Firms Win Lucrative Furnishing Contracts from Volvo Cars & Aurizn EcoDesign Challenge with duduk by EcoWorld

Shah Alam, 26th August 2020 - The Volvo Cars & Aurizn EcoDesign Challenge with duduk by EcoWorld comes to a conclusion with six design firms being declared winners and awarded more than RM 4 million worth of contracts to turn their winning designs into reality.

Jointly organised by Volvo Car Malaysia, Eco World Development Group Bhd (EcoWorld), and Aurizn, the Challenge is a first-of-its-kind interior design competition that offers Malaysian interior designers not only a platform to showcase their talents, but also the opportunity to win an actual project with a reputable developer to add to their respective portfolios.

Following an exhaustive judging process that also included an online vote from the public, the six winners of the Volvo Cars & Aurizn EcoDesign Challenge are A&A Concept Design & Contract Sdn. Bhd., Forfar Design Sdn. Bhd., IQI Concept Sdn. Bhd., Kort Studio, Orb Group Sdn. Bhd., and Studio BEVD Sdn. Bhd.

The EcoDesign Challenge kicked off on 14 May 2020, with ID firms invited to post the best designs of their existing portfolios on their official social media channels. A total of 50 firms submitted their entries over a four-week period.

Participating firms were also invited to join an international conference call in which Jonathan Disley, Vice President of Design at Volvo Cars as well as Owen Ready, Head of Strategic and Brand Design of Volvo Cars and David Chen from Volvo Cars Design in China dialled in from Europe and China simultaneously to share insights on how Volvo cars apply Scandinavian philosophy into their designs.

• First-of-its-kind interior design competition organised in a three-way collaboration between Volvo Car Malaysia, EcoWorld, and Aurizn

• Six interior design firms win more than RM 4 million worth of furnishing contracts from EcoWorld

• Winning designs to become reality in special duduk by EcoWorld units on sale to the public

• Winning firms also enjoy six-month complimentary usage of a Volvo S90 T8 each

After the briefing, the participating firms were given the task of furnishing the 1,000 sq ft layout of a duduk by EcoWorld unit in a manner that expresses the essence of Scandinavian design philosophy of eco-friendliness and minimalism with a budget of RM50,000.

“Scandinavian design at its best is often understated, yet stands out by the mere presence of its simplicity,” said Nalin Jain, Managing Director of Volvo Car Malaysia. “This functional, open and minimalistic design language can be seen in all Volvo cars. On the outside, we have clean and proportioned lines that look and feel just right; and inside, careful craftsmanship, attention to detail, and quality, earthy materials that create an open, uncluttered space. The six winners today succinctly captured Volvo Car’s design philosophy and translated them into Malaysian homes, and for that, they have my heartfelt congratulations.”

Nalin also announced that Volvo Car Malaysia will be providing each design firm six-month complimentary use of a Volvo S90 T8 Twin Engine.

The comprehensive evaluation process drawn out for the Volvo Cars & Aurizn EcoDesign Challenge received included a judging panel with representatives from Volvo Car Malaysia, EcoWorld and Aurizn scoring the designs. Public feedback was also taken into account through an online vote which accounted for 20% of the overall score for each design.

Summarising the process, Bobby Ang, Editor-in-Chief of Aurizn, said, “We gave the design firms one month to apply their learnings from the Volvo Car designers into an actual property. We then opened it up for Malaysians to vote, the judges then gave our scores on the aesthetics of the design, and lastly the EcoWorld project team evaluated the feasibility of each project.”

“At the end of the day, these units are going to be future homes of Malaysians, which is why we opened up the final selection process to the public. The collaboration between Aurizn, Volvo Car Malaysia and EcoWorld really is an amalgamation of sustainability, Swedish sensibilities, and Malaysian creativity.” Ang added.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19, 2020

DESIGN

The top three floors of two duduk by EcoWorld projects, namely Huni D’ EcoArdence and se.Ruang D’ EcoSanctuary, will be assigned to one winning design firm each. All units in these floors will be furnished according to the winning designs proposed earlier and will be available for sale to the buying public.

Ho Kwee Hong, Divisional General Manager of EcoWorld, said: “By giving local design firms a platform to showcase their creativity and strength, we have empowered them to think about the future of sustainable design in Malaysia. Evident from the many creative designs we have received this year, we are truly encouraged and hope that through this collaboration with Volvo Car Malaysia and Aurizn that we can open up more avenues for creative Malaysians to put their talents on show and deliver high-quality, sustainable homes and communities for future generations to come.”

duduk by EcoWorld is a new brand of EcoWorld which offers a fresh perspective on vertical living. Established in 2020, the brand offers easy entry, modern high-rise residential developments aimed at a younger generation of urban homeowners.

Strategically situated near Setia Alam and Kota Kemuning, duduk by EcoWorld offers generously-sized homes that are not only semi-furnished with basic home items but are also replete with clubhouse facilities at attractive and reasonable prices.

Masks were removed briefly for phototaking.