2017 IFDA-EF Design Competition Winner

The Educational Foundation of IFDA [International Furnishings and Design Association] invited students to enter the 2017 IFDA-EF Design Competition between January 1 – February 28, 2017.

The Program & The Pay-Off

The challenge was to create a classic piece of modern furniture with classical references, clean design, sophisticated details, and innovative combinations of finishes, textures, and materials.

The winner received a $3,000 prize plus a trip to New York City in September 2017 to attend the awards ceremony at the “What’s New What’s Next” Gala sponsored by Cliff Young Ltd.

The Winner

Congratulations to Karunadhipathi Lihin Weera of Ryerson University, the 2017 IFDA-EF Design Competition winner!

“I have a passion for the world of design and its unique ability to manipulate space. I have a keen interest in finding intricate solutions to design challenges, pushing boundaries while utilizing new forms of technology to do so.”

Living in Sri Lanka before moving to Canada in 2008, Lihin describes his winning design as the “interlocking of two stools that form into a table,” which means it’s essentially a triple-purpose project. Each stool, to be made of molded polymer hollowed out to lighten its bulk, would weigh just over six pounds, thus could be moved about easily or combined, creating a table.

Find out more about the 2017 IFDA-EF Design Competition winner and view his winning entry HERE.