ADU Interior Design students awarded Celebrity Designers honor at The Office Exhibition 2011

Two Abu Dhabi University (ADU) Interior Design students were among this year’s winners in the Celebrity Designer Competition, part of The 2011 Office Exhibition held at Dubai International Exhibition Centre (17^th - 19^th May). 

Both junior students at ADU, Mariam Wahid Tolba achieved first place in the category of Reception Desks (for the Most Simple Design), while Alaa Osama ranked second in the category of Workstation (for the Most Functional Design). 

The competition, organized by the Dubai-based Mazari Interiors and sponsored by the leading office furniture supplier BAFCO, offered participants the opportunity to become “Celebrity Designers” through their crafting of a unique piece of office furniture. 

Marian and Alaa who are students at ADU College of Engineering and Computer Science, competed with students from the American University in Dubai and the British University in Dubai, among others. All the winning designs were displayed for the duration of The Office Exhibition and each winner received Bodyflex, an ergonomic chair that won the Red Dot Design Award in 2010, and the Elepod, the portable electric charging track, from BAFCO. 

Moreover, one of the four finalist designs will have their design manufactured by BAFCO and added to the supplier’s portfolio of office furniture. This successful designer will also be entitled to a 10 percent royalty fee on each unit produced, as well as naming their new ‘designer product range’. 

The Celebrity Design Competition is a platform where young designers are given the opportunity to present their creative ideas and test their skills on the more technical process of design. The competition was open to all UAE university students and first-year graduates. Participants visited the BAFCO showroom prior to the competition for an educational workshop, which guided their final product designs before submission. 

During the competition, students also enjoyed the opportunity to meet and work with top designers and suppliers from around the world, and benefitted from their knowledge and expertise in classic and contemporary furniture designs, and in blending creativity with functionality. 

Students also learned how to analyze client needs and objectives; ensure security requirements are met and develop preliminary design alternatives that match functional and aesthetical standards, which are also important segments of their studies at ADU’s Department of Architecture and Design. 

Dr. Aly Nazmy, Dean of ADU’s College of Engineering and Computer Science, said everyone at ADU was proud of Mariam and Alaa.

“It is very exciting to see their creativity and hard work recognized in such a prestigious event. This gives them - and their fellow students - a taste of what can be achieved when they graduate and move into the real business world,” he said. “They are just two of a current batch of highly talented and motivated students in our Architecture and Interior Design programs that we are confident will move on to leading successful careers in this exciting filed of design.”