Formica Corporation Announces Winners of Fifth Annual FORM Student Innovation Competition

The top three winning students will receive cash prizes and the grand prizewinner will see their design come to life at NeoCon 2022.

“The caliber of entries was outstanding,” said Felice Silverman, competition judge and principal of Silverman Trykowski Associates located in Boston, Mass. “Each submission was a truly creative design solution that excelled from concept to execution, and I was so impressed with the innovative ideas and unique use of materials. Students balanced their creativity with a solid understanding of the practicality and detail of the solutions to create compelling renderings and branding. Most importantly, each design demonstrated sincere consideration for the human experience and the power of well-designed furniture to improve our lives.”

Grand prize: Sarah Dezember and Wenhan Zhang from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago are the grand prizewinners for their joint entry “Twins Table.” Those living in big cities often have smaller spaces that still must serve an ever-changing and ever-growing number of needs. The Twins Table was created to provide flexible, multipurpose furniture that can seamlessly transition between functions. It can be used in four different ways and in its standard configuration, one side of the round table seats two people comfortably. When completely closed, it can be stored away or used as decoration. Twins Table also comes in a variety of Formica® Laminate woodgrains, colors and patterns, offering a broad range of design options.

“Twins Table is an incredibly clever design that rethinks the traditional tray table for modern spaces where flexibility is essential,” said Renee Hytry Derrington, competition judge and managing principal of North American design at Formica Corporation. “Through detailed renderings, this team inspired us with the versatility of this design through its multiple configurations and striking finish options.”

Second prize: Christina Vogiatzis from the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, was awarded second prize for her “Pawd” design, a unique, multifunctional and stylish furniture piece designed to serve and connect all forms of life, from humans to animals and plants. The sleek design of Pawd features three main components to support a diverse range of activities, from work to play and more.

Third prize: Julienne Bernier from Georgian College in Ontario, Canada, was awarded third prize for her “Annual Ring” chair design. Inspired from the annual rings that show the age of trees, the Annual Ring chair reflects the lifetime journey of humans and trees alike. With nine stages of human development, this piece uses nine woodgrain laminates to represent each stage arranged in a gradient from light to dark, symbolizing the beginning and end of life. The chair structure has no beginning and no end, just like the circle of life.

Honorable mentions: Other top ten finishers, in no particular order, include:

For more information about the winning students’ designs, please visit www.formica.com/studentcompetition.

About Formica Corporation
Founded in 1913, Formica Corporation, part of the Formica Group of companies, is a leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of innovative surfacing products for commercial and residential applications. For more information about Formica Corporation, its products, special programs and promotions, visit www.formica.com or call 1-800-FORMICA.

About Formica Group
Formica Group is a global group of companies consisting of Formica Canada Inc., Formica Corporation, Formica de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Formica IKI Oy, Formica Skandinavien AB, Formica Limited, Formica S.A., Formica S.A.S., Formica Taiwan Corporation, Formica (Thailand) Co., Ltd., Formica (Asia) Ltd., Formica Decorative Materials (China) Co., Ltd. and Homapal GmbH, among others.

Please Note: Formica® and the Formica® Anvil Logo are registered trademarks of The Diller Corporation. 1-800-FORMICA is a trademark of The Diller Corporation. All rights reserved. ©2022 The Diller Corporation.

Contact:
Owen Serey
Formica Corporation
513-786-3121
[email protected]

SOURCE Formica Corporation