May 10, 2022

As part of its ongoing commitment to celebrate up-and-coming design professionals, Formica Corporation has announced the winners of the 2022 FORM Student Innovation Competition. Now in its fifth year, the competition invites interior design, architecture and furniture design students across the U.S. and Canada to create furniture pieces using Formica Brand products.

More than 100 entries from 26 universities across the U.S. and Canada were evaluated by a jury of influential industry professionals for their interpretation of the competition’s fifth-anniversary theme, which called for students to express the future of design through a furniture piece using Formica Laminate woodgrain products, a nod to the traditional fifth-anniversary gift of wood.

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 include:
• Amber Scott from Ball State University
• Bethany Mumford from Savannah College of Art and Design
• Blaine Zweifel from Ringling College of Art and Design
• Jenna Muller from College for Creative Studies
• Mary Li and Golnazsadat Jakakzadeh Azar from Yorkville University
• Molly Taylor from Mississippi State University
• Pasang Lhamo Sherpa from Georgian College