LIV Design Studio celebrates Canadian design with ‘The Art of Outdoor Living’ Student Design Challenge

Vancouver-based LIV Design Studio launches Canada-wide ‘The Art of Outdoor Living’ challenge to give a platform to the next generation of interior designers with cash prizes totaling $15,000


VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 27, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Following the success of their inaugural event, local multidisciplinary design firm LIV Design Studio is thrilled to announce the second iteration of its Student Design Challenge with cash prizes totaling $15,000 for Canadian interior design students. For 2023, this challenge, The Art of Outdoor Living, will expand to include current interior design students from across Canada, with a new focus on multifaceted patio design. This year’s challenge will culminate in a booth at IDS Toronto 2024, where finalists will showcase their designs at an in-person booth using augmented reality. This marks the 25th anniversary of IDS, and this year’s proceedings will look back on the history of Canadian design, celebrating the designers and partners who have worked with IDS throughout the years.

LIV Design Studio has a long history working with the Interior Design Show, having designed the VIP Lounge at IDS Vancouver 2019, as well as creating the hugely popular The Future of Work: A Virtual Experience booth, which was ranked as one of the top features & experiences at IDS Vancouver 2022. The design studio looks forward to continuing this partnership, putting their TECH/DESIGN/CULTURE ethos into practice by engaging with the Canadian design community and up-and-coming designers through the creative use of AR technology.

“The 2022 Student Design Challenge gave me the opportunity to hear opinions from interior design professionals outside of my school, since there was a ton of exposure at IDS. I’ve gained confidence as a designer through this challenge and learned the importance of networking as I start to form more connections within the industry.”

–Vivien Tam, student at LaSalle College Vancouver

About LIV’s Student Design Challenge

LIV Design Studio’s 2023 Student Design Challenge, titled The Art of Outdoor Living, aims to bring attention to up-and-coming interior designers from across Canada by providing an opportunity for students to present their work in AR to the interior design community in Toronto and beyond. For this year’s challenge, students are asked to design a 188 square foot outdoor patio space that can be replicated in a multi-residential context.

With IDS celebrating its 25th anniversary, we look to patios as a quintessential part of the Canadian design landscape. Particularly in a post-COVID-19 context and within multi-residential projects, indoor-outdoor spaces and enlarged patios have become a crucial part of our daily routines; not just a boon to our physical health but a sanctuary where days turn seamlessly into nights and every season becomes a reason to celebrate. LIV Design Studio is challenging student designers to imagine patio spaces that facilitate a deeper connection to our surroundings and promote wellbeing year-round through functional & innovative design.

Three finalists will be chosen by a panel of expert judges to have their designs rendered into hyper-realistic 3D models by LIV Design Studio’s in-house CG team. These will then be viewable through dedicated augmented-reality portals at IDS Toronto 2024, where attendees will be able to interact with and vote for their favourite design. Final placements and a new people’s choice award (voted on by IDS attendees) will be revealed onstage at IDS Toronto 2024, at the event’s conclusion on January 21st.

“The Student Design Challenge was an exciting & encouraging way to collaborate with friends outside of the classroom. There were many aspects of the process which I can apply to my future work, such as how to address a design challenge with high spatial constraints.”

–Joshua Swanson, student at KPU

Prizes

Three finalists will compete for scaled cash prizes, broken down as follows:

First (1st) place: $8,000, second (2nd) $4,000; third (3rd) place $2,000; people’s choice (IDS attendee vote) $1,000

Each participant will also be able to share their work with the Canadian interior design community through a booth at IDS Toronto 2024, made possible by AR technology and LIV Design’s in-house CG team.

Entry Criteria

Students are challenged to envision a 188 sq. ft. patio design for all-season use. The space should be multi-functional, accommodating basic functions such as entertainment and individual work, while also allowing for additional uses throughout the day with an emphasis on promoting mental and physical wellbeing. Participants are encouraged to use outdoor, weatherproof materials and incorporate elements of indoor-outdoor living where possible, focusing on functional & innovative design.

This challenge is open to all students who are currently enrolled in or a 2023/2024 graduate of a licensed interior design program at a Canadian post-secondary institution. Submissions are accepted from individuals and in groups of up to 3 students from the same academic institution. Completed entries should be filled out and submitted using the form at liv.ca/student-challenge and should be received no later than August 8, 2023, at 11:59pm PT.

Please visit liv.ca/student-challenge for complete information on submission criteria & eligibility.

“This was a challenging but incredibly fulfilling experience that required us to creatively research solutions to a complex, real-world situation, coming up with tangible, functional solutions through our designs. From the student challenge, I learned how to be solutions-focused without a lot of guidance from instructors, which has really helped prepare me for my future career.”

–Kaitlyn D’Orazio, student at BCIT

Judges

Submissions will be evaluated by a panel of expert judges from within the interior design industry, reflecting the diverse perspectives of the Canadian design community and representing a multitude of disciplines and approaches to interior design. Stay tuned for more announcements and updates about our judges by following LIV Design Studio on Instagram or by registering for the challenge.

Please refer to this link for visual assets: https://bit.ly/43I2DKE

Contact:

Matisse Yiu
Marketing Manager

LIV Design Studio

Matisse@liv.ca