Winners Announced: DAIKIN Designer Award Inspires Ideal Homes Through Seamless Integration of Air Comfort and Spatial Aesthetics

The culmination of the DAIKIN Proshop Designer Award 2023 concluded on Friday, November 24, 2023. This annual competition for interior designers and architects, organized by PT. Daikin Airconditioning Indonesia (DAIKIN), has selected 18 winners from three main categories and three special categories. These winners represent the best works among over 350 participants who registered since the opening on June 1, 2023.

Held in collaboration with major associations such as the Indonesian Architects Association (IAI) for Jakarta and West Java, and the Indonesian Interior Designers Association (HDII) for Jakarta, the theme "RE:IMAGINE" set the competition apart. It challenged participants, from students to professionals, to reimagine ideal homes by treating air comfort and overall interior decoration as a unified element within a space's aesthetic.

“We are extremely proud of the growing number of participants and the diverse approaches showcased in the winning works,” stated Shinji Miyata, President Director of DAIKIN, during the award ceremony held at The Westin Hotel, Jakarta. “This event fosters the continuous growth of ideas for creating ideal homes that deliver spatial comfort through the seamless integration of aesthetics and air conditioning.”

According to Shinji Miyata, this growing vision for ideal homes aligns perfectly with the original mission of the DAIKIN Designer Award, which is now in its third edition this year. More than just a competition, the event aims to provide a platform for architecture and interior design professionals to share a common vision: homes that prioritize not only aesthetics but also comprehensive air conditioning solutions that support comfort and health, harmoniously blending with the overall interior decor.

As a global AC specialist with nearly a century of experience, DAIKIN offers a wide range of technologies and innovations in its product lines to support this vision. This is realized through the DAIKIN Home Central AC series, which simplifies piping installation by allowing one outdoor unit to connect to multiple indoor units simultaneously, tailored to their cooling capacity.

The DAIKIN Home Central AC series also features a variety of indoor unit designs. These are intentionally crafted to blend seamlessly with different room types while adding an elegant touch to each space's interior. Complementing these advantages, user health protection is ensured through advanced humidity control and multi-layered filtration that effectively eliminates harmful airborne particles.

Among the winners, GeTs Architect took first place in the Finished Project category for architectural works. Representing completed residential projects supported by DAIKIN AC systems, GeTs Architect was selected by the jury panel—comprising representatives from IAI and DAIKIN—for their concept, "The Gritted Grid."

Utilizing the MULTI NX type from the Home Central AC series applied in a box-type configuration, the interplay of solid and void volumes in this residence delivers a unique aesthetic without compromising its primary functions: air ventilation, sunlight filtering, and visual separation between public and private areas.

Still within the same category but focused on interior design, Cowema Studio won with their work "Tropical Classic," characterized by a strong elegant ambiance throughout every corner of the building. This 420-square-meter residential project was developed with a spirit of elegance, cleanliness, attention to detail, and classic refinement.

The classic manifestation in their design lines stems from Cowema Studio's effort to align the home with Indonesia's tropical climate. Meanwhile, the selection of the VRV Home Series and Multi NX—both part of the DAIKIN Home Central AC lineup—was applied using a box-type concept to achieve a cleaner ceiling appearance, revealing only a sleek black line as the air duct outlet.

The conceptual category featured equally stunning entries. Comprising two challenges—residential and commercial F&B spaces—both stood out for requiring participants to redesign the interior of a residence or shop house belonging to Sarwendah, an Indonesian celebrity who also served as a jury member for this category.

For the residential challenge, participants had to redesign the 200-square-meter home of Sarwendah, her husband, and their three children, located in the BSD City Cluster Kanade at The Zora, Type 10. The commercial interior challenge presented an equally significant hurdle.

Based on Sarwendah's business location at Daikanyama The Zora BSD, Tangerang, this challenge required a high level of skill to layout the entire interior of two merged shop houses spanning three floors and a rooftop, totaling 200 square meters. Sarwendah, acting as the direct evaluator for this conceptual category, envisioned the final space as a Japanese-themed café complete with a photo studio offering traditional Japanese attire rentals.

Rons Studio, with its "Classic Modern" concept, successfully met the residential conceptual challenge, earning top honors for the professional architectural category. Their entry, titled "Classic Meets Ethnic in Modern House," captivated the jury through an elegant color palette exploration, further enhanced by locally crafted accessories that defined the room's atmosphere and contents. The choice of brown wood materials created a warm and inviting space.

In the commercial interior conceptual category, PT Allure Cipta Persada claimed first place with their "Nihon Nidorama" concept. Inspired by a legendary Japanese tale about a woman from a humble background who achieved great success, the design draws heavily from this narrative. A strong visual impact is achieved through a central ornament resembling waves crashing against a female figure representing Oshin. The harmonious blend of straight and curved lines symbolizes Oshin as both a strong and gentle woman, embodying female emancipation.

On the other hand, student participants saw Universitas Bina Nusantara Jakarta sweep both categories. The residential conceptual category was won by Marvin Luckianto, Drake Agrajalada Liemmore, and Gerry Leonardo. Meanwhile, Darwis Jayadi, Alaric Ferdianus, and Alexandra Lidwina took first place in the commercial F&B building category.

During the DAIKIN Proshop Designer Award 2023 ceremony, DAIKIN also presented special awards for outstanding architectural and interior design achievements. Beyond merely the successful application of Home Central AC systems, “These awards recognize architecture practitioners and interior designers whose works serve as inspiration for buildings that prioritize quality air conditioning without compromising aesthetic appeal,” added Shinji Miyata.

Three specific works received these special accolades. Yori Antar Awal from Han Awal Partners & Architect won The Most Inspirative Home Sanctuary Design 2023 for the Kebon Jeruk Residence. Leo Einstein Fransciscus from Einstein & Associates received The Most Photogenic Restaurant Design 2023 for Padhi Resto, while Ary Indra from Aboday was awarded The Most Creative Commercial Design 2023 for Pitu Rooms.

Regarding the future of the DAIKIN Proshop Designer Awards, Shinji Miyata reaffirmed DAIKIN's commitment to expanding the event in the years ahead. “With each conclusion of the DAIKIN Proshop Designer Awards, we hope it marks the beginning of even more ideas for ideal homes for the Indonesian public, born from mutually inspiring interactions among all participants,” concluded Shinji Miyata.