Calling student architects and designers! Formica Corporation’s 2025 FORM Student Innovation Competition is open for entries!
Calling student architects and designers! Formica Corporation’s 2025 FORM Student Innovation Competition is open for entries!
The 2025 FORM Student Innovation Competition is open for entries through March 7, 2025. Students are invited to showcase their visions and plans for enhancing wellbeing by designing a furniture piece themed for the competition’s 8th year. The piece can be used for any residential or commercial setting and must incorporate at least three or more Formica® Laminate or FENIX™ products.
To enter, please download this helpful entry packet and submit all entry materials to designcontest@formica.com via email.
Prizes
The grand prize winner will receive a $2,000 USD cash award and the fabricated design will be displayed at NeoCon 2025 in Chicago. The second-place winner will receive $1,000 USD in a cash prize and third place will receive $500 USD. The top three winners will all be invited by Formica Corporation to attend NeoCon in June for a chance to network with industry professionals and get a taste of the design community.
About The Competition
The FORM Student Innovation Competition is a modern take on the original “FORM: Contemporary Architects at Play” challenge, held by Formica Corporation in 2008. Ten world-renowned architects, including Zaha Hadid, Michael Graves, Bernard Tschumi and Massimo Vignelli, constructed new works of art from Formica® Brand products.
Here are the winners of the 2024 FORM Student Innovation Competition, who designed pieces interpreting the theme “Newstalgia.”
Grand Prize Winner:
Notions by Cali Pitcher from Georgian College in Ontario, Canada
Design Statement: Inspired by Mid-century modern design, Notions encapsulates the mantra of the design movement: form follows function. Focused on maximizing functionality in a small footprint, Notions creates Newstalgia by drawing inspiration from Mid-century modern sewing boxes, bringing that practicality and streamlined design into a piece made for modern living. Notions fills the need for a storage unit, two desks, and a dining table all in one compact piece.
2nd Prize Winner:
Novaro by Audrey Weiss from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana
Design Statement: Novaro evokes a sense of ‘newstalgia,’ offering a timeless piece that resonates with both the past and the present. It invites users to reminisce while embracing modern comfort.
3rd Prize Winner:
Saturno Cabinet by Juarez Zacatel and Monica Arrezola from Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla in Puebla, Mexico
Design Statement: Saturno Cabinet is a furniture piece inspired by the 80s colors and the outer space which was an important point in design during that time, representing the timeless nature of both this furniture style and its materials in a straightforward manner. It is designed for enthusiasts of Mid-Century style with a casual touch, not neglecting elegance and utility in each component.