Las Vegas—Winners of the dscvr19 Student Design Competition, Durkan’s annual hospitality design contest, were officially announced as part of the programming at this year’s HD Expo in Las Vegas.
dscvr is sponsored each year by Durkan and NEWH, a leading networking organization for hospitality industry professionals. The program exhibits the talent of designers in the hospitality field and contributes toward the education of future designers within the industry. The Durkan and NEWH partnership gives students opportunity, networking, experience and financial assistance for college.
Elizabeth Hadden of Utah State University won first place with her design, Impressions of Safavid.The design’s patterns and themes take their inspiration from the murals and mosaics of the Safavid era, which gloried in Persia’s ancient tradition of glazed ceramic art. Muted for a modern touch, Impressions of Safavidsuggests glimmers of elegance, royalty and enchantment without overwhelming surrounding décor. In addition to being awarded a trip to Las Vegas to attend HD Expo, Hadden was honored on-site as thegrand-prize winner, receiving a $2,500 NEWH scholarship from Durkan.
Second-place winner was Hannah Oelz of Savannah College of Art and Design, with her design, Tides. Tides is inspired by the interplay of the ocean rising and falling over rockpools. This design incorporates abstracted sea creatures and shells to show how the ocean distorts these elements at different times with changing tides. Oelz is currently studying abroad and was not able to attend the awards ceremony. As the first runner-up, she is the recipient of a $1,000 NEWH scholarship from Durkan.
Heather Wilkinson of Utah State University was named second runner-up with her design, Sonoma.Sonoma was created to bring attention to the landscape of the American Southwest. The light blues and purples prompt a visual setting sun over the Colorado River’s flowing course and waterfalls. The rugged rust and flax colored fibers perfectly match the panorama one would revel in when visiting the magical Grand Canyon.Wilkinson was also awarded a trip to attend HD Expo.
“The dscvrcompetition gives us the chance to introduce students to the idea of a career in hospitality, which is a very exciting segment that is fashion-forward in design,” said Elizabeth Bonner, creative design director, Durkan. “One of the great benefits of this wonderful collaboration with NEWH is that the winners get to experience HD Expo, where they see the latest in hospitality design, meet with other designers and have one-on-one time with the Durkan team.”
For the competition, student designers submitted concepts for flooring in standard ballroom and prefunction settings that were created as separate components but coordinated with one another, with the number of colors not to exceed 12. Submissions were reviewed by a panel of Durkan associates and judged based on concept, presentation and market feasibility. dscvr is open to college and university students who are members of NEWH, which offers student membership free of charge.
Designs from the top three finalists are on display at the expo this week and will ultimately be promoted and cataloged by Durkan.
For more information, visit: hdexpo.durkan.com.