, known for the proactive research project Bangkok Bastards; Puthiphan Asawakul, co-founder of Architectural Studio of Work – Aholic (ASWA) and designer of RARIN-Bangkok Riverside Venue, the award ceremony venue; and Arzu Uludag, Group Marketing Lead of Nippon Paint. Each brought their expertise and perspectives to a mission that goes beyond celebrating the winners, extending to broader discussions about the role of design in culture, community, and historical heritage.

“The AYDA Awards have grown into a global celebration and a gathering of emerging design talents from diverse cultures and backgrounds. It is truly gratifying to see these young designers draw inspiration from cultural heritage while addressing environmental challenges facing our world simultaneously, reflected through thoughtfully and sustainably designed works,”Wee Siew Kim, Group CEO of NIPSEA Group and Co-President of Nippon Paint Holdings, stated. “As we approach the 20th anniversary of AYDA in 2027, Nippon Paint will continue to nurture emerging designers and support ideas that not only push the boundaries of creativity but also help preserve identity and contribute to sustainability for the future.”

Shades of Excellence - Creative Colour Awards

During the AYDA Awards 2025/2026 final event, the Nippon Paint Creative Colour Awards (CCA) 2026 were also held for the fourth time, celebrating architects and professional designers who use “color” as a purposeful design language and recognize the profound role of “shades” and “tones” in defining the emotional and cultural characteristics of spaces.

The Creative Colour Awards 2026 received 257 submissions from 16 countries/regions, demonstrating the growing recognition that color is not just about external beauty but is a fundamental element of the design thinking process.

The Creative Colour Awards 2026 honored outstanding designs that utilized color in five specialized categories to celebrate diverse spaces where color helps define boundaries, transform, and elevate human experiences. The winners in various categories are as follows:

  • Architectural Best in Corporate and Commercial Exterior - OWAA Architects LLP from Singapore, project HHOM – Nurse Hostel – transformed a 10-story old classroom building into a 250-bed nurse hostel, using colors to reflect the diversity of nurses' uniforms in Singapore, symbolizing vibrancy and unity, representing the gathering of nurses from various ethnicities, nationalities, religions, and cultures in Singapore.
  • Interior Design Best in Corporate and Commercial Interior - KONTRA from Turkey, project Epoca – a restaurant and bar designed for energetic youth, inspired by the rich and dimensional culture of Latin America through warm colors, rhythmic music, and deep-rooted socializing traditions. The main design goal is to create a space that harmoniously integrates with the architectural language of the shopping mall while standing out with its unique identity.
  • Architectural Best in Residential Exterior - Sansiri Public Company Limited from Thailand, project Flo - a condominium in the Klong San area of Bangkok inspired by the historical identity of the area, which once primarily used brick as a building material. This heritage has been intentionally translated into the distinctive orange-brown tones of the project, serving as a prominent visual identity.
  • Interior Design Best in Residential Interior - Kaizen Architecture from Singapore, project Matou House – an extension and renovation of a semi-detached house, using color as an architectural tool to define spatial boundaries and the main emotional feelings of the home. The terracotta red staircase connects the house vertically, enhancing the sense of proportion akin to a church, transforming the functional passage into an emotional experience, contrasting with the neutral surface tones that allow sunlight and green spaces to play a significant role in the living area, elevating color as a powerful tool to guide movement, perception, and experience within the home.
  • Best in Public Spaces - Murali Architects from India, project The Harvee School - colors were used to change how children perceive and navigate the space, with bright shades of blue, coral orange, yellow, and green enlivening classrooms, corridors, and central staircases, transforming daily pathways into a fun landscape for young students. The colorful staircase serves as a central guide for users on each floor, while the vibrant window frames create rhythm and identity for the building's façade.

“The Creative Colour Awards celebrate those who understand the power of color to transform things. We believe that color is not just something we see but something we experience, interpret, and strategize to define the boundaries of the spaces and façades around us. Spotlighting global excellence in design with color allows the CCA platform to continuously elevate standards in this industry. The submissions this year inspire us to see how far our beliefs and practices have progressed and reflect an exciting future ahead,”Jo-Lynn Yap, Senior Manager, Group Colour Leadership of NIPSEA Group, stated.

Both the prestigious CCA and AYDA Awards reflect Nippon Paint's belief that design and color are inseparable forces, from the ambitious designs of the new generation to the skilled and sharp designs of professionals. This tightly woven relationship deserves to be honored and celebrated even more from now on.