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HKDI students have emerged with flying colours in recent international design competitions, attesting to the Institute’s fruitful collaboration between teachers and students. They won a Gold Award (Student Category) and the Judge’s Choice Award in the Asia Pacific Interior Design Awards 2016 (APIDA), then the “Best of Category” award in the Student Category (Interior Design) of the A&D Trophy Awards, as well as Certificates of Excellence.

APIDA is organised by the Interior Design Association of Hong Kong. The Judge’s Choice Award was a newly-created category based on each judge’s own favourite design from all of the entries, including those from design practitioners. In total there were around a dozen Judge’s Choices this year from more than 600 student entries spanning Japan, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand. Winki LI Wan-ki, a current HKDI graduate of the Higher Diploma in Interior Design, explained that many young people liked private space, but there were few quality apartments tailored for them in the market. Based on a blueprint for tenements at Yue Man Square in Kwun Tong, she came up with a design named “Towards the Opposite”. Her exquisite architectural design encourages interaction among young people while at the same time protecting their privacy. Green communal spaces furnished with comfortable tables and chairs are made available on every floor. The apartments are carefully designed to promote interaction with neighbours. The design “Towards the Opposite” of Winki was picked by Tihamer SALIJ from the Netherlands to receive his Judge’s Choice Award, saying he found her design creative as well as economical, taking into account the affordability of young people in the workplace. A small yet comfy nest is created. Winki also struck gold in the Student Category with the design beating 160 student competitors from Hong Kong, the Mainland, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia and Japan.

Meanwhile Gary CHEUNG Ka-ming, a current HKDI graduate of the Higher Diploma in Interior Design, won the “Best of Category” award in the Student Category (Interior Design) of the A&D Trophy Awards 2016 with his design for a Japanese-style restaurant named “Night Story”. Feeling that Hong Kong people are constantly under work pressure, Gary created a sanctuary for them to wind down after a day’s work. Infused with Japanese elements, his design features a small bridge at the restaurant entrance, making entering customers feel like they are embarking on a journey.

In the same competition, two other current HKDI graduates of the Higher Diploma in Interior Design, Mandy LO Ching-man and Gaspar LEUNG Chi-yu, won Certificates of Excellence. Mandy’s work “The Story of City” makes good use of the space under a Sham Shui Po flyover to create an art gallery that enables city dwellers to express themselves through graffiti. Gaspar’s work “Moment” combines the concepts of a motel and entertainment to create a self-driving local trip experience.