Filipino designers delivered a strong showing at the AYDA International Awards 2025/2026, with the Philippines securing two of the competition's top honors, including the prestigious Designer of the Year (Architectural Category) award and the Nippon Paint Colour Award (Interior Design Category).
Ejhey Durias of the University of Mindanao was named Designer of the Year (Architectural Category) for his project Banuas Lawod, while Patricia Danielle Malijan from De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde received the Nippon Paint Colour Award (Interior Design Category) for her project KAMPIHAN during the global finals held in Bangkok from June 11 to 12.
The awards were presented at the 18th edition of the AYDA International Awards, Nippon Paint’s global CSR programme for emerging architects and interior designers. This year’s competition attracted more than 9,000 entries from 17 countries and regions under the theme “CONVERGE: Crafting Cultural Legacies.”
The recognition highlights the growing presence of Filipino design talent on the international stage, with both winning projects demonstrating how cultural heritage can be integrated into contemporary design solutions.
Philippines secures top honours in global design competition
The two Filipino designers were recognised for projects that embody this year's theme of crafting spaces where cultural legacy and contemporary vision meet.
The two Designer of the Year recipients -- Ejhey Durias of the Philippines (Architectural Category) and Jackie Jiang Haoran of China (Interior Design Category) — will each receive a fully funded place in the Design Discovery Program at Harvard University's Graduate School of Design in Boston, USA. The three-week programme is valued at up to USD 10,000 and offers advanced exposure to global design practices.
Design rooted in culture and community
Durias’ award-winning project, “Banuas Lawod”, addresses the environmental decline of aquaculture in Southeast Asia and its impact on coastal communities, forcing entire fishing communities to abandon the way of life that defines them. The design proposes to restore not just a livelihood, but also a cultural identity through a sustainable aquaculture community hub for displaced fishing communities before their heritage is lost entirely.
"This project began with a simple truth: that for the Bajau people, home was never land. It was the rhythm of the tides beneath their feet, and when that is taken away, an entire culture is left to drown on dry land,” explained Durias. “This honour truly affirms that design can be both culturally rooted and globally relevant, and to receive it among the brightest young talents in the world makes it all the more meaningful.”
Meanwhile, Malijan’s “KAMPIHAN” explores a disappearing scene: the erosion of traditional play spaces and its impact on cultural transmission among children.
Set in Kampihan — a community whose identity is rooted in that shared experience of laughter, play, and community bonding — her concept reimagines the playground as a cultural anchor that strengthens connections across generations through play and sustainable design.
“Witnessing children in Cebu crowd around screens beside a broken playground made me realise how quickly traditional play is being forgotten. By capturing the vibrant ritual where palms flip to form teams, I wanted to celebrate the rich heritage that should still shape our communities,” Malijan said. “Winning the Nippon Paint Colour Award is a true honour, and I hope it encourages deeper conversations about how design can rescue cultural memory and bring generations back together.”
Malijan was awarded USD 1,000 for the Nippon Paint Colour Award.
Celebrating excellence across Asia
Beyond the Philippine wins, the competition also celebrated design excellence across a range of specialised categories. The full list of award winners is as below:
Architectural Category:
● Designer of the Year - Ejhey Durias, University of Mindanao, Philippines
● Best Sustainable Design Award - Michelle Vun Yi Ling, University Malaya (UM), Malaysia
● Best Design Impact Award - Sinem Göl, Istanbul Technical University, Turkiye
● Nippon Paint Colour Award - Shiu Jerome Millian, National University of Singapore, Singapore
● Honorary Mention - Pavithran Thurairatnam, University Of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka
Interior Design Category:
● Designer of the Year - Jackie Jiang Haoran, Central Academy of Fine Arts, China
● Best Sustainable Design Award - Sasit Kitiprasert, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand
● Best Design Impact Award - Jeeshnu Kalidhas, Chennai Academy of Architecture & Design, India
● Nippon Paint Colour Award - Patricia Danielle Malijan, De La Salle - College of Saint Benilde, Philippines
● Judges’ Choice - Xu Yinghai, City University, Malaysia
● Honorary Mention - Shuvro Kumar Ghosh, Khulna University Of Engineering & Technology, Bangladesh
● Honorary Mention - Hsu Lawoon, Raffles College of Higher Education, Singapore
A platform shaping the next generation of design
Formerly known as the Asia Young Designer Awards, the AYDA Awards has grown over nearly two decades since 2008 into one of the most respected platforms for emerging architectural and interior design talent and into a cornerstone of Nippon Paint’s global CSR movement, Colouring Lives.
Built on mentorship, cross-cultural exchange, and hands-on learning, the programme has received over 76,000 entries from more than 1,600 tertiary institutions across 20 countries and regions. True to Nippon Paint's Colouring Lives philosophy, AYDA Awards remains barrier-free by design — no entry fees, no prerequisites beyond talent — connecting young designers with industry leaders, design schools, and a global alumni network that continues to shape the built environment long after the awards are presented.
For Nippon Paint, the AYDA Awards has always represented something greater than a competition. It is a declaration that design and colour are inseparable forces, and that the next generation deserves a world-class stage on which to prove it. It is a belief that has only grown over time, evolving into a grander convergence of creativity spanning the full spectrum of design: from the boldness of architectural vision to the transformative power of colour in space.
Meanwhile, Malijan’s “KAMPIHAN” explores a disappearing scene: the erosion of traditional play spaces and its impact on cultural transmission among children.
Set in Kampihan — a community whose identity is rooted in that shared experience of laughter, play, and community bonding — her concept reimagines the playground as a cultural anchor that strengthens connections across generations through play and sustainable design.
