Key Dates
- January 2010 — Website open for submissions
- March 5, 2010 — Deadline for submissions
- March 12, 2010 — Top 5 Designs announced
- March 31-April 2, 2010 — Student Design Challenge 2010 Press Conference in Boston
- May 15-18, 2010 — International Contemporary Furniture Fair & winners' reception in NYC
Student Design Challenge Overview
The LG Hausys Surfaces annual Student Design Challenge is fashioned to encourage students to focus on emerging opportunities in solid surface methods of design – driving them to think beyond traditional approaches. Previous contest winners have utilized LG Hausys Surfaces to design models that are not only unique, but also capitalize on the flexibility, color offerings and fabrication elements of the LG Hausys Surfaces Solid Surface product line.
For the 2010 Student Design Challenge, LG Hausys Surfaces has partnered with Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.'s Aloft(sm) Hotels brand www.alofthotels.com as a platform for the competition. The Aloft Hotels design team and LG Hausys Surfaces are challenging students to design innovative solid surface applications suitable for the hospitality industry capturing the theme “Where Life Happens,” making the traveler’s hotel experience easy, fun and social with an emphasis on technology, comfort and style. Finalists will be invited to Aloft Lexington in Boston for the 2010 Student Design Challenge Press Conference where the top 3 winners will be selected among hospitality media, designers, and the Aloft design team. The top 3 designs will then be fabricated in time to debut at the 2010 International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York, and then displayed in an Aloft Hotel location. Each design concept must exemplify the unique performance of solid surface and be style-conscious to the Aloft Hotels image, presenting a one-of-a-kind approach on a new, fashion-forward design.
The Student Design Challenge Encourages Applicants to:
- Think beyond traditional applications of LG Hausys Surfaces
- Stretch their thinking by creating new products for an emerging opportunity within Aloft Hotels
- Beyond what students are currently doing in their curriculum
- Beyond being a student and into a career as a designer
Potential Exposure Opportunities for Architecture & Design Students:
- Opportunity to build professional portfolio
- Invitation to Student Design Challenge Press Conference in Boston includes the opportunity for the Top 5 student finalists to:
- Meet and receive feedback from top North American commercial designers and architects.
- Gain exposure to top North American journalists that regularly cover design and architecture.
- Receive training by Aloft Hotel design experts and LG Hausys Surfaces, as well as tour the Sterling Surfaces manufacturing facility.
- Top 3 student finalists will…
- Exhibit their finished concept at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in NYC.
- Get to see their design fabricated and displayed in an Aloft Hotel location.
- Mingle with top international designers at the hospitality event in NYC during the International Contemporary Furniture Fair.
- Participate in a professional photo shoot to showcase their design.
- Meet other design students from across the country
Who Can Participate?
Architecture and design students who are 18 years of age or older, enrolled in a design project, equivalent course or other interdisciplinary area offered by the school they attend. Proof of student enrollment in a North American post-high school institution will be required for qualification of an entry into the LG Hausys Surfaces Student Design Challenge. The design challenge is not open to employees of LG Hausys Surfaces, Starwood Hotels and/or any other affiliates or agencies. Participation in the contest constitutes participant’s agreement to and acceptance of the Student Design Challenge official rules. LG Hausys Surfaces and Aloft Hotels reserve the right to disqualify any person that they determine to be in violation of any term of the official rules. LG Hausys Surfaces and Aloft Hotel’s decision not to enforce a specific provision does not constitute a waiver of that provision or of the official rules generally.
Participation for students is free of charge. There is no cost to enter design challenge. No purchase is required. By entering the Student Design Challenge, students who participate are representing and warranting that all entries and designs are an original work created by the student and shall not infringe upon or violate the rights of any third party. No group projects will be accepted or eligible for entry. The LG Hausys Surfaces Design Challenge is subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws. Void where prohibited.
Presentation of Entries
The deadline to submit entries is March 5, 2010. LG Surfaces will accept entries no later than 11:59:59 p.m. on this date. Entries will be submitted via uploading to the challenge website, www.lgsurfaceschallenge.com, making the submission process streamlined and paperless. To submit designs, students will log onto the website, fill out the online form which will ask for the student’s contact/ background information and a brief description of the entry as it relates to the 2010 design objective and theme. Students are then prompted to upload a photo of himself or herself (optional) and up to 5 JPEG renderings of the concept (300dpi).
