Meet 2019 Young Designer Award-Winner Gordon Tran Hieu Nguyen
The Raffles Design Institute student bested his peers to win the annual competition
Now a regular event that interior design students in Singapore look forward to, the Young Designer Award announced its fourth winner in October. Gordon Tran Hieu Nguyen from Raffles College of Higher Education, Interior Design Department, is the 2019 winner, earning the highest points from the jury panel, for his accessible and biophilic design of a multi-generational apartment unit.
Gordon’s winning entry to the 2019 Young Designer Award
Gordon’s winning entry to the 2019 Young Designer Award
Gordon shares some of his designs here, and about his interior design journey in his own words:
Why did you want to become a designer?
I wanted to become a designer to have the opportunity to create spaces that not only can make an impression on the users but also potentially be more efficient and pleasant to be in.
Why did you want to become a designer?
I wanted to become a designer to have the opportunity to create spaces that not only can make an impression on the users but also potentially be more efficient and pleasant to be in.
What or who are your design idols/ inspirations?
I’m inspired by spaces that not only make a lasting impression on me, but also make me want to return to them.
Is this the first design competition you joined? What lessons did you learn from it?
This is the first design competition I’ve ever joined. I’ve learned to cater to the client’s needs and requests. I’ve also learned to find different design styles and bring them together in a cohesive way.
I’m inspired by spaces that not only make a lasting impression on me, but also make me want to return to them.
Is this the first design competition you joined? What lessons did you learn from it?
This is the first design competition I’ve ever joined. I’ve learned to cater to the client’s needs and requests. I’ve also learned to find different design styles and bring them together in a cohesive way.
Why do you think your design won?
I think that my design won because I stuck to what my clients’ needs are, and what they expressed in the design brief, whilst also showcasing my design style and philosophy.
What are your future plans for your design career?
I would love to get a masters degree on either interior design or architecture after my current bachelor degree. But before that I’m planning to get a few years of work experience.
I think that my design won because I stuck to what my clients’ needs are, and what they expressed in the design brief, whilst also showcasing my design style and philosophy.
What are your future plans for your design career?
I would love to get a masters degree on either interior design or architecture after my current bachelor degree. But before that I’m planning to get a few years of work experience.
What’s your favourite interior space in Singapore?
My favourite interior space in Singapore is the new Jewel at Changi Airport. With all the open greenery fully surrounding the waterfall, the space makes me feel very calm and allows me to recharge before or after a flight.
My favourite interior space in Singapore is the new Jewel at Changi Airport. With all the open greenery fully surrounding the waterfall, the space makes me feel very calm and allows me to recharge before or after a flight.
Lecturer Rosa Lopes and Gordon, who is holding his trophy and cash prize, stand between the letters D and A amidst the Raffles College party that came to celebrate his win
See the rest of Gordon’s winning design
Read about the 2019 Young Designer Award ceremonies
See the rest of Gordon’s winning design
Read about the 2019 Young Designer Award ceremonies
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Rosa Lopes, programme coordinator of the Interior Design Department of Raffles College of Higher Education, is Gordon’s lecturer. She says: “I have known Gordon as a lecturer for the past two years. When he first started his interior design journey with us, I was one of his first lecturers. He came to us with no background in interior design. However, he came with a willingness to learn. Since then I have seen him nurture his skills with passion and maturity. I believe he may have won the competition because he carefully followed the brief and exercised creative thinking while solving design problems without compromising the users’ needs. He spent time reviewing his background knowledge in barrier-free design, to make sure he made modifications to the apartment to cater to the [wheelchair-bound] grandmother.”