“Witnessing children in Cebu crowd around screens beside a broken playground made me realise how quickly traditional play is being forgotten. By capturing the vibrant ritual where palms flip to form teams, I wanted to celebrate the rich heritage that should still shape our communities,” Malijan said. “Winning the Nippon Paint Colour Award is a true honour, and I hope it encourages deeper conversations about how design can rescue cultural memory and bring generations back together.”
Malijan was awarded USD 1,000 for the Nippon Paint Colour Award.
Celebrating excellence across Asia
Beyond the Philippine wins, the competition also celebrated design excellence across a range of specialised categories. The full list of award winners is as below:
Architectural Category:
● Designer of the Year - Ejhey Durias, University of Mindanao, Philippines
● Best Sustainable Design Award - Michelle Vun Yi Ling, University Malaya (UM), Malaysia
● Best Design Impact Award - Sinem Göl, Istanbul Technical University, Turkiye
● Nippon Paint Colour Award - Shiu Jerome Millian, National University of Singapore, Singapore
● Honorary Mention - Pavithran Thurairatnam, University Of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka
Interior Design Category:
● Designer of the Year - Jackie Jiang Haoran, Central Academy of Fine Arts, China
● Best Sustainable Design Award - Sasit Kitiprasert, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand
● Best Design Impact Award - Jeeshnu Kalidhas, Chennai Academy of Architecture & Design, India
● Nippon Paint Colour Award - Patricia Danielle Malijan, De La Salle - College of Saint Benilde, Philippines
● Judges’ Choice - Xu Yinghai, City University, Malaysia
● Honorary Mention - Shuvro Kumar Ghosh, Khulna University Of Engineering & Technology, Bangladesh
● Honorary Mention - Hsu Lawoon, Raffles College of Higher Education, Singapore
A platform shaping the next generation of design
Formerly known as the Asia Young Designer Awards, the AYDA Awards has grown over nearly two decades since 2008 into one of the most respected platforms for emerging architectural and interior design talent and into a cornerstone of Nippon Paint’s global CSR movement, Colouring Lives.
Built on mentorship, cross-cultural exchange, and hands-on learning, the programme has received over 76,000 entries from more than 1,600 tertiary institutions across 20 countries and regions. True to Nippon Paint's Colouring Lives philosophy, AYDA Awards remains barrier-free by design — no entry fees, no prerequisites beyond talent — connecting young designers with industry leaders, design schools, and a global alumni network that continues to shape the built environment long after the awards are presented.
For Nippon Paint, the AYDA Awards has always represented something greater than a competition. It is a declaration that design and colour are inseparable forces, and that the next generation deserves a world-class stage on which to prove it. It is a belief that has only grown over time, evolving into a grander convergence of creativity spanning the full spectrum of design: from the boldness of architectural vision to the transformative power of colour in space.
Design, culture, and global exchange
The Bangkok international finale also brought together a distinguished gathering of voices shaping the future of design. Speakers included Chat Chuenrudeemol of CHAT Architects and CHAT Lab; Phuttipan Aswakool, Co-Founder of Architectural Studio of Work – Aholic (ASWA); and Arzu Uludag, Group Marketing Lead of Nippon Paint.
The Bangkok international finale also brought together a distinguished gathering of voices shaping the future of design. Speakers included Chat Chuenrudeemol of CHAT Architects and CHAT Lab; Phuttipan Aswakool, Co-Founder of Architectural Studio of Work – Aholic (ASWA); and Arzu Uludag, Group Marketing Lead of Nippon Paint.
"The AYDA Awards has grown into a global celebration that brings together emerging design talent from diverse cultures and backgrounds. It is especially encouraging to see how many of these young designers are drawing from cultural heritage while addressing pressing environmental challenges through thoughtful, sustainable design," said Mr. Wee Siew Kim, Group CEO of NIPSEA Group and Co-President of Nippon Paint Holdings.
He added that the programme continues to evolve ahead of its 20th anniversary in 2027, reinforcing its commitment to nurturing future design leaders.
Running concurrently with the AYDA Awards finale, the Nippon Paint Creative Colour Awards (CCA) 2026 returned for its fourth edition; celebrating professional architects and designers who harness colour as a purposeful design language and recognising the profound role that hue and tone play in shaping the emotional and cultural character of a space. Together, the two platforms reflect Nippon Paint's vision of uniting the full world of design, from student ambition to professional mastery, on a single global stage.
A new generation, a new convergence
The next chapter is already being written. The AYDA Awards 2026/2027 is now open for submissions under its new theme, CONVERGE: Embracing Hyperlocal — a call to go deeper, not wider; to find universally resonant solutions rooted in the specific textures of place, culture, and community. It is a challenge for the next wave of designers to ask not just what the world needs, but what their world needs, and to design from that truth. Submission deadlines vary by country and region.
He added that the programme continues to evolve ahead of its 20th anniversary in 2027, reinforcing its commitment to nurturing future design leaders.
Running concurrently with the AYDA Awards finale, the Nippon Paint Creative Colour Awards (CCA) 2026 returned for its fourth edition; celebrating professional architects and designers who harness colour as a purposeful design language and recognising the profound role that hue and tone play in shaping the emotional and cultural character of a space. Together, the two platforms reflect Nippon Paint's vision of uniting the full world of design, from student ambition to professional mastery, on a single global stage.
A new generation, a new convergence
The next chapter is already being written. The AYDA Awards 2026/2027 is now open for submissions under its new theme, CONVERGE: Embracing Hyperlocal — a call to go deeper, not wider; to find universally resonant solutions rooted in the specific textures of place, culture, and community. It is a challenge for the next wave of designers to ask not just what the world needs, but what their world needs, and to design from that truth. Submission deadlines vary by country and region.
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