- The submission must specify material and color from among the Solid Surface category of products by LG Hausys Surfaces. To view all color options, visit www.lgsurfaces.com.
- A maximum of 3 sheets of solid surface can be used for the design. Sheet sizes are: ½” thick x 30”W x 144” L
- Submitter must specify any auxiliary information related to the design if any additional materials are required that are not solid surface.
Solid Surfaces by LG Hausys Surfaces are:
- Durable, Hygienic, Stain-Resistant and Renewable
- Solid surface offers design versatility because it is thermoformable – meaning it can be cut or shaped to any size and appear seamless when joining sheets together with joint adhesive
Publicity
By entering the Design Challenge, all participants authorize LG Hausys Surfaces and Starwood Hotels to publish and exhibit the designs, renderings, ideas, models or other information provided during the Student Design Challenge (collectively, the “Designs”) in whole or in part – without compensation – at exhibitions and events and/or to use them in any media and publications that LG Hausys Surfaces and/or Starwood Hotels may deem suitable and/or necessary. All participants agree to the use of their name, voice and/or likeness by LG Hausys Surfaces and/or Starwood Hotels for advertising and promotion without further compensation or consideration in any and all media now known or hereafter devised throughout the world, unless prohibited by law.
Assignment of Rights
Participants acknowledge and agree that the winning Designs will become the exclusive property of LG Hausys Surfaces and Starwood Hotels and their affiliates, and the prize received by the winners and the publicity from LG Hausys Surfaces and Starwood Hotels are fair and adequate compensation and consideration for such transfer of rights. WINNERS AGREE TO EXECUTE AN IRREVOCABLE ASSIGNMENT, CONVEYANCE AND TRANSFERENCE TO LG HAUSYS SURFACES and STARWOOD HOTELS OF ANY AND ALL RIGHTS, TITLE AND INTEREST IN THE DESIGN INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ALL COPYRIGHTS AND THE DESIGN SHALL BE DEEMED THE SOLE PROPERTY OF LG HAUSYS SURFACES AND STARWOOD HOTELS. As the owner of the Designs, LG Hausys Surfaces and Starwood Hotels shall own all rights related to the winning Designs (including without limitation intellectual property rights and moral rights) free of all claims, to use or not use, with or without modification, in all forms now known or hereinafter devised, throughout the world, as LG Hausys Surfaces and Starwood Hotels in their sole discretion may wish including without limitation to build the Design for use at Sponsor’s hotels.
By submitting a Design in the competition, all participants agree to provide LG Hausys Surfaces and Starwood with a perpetual, royalty-free license for the exclusive use of the Design with no additional compensation.
Selection of School Winners
All submissions will be reviewed by a panel jury including: (1) a representative of LG Hausys Surfaces, (2) a representative of Sterling Surfaces, (3) a representative of Aloft Hotels design team. Based upon specific criteria – such as originality, creativeness and feasibility of fabrication, the top five finalists will be chosen to move forward to the LG Hausys Surfaces Student Design Challenge Press Conference in Lexington, MA where the three winners will be announced by the jury panel. The trip itinerary will include the press conference and a tour of Sterling Surfaces, the fabricator of one of the winning student design pieces. Press releases will announce the top three winners to local/regional media, trade professionals and each of the winning schools’ communities.
Selection of Grand Prize Winners
From among the five student-designers selected to advance in the design challenge and attend the press conference in Boston, a panel jury will select three “LG Hausys Surfaces Student Design Challenge Winners of 2010.” The three winners will travel (all expenses paid) to New York City to exhibit their pieces during the 22nd annual international Contemporary Furniture Fair. Additionally, they will have their pieces fabricated and placed in an Aloft Hotel location.
Additional Recognition & Financial Support
All participating student designers will receive awards (made from LG Hausys Surfaces material) to recognize their participation and level of achievement in the Challenge. The top three student-designers will each have a professional photo shoot with their pieces to be featured in LG Hausys Surfaces press articles and on the Student Design Challenge website.
For student designers invited to attend, financial support to include:
- All travel expenses for Boston press conference (March 2010) and ICFF (May 2010)
- Profile and professional photography
- Press interviews and other promotional exposure