10 OF THE MOST COMPELLING DESIGNS FROM THE A' DESIGN AWARD WINNERS

A’ Design Award: 10 Worthy Winners from Around the World
By Web Urbanist, 2 September 2012.

Each year, thousands of designers from over one hundred countries submit works of architecture, furniture, packaging and more to be considered for A’ Design Award. From the past two years of winning projects featured on DesignMag, WebUrbanist is pleased to present ten of the most compelling designs.

1. Acutor Pencil Sharpener by Jaeryong Lee

Starting small: the pencil sharpener is perhaps one of the most significant inventions by and for designers of the 20th Century. In a new age where manual writing implements are rapidly becoming retro chic, the Acutor by Jaeryong Lee highlights the cool chaotic remnants of each act of sharpening in a classic scientific flask.

2. Life Desk by Athanasia Leivaditou

Sizing things up, designers are famously workaholic by nature, so it only makes sense that one inspired insomniac - Athanasia Leivaditou - would craft the Life Desk, an intentional solution for sleeping where you work without simply drifting off while you sit at your desk.

3. Chateau D’eau House by Mauro Brigham

Chateau D’eau House by Mauro Brigham is an exemplary real-life adaptive reuse project. The stunning cylindrical shape once housed a water tower, and now contains six stories of rounded residential and community space.

4. Office 04 by I29 Interior Architects

Office 04 by I29 Interior Architects addresses traditional problems of an office - privacy versus community, quiet versus communication - and solves them with an effective-yet-minimalist palette of unusual designs and materials, including suspended-wall seating stations and sound-absorbing fabric finishes.

5. Robi Rolling Library by Claudia Miller

Trying to get the public to the library can be a tricky proposition, which is why the Robi Rolling Library by Claudia Miller brings books and reading spaces right to your doorstep. Built-in furniture manages both to save space and provide neat reading nooks in which to sit and watch the world go by.

6. Gibbous by Nanu Al-Hamad

Chairs and ottomans go together like horses and carriages, but few fit quite as snugly as the Gibbous by Nanu Al-Hamad. In his transforming furniture piece, the two pieces actually become one whole.

7. Cloche Chair by Carlo Sampietro

Another seating surprise, the Cloche Chair by Carlo Sampietro hides inside a safety barrel, turning “symbols of caution into objects of comfort” with a whimsically-upcycled twist. In a traffic-rerouting protest or public gathering, these could really come in handy.

8. Sensei Transformable Chairs/Coffee Table by Claudio Sibille

The Sensei Transformable Chairs/Coffee Table set by Claudio Sibille turns a literal interpretation of the Yin/Yang symbol combination and makes it into a functional piece of convertible furniture, as clever as it is plain.

9. Kitchen Train by Ahmad Abedini

The Kitchen Train series of accessories by Ahmad Abedini shows that even everyday appliances have room left for creative expression - the potential to be integrated elements as well as modular accent pieces.

10. Vortex Washbasin by Deniz Karasahin

A bit of a spin on your standard sink, the Vortex Washbasin by Deniz Karasahin gives solid shape to the spiral form of water winding its way toward and down the drain - an elegant solution to spice up an otherwise-ordinary bathroom or kitchen fixture.

Stay tuned: in the upcoming weeks we will give you the inside scoop on what A’ Design Award is all about, how to submit your own designs for consideration, expanding your audience of clients and employers in the process.

[View more stunning designs from the award winners and runner-ups.]

[Source: Web Urbanist. Edited. Some links added.]