NUS-NCKU Exchange Architecture Student Wins Asia Young Designer Award (AYDA) 2024, Taiwan - Gold Award

Hearty congratulations to Liao Wei-Li Winnie, an exchange student from National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), who spent a semester (AY2024/25 Semester 1) with our department as part of her Year 3 Architectural Design Studio (AR3101 Design 5), for winning the AYDA Taiwan 2024 Gold Award.

Her award-winning project, titled “Revitalizing Tanjong Pagar,” was conceptualised under the mentorship of Associate Professor Dr Zdravko Trivic. The project explores several loosely related prototyping interventions in Tanjong Pagar, Singapore, suggesting different granularities, textures, and temporalities that are sensitive to diverse local communities and cultures. It interrogates the role of cultural and religious events, community engagement, and informality in shaping “soft” architecture and vibrant neighbourhoods.

We hope her exchange experience with NUS has provided her with invaluable learning opportunities and enriched her academic journey. As she returns home, we trust she will carry forward the knowledge, insights, and friendships gained during her time with us. These experiences will undoubtedly make her even wiser and more prepared for future challenges in her field.

The Asia Young Designer Award (AYDA) is an international competition programme, launched in 2008 by Nippon Paint, that recognises and nurtures young talent in the fields of architecture and interior design. In 2024, it was held simultaneously in 16 countries across Asia, Australia, Türkiye, and the United States of America. This year’s theme, “CONVERGE: Glocal Design Solutions – Global Localization,” called for designs that address both macro and micro, global and local challenges, bringing together diverse cultural backgrounds, perspectives, and efforts towards creating better societies.

The Gold Award includes a medal, a certificate, and a monetary prize of NT$20,000. It also provides the recipient with an opportunity to participate in the Platinum Award Finals, where they could win a fully funded three-week summer course titled “Design Discovery” at Harvard University Graduate School of Design (Harvard GSD).