Local designs hit the mark at this year’s SG Mark Awards!
For those not in the know, the SG Mark Awards is a big deal for those in the design industry. Dubbed “the Oscars of the design world”, the Awards, launched in 2013 by the Design Business Chamber Singapore, recognises businesses with exceptional and innovative designs that spur the imagination and enhance everyday lives – essentially a pat in the back for designing something that benefits society at large.
This year’s SG Mark Awards saw 96 entries from local and overseas institutions, with 32 organisations recognised for coming up with holistic products and services that have met the stringent criteria of the award. And in a significant nod to local design, majority of the top prizes were handed to local companies.
The Platinum SG Mark was awarded to South Beach, a mixed-use development by local property giant City Development Limited. The project, which took eight years to build, involved grafting a contemporary avant-garde design onto four conserved buildings. Judges were impressed with its 280-m long canopy, which was embedded with photovoltaic cells that convert solar energy to electricity to light up the canopy and towers at night. The canopy is also able to filter sunlight and solar glare, can channel wind breezes into the public spaces, and has “valleys” where rainwater is collected to irrigate the garden landscape.
The three Gold SG Mark were also awarded to local organisations, namely OCBC’s Mighty Savers app for children; JTC’s Space@Tuas and the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD)’s campus at Somapah Road in Changi. In addition to the prizes awarded to those in the industry, the SG Mark Awards also recognises the contributions from students. A total of 16 SG Mark Awards were granted to projects submitted by students from Nanyang Polytechnic, Raffles College of Higher Education, Raffles Design Institute and SUTD.
Winning products are displayed at the Design Advisory (Level 1), National Design Centre from now till June 2016. Admission to the SG Mark Exhibition is free.
In addition to the SG Mark, DBCS handed 36 Singapore Design Awards (SDA) to practices and institutions. The SDA, first conceived in 1988, is a regional design award that honours outstanding designers, students and practices from across the world.
For more information, visit www.dbcsingapore.org
