New York City, NY (PRWEB) November 16, 2012
"I am very pleased with the winners we selected!" That was the delighted reaction of Spark Juror, Linda Pollari, Chair, Architecture/Landscape/Interiors for OTIS College of Art and Design. The first Spark Design & Architecture Award for Spaces design, this year's event attracted submissions from around the world.
With four competitions to manage, judging Spark was a "recipe for chaos," said Spark founder, Peter Kuchnicki, "But somehow it all came together beautifully. Our team of volunteers, led by Spark Special Events Manager, Claire Woolf, juggled all the loose ends and made it happen. Our new judging tally system, using QR codes and tablets or smartphones, was a real breakthrough. Many thanks to UI designer Jessie Canon!"
The Spark Design Awards are a series of competitions that encourage and honor designs that make the world a better place. First held in 2007, the awards are focused into four competitions per year. The new Spark:Spaces competition is focused on Architecture, Interiors, Urban Design and Landscape Design.
"Seeing the cutting edge architecture submissions was inspiring," said Clark Kellogg, Spark Adviser. "The Jurors were impressed with the caliber of all the work, but felt very comfortable with their ultimate selection."
There were nine professional and one student winners in the 2012 competition. This included two top Spark! Awards for the pros and one Spark! for the students. There were also two Golds, two Silvers and two Bronze awards.
All the design entries can be viewed at the Spark Website in the Gallery Section.
The top vote count went to the whimsical (and scary) "Ledge at Skydeck Chicago" by Ross Wimer, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. The Ledges at Willis Tower, formerly Sears Tower, were created to enhance a classic building with an innovative addition in the spirit of the original design. Their minimalism allows these five-sided glass balconies to provide views in all directions and an experience that approximates being suspended in the air.
Special mention also goes to architect Marcio Kogan of studiomk27 in São Paulo, for three wins and presenting Spark with a second year of stunning residences.
The highest award in Spark:Spaces is called the Spark!. Winning designs were:
The Ledge at Skydeck Chicago
House V4
Infinite Variety: Three Centuries of Red and White Quilts
SPARK WINNERS PANTHEON
Spark! The Ledge at Skydeck Chicago, Ross Wimer, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
Spark! House V4, Marcio Kogan, studio mk27
Spark! 3 Centuries of Red and White Quilts, Thinc Design
Gold: Metro DOnostialdea, Marcio Kogan, studio mk27
Gold: Wuhan Pixel Box Cinema, Ajax Law Ling Kit & Virginia Lung, One Plus Partnership
Silver: Ipes House, Marcio Kogan, studio mk27
Silver: Fashion[ING] Objects, MF Architecture
Bronze: Oakland Museum of California Event Space, Mark Jensen, Jensen Architects
Bronze: Soumaya Museum, Fernando Romero, FREE (Fernando Romero Enterprise)
STUDENT WINNER
Spark! Isin Chapel Student Workshop, Kieran Donnellan, Breathnach Donnellan O’Brien + MEDS
WINNERS IN NEXT SPARKBOOK
The winners of these Awards will become the stars of the next Spark Design Awards Annual, to be published next year. The 2011 Awards edition was recently published and is available at Amazon.
More information about this organization and these competitions can be found at the Spark website landing page at http://www.sparkawards.com
Spark is proudly sponsored by Autodesk, Core77, ArchNewsNow, Archinect, Bustler, Pluo Consulting and RIOT Creative Imaging.
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BONUS INFO
Firm Friends
These design firms, organizations and companies have consistently supported Spark through its formative years. Together we have built the Spark Design Awards and laid a strong foundation for
the future.
Addis Creson, Gee + Chung Design, Plantronics
Ammunitition Group, Global Design Network, Propeller
Antenna Group, Herman Miller, Hong Kong Polytechnic Univ.
Art Center College of Design, Hewlett-Packard, RKS Design
ASTRO Studios, Inc,. Hong Ik University, Samsung Art & Design Institute
Birsel+Seck, Humanscale Design Studio, School of Visual Arts
California College of the Arts, IDEO, Seoul National University of Science & Technology
Carbon Design, Isay Weinfeld, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, LLP
Chrysler, Karim Rashid Inc., Smart Design Worldwide
Continuum, FGI Interactive, Springtime, Marcio Kogan Architectos
D.Light Design, LUNAR Design, Steelcase
Daedalus Design, Marmol Radziner + Associates, Stuart Karten Design
Danny Cheng Interiors, Metaphase Design Group, Studio Hinrichs
DYSON, Normand Couture Design, Susan Grant Lewin Associates
ECCO Design, One & Co, UC Berkeley College of Environmental Design
Essential, Inc, Orange22 Design Lab, Volume Inc
FUEGO, Otis College, Whipsaw Inc
Fuseproject, Pentagram Design, Whirlpool Corporation
