“Conducive to productivity,” “promotes efficiency,” and “ideal for work or schooling.”
The pandemic and its resulting circumstances have made many of us scramble to create a space in our home that meets—if feasible—the aforementioned criteria. And as this is the reality today, an inter-school design competition challenged this year’s participants to create a home office set-up.
The 17th Estilo de Vida Interior Design Competition asked contestants to revamp an existing room in their house into a temporary home office not less than 12 square meters and should accommodate up to two persons. Their office essentials should also promote general office work, productivity for virtual meetings, as well as online schooling and studying.
De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde School of Design and Arts Interior Design student Margaret Therese Hagad clinched the top prize with her design, entitled “Memory in Space,” that explored the interconnectedness of memory and spatial framework.
Using built-in seating and desks, and featuring lots of spaces and lines, the project “attempts to re-examine how workspaces have the ability to improve memory for increased productivity.”
“Memory improvement helps people learn and retain new information better. As a result, people can boost their performance, which leads to greater overall productivity,” explained Hagad.
Hagad was mentored by Karol Ann Antonio, the adviser of the Guild of the Rising Interior Designers, the official student organization of Benilde Interior Design Program.
Her achievement was Benilde Interior Design Program’s second consecutive win in the competition, following its 2019 victory.
The Program prepared for this year’s competition by forming a technical committee composed of industry experts and Benildean educators and mentors in addition to Antonio, including interior designers Candice Arboleda, Randy Pabona, and Ley Gatpandan, who closely monitored the participating students’ progress, as well as addressed and supported all the issues and concerns in their creative and design process.
Reniel Reyes and Kyle Angelo Gavino, both from Eulogio “Amang” Rodriguez Institute of Science and Technology (EARIST) placed 1st and 2nd runners-up, respectively.
Virneece Ragragio from SoFA Design Institute bagged the 3rd runner-up, Ynes Sofia Manguerra from the DLS-CSB placed 4th runner-up, while Pearl Raissa Seat from the Batangas State University (BSU) earned the 5th runner-up spot.
Other finalists included Chino Garcia from EARIST (6th runner-up), Danier Ann Mae Ebojo from EARIST (7th runner-up), Lorenz Mico Masangcay from DLS-CSB (8th runner-up), and Rachel Cacao from BSU (9th runner-up).
Estilo de Vida granted P120,000 to the champion, P60,000 to the 1st runner-up, P32,000 to the 2nd runner-up, and P10,000 to the top seven finalists. Winners likewise received an internship slot to the partner architectural and interior design firms.
Founded in 2004 by Filipino business magnate Jorge Consunji, the annual inter-school contest provides a platform for young designers to test their skills and showcase their talents to contractors, designers, industry professionals, and design enthusiasts.
Co-organized by the Philconstruct Events, Exhibitions, and Conferences Corp., Philippine Constructors Association, and the Philippine Institute of Interior Designers, it promotes the use of sustainable locally sourced materials and the adaptation of the 5Rs of a great design: Restore, Respect, Reduce, Reuse, and Recover.