LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2021: grand prix winner distils water with sunlight

after 2,079 entries from 66 countries, LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2021 crowns its grand prix winner – congrats, henry glogau! enhancing sunlight, the portable solar distiller uses low-tech community architecture to turn polluted- and sea-water into drinkable liquid. it helps design a better tomorrow – the founding mission of the international design competition, which is shaped by the principles of anticipate, innovate and captivate.

follow the path to success, below, with the work of the six finalists of LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2021, the invaluable mentorship program, and expert judging advice.

2021 grand prix winner henry glogau holding the trophy designed by their 2013 winner hideki yoshimoto of tangent

LEXUS is run on the passion for design. launched in 2013, the LEXUS DESIGN AWARD annually calls for projects that shape a better tomorrow. it aims to create a better future by nurturing the creatives – the next generation of young talent.

(left) joe doucet, designer and founder of joe doucet x partners, and (right © atelier masomi) mariam kamara, principal architect at atelier masomi
mentors of LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2021

as a core principle of the platform, the six chosen finalists benefit from an invaluable, personal mentorship program. ranging in backgrounds, disciplines and experience, each year’s mentors are some of the most renowned figures in the creative community. the 2021 award welcomed mentors joe doucet, designer and founder of joe doucet x partners; mariam kamara, principal architect at atelier masomi; sabine marcelis, designer and founder of studio sabine marcelis; and sputniko!, artist and designer, associate professor of tokyo university of the arts department of design. virtually held, a workshop gave finalists an irreplaceable once-in-a-lifetime experience as they received direct, inspiring and insightful feedback from the mentors. this advice continued throughout the award with ongoing access via one-to-one online sessions.

‘I would like to congratulate all finalists on their strong projects and hard work! I was greatly impressed with how the finalists all managed to absorb the advice from mentors to evolve their projects in meaningful directions, with such great speed. another aspect I loved about mentoring the finalists’ projects was the fact that all teams envisioned to tackle extremely pressing, large-scale issues through their design, ranging from water scarcity, energy efficiency, plastic pollution, and mental health issues during the pandemic. it has been a pleasure to mentor for the LEXUS DESIGN AWARDS, and I encourage more aspiring young designers to apply in 2022,’ told mentor sputniko!

(left © floor knaapen) sabine marcelis, designer and founder of studio sabine marcelis, and (right) sputniko!, artist and designer, associate professor of tokyo university of the arts department of design
mentors of LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2021

(left © 2016 marton perlaki) paola antonelli, senior curator at MoMA, new york, and (right) simon humphries, head of toyota & lexus global design
judges of LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2021

with guidance and funding to help develop prototypes, the finalists presented their designs to an esteemed panel of judges. each member offers a diverse set of skills as well as experiences within the creative field. for 2021, the judges included paola antonelli, senior curator at MoMA, new york; and simon humphries, head of toyota & lexus; and will be joined by dong gong, founder and design principal of vector architects; and greg lynn, architect and CEO piaggio fast forward.

‘I was so very impressed with the brief, the mentors, the work of all the finalists and the grand prix winner. congratulations to the winner and also to the award process. it worked so well and provided mentorship and resources that let great ideas flourish,’ comments judge greg lynn. ‘the winner was one of the designers who surprised me the most from the application to the final submission. the consistent mission of the winner persisted while the transformation in scale and social function was exemplary. the design become more refined, more functional and more open source during the process. the ability to produce working prototypes was important to all the participants but to the winner it pointed towards the manifold potential of the system that became much more than just a product or appliance but instead a portable, deployable infrastructure.’

(left) dong gong, founder and design principal of vector architects, and (right) greg lynn, architect and CEO piaggio fast forward.
judges of LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2021

LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2021 WINNER: PORTABLE SOLAR DISTILLER BY HENRY GLOGAU

portable solar distiller by henry glogau, a new zealander who graduated from the royal danish academy with a masters specialized in architecture and extreme environments, was selected as the grand prix winner for LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2021. the distiller provides clean drinking water from polluted- as well as sea -water using sunlight. the low-tech, lightweight and versatile structure can be configured in many ways and with different materials to aid communities. creating a shaded gathering place, the design combines local resource production with community architecture.

‘it’s a great honor to be selected as the 2021 grand prix winner, and I’d like to say thank you to the judges. when you look at the level and quality of the finalists and their projects and the progress that has been made throughout, any one of us could have been the winner. I’d also like to thank the mentors – their expertise in a variety of fields really strengthened not only our designs but us also as designers. we as finalists will cherish the thought-provoking questions and conversation we had, and we were so fortunate to experience them. and lastly, a massive thank you to LEXUS. being part of a prestigious award like this with a company that is truly passionate about design for a better tomorrow and which gives up-and-coming designers a platform and solid foundation to build their design futures on, is incredible,’ explains henry glogau.

portable solar distiller by henry glogau

LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2021 FINALIST: CY-BO BY KENJI ABE

cy-bo by kenji abe, graduate of tama art university product design department, is a new form of cytologically-inspired packaging material. it transforms into various shapes as pieces are combined together. this makes it infinitely reusable, rearrangable and adaptable to the user and all manner of applications.

cy-bo by kenji abe

kenji abe, LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2021 finalist

LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2021 FINALIST: HEARTFELT BY GAYLE LEE AND JESSICA VEA

heartfelt by gayle lee and jessica vea, graduates of creative technologies from auckland university of technology, explores what ‘being present’ might look like during a pandemic. the device reflects the heartbeat of your loved one, promoting psychological support, personal connection, and seeking to assist with anxiety and emotional stresses of being in isolation.

heartfelt by gayle lee and jessica vea

(left) gayle lee and (right) jessica vea, LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2021 finalists

LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2021 FINALIST: INTEMPO BY ALINA HOLOVATIUK

intempo by alina holovatiuk, an architect from kiev, ukraine, is an app and phone cover that aids people facing emotional stress, such as panic attacks and sociophobia. designed for use in public spaces or interactions, the user can touch spots on the cover in time with music to help calm.

intempo by alina holovatiuk

alina holovatiuk, LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2021 finalist

LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2021 FINALIST: KNITX BY IRMANDY WICAKSONO

knitx by irmandy wicaksono, an electrical and textile engineer and designer, explores the boundaries of his creative fields. electronics, textiles and musical interfaces are interlaced into everyday fabrics. the musical clothe offers interactivity, responding to tactile and proxemic gestures, and evoking bi-directionality between dance and music.

knitx by irmandy wicaksono

irmandy wicaksono, LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2021 finalist

LEXUS DESIGN AWARD 2021 FINALIST: TERRACOTTA VALLEY WIND BY INTSUI DESIGN

terracotta valley wind by intsui design, a design group based in tokyo, japan, is an evaporative cooling system that chills subway stations during summer and reduces energy consumption. using terracotta – an inexpensive and accessible clay material – water can quickly evaporate. the system also utilizes unused wind resource, maximizing value of train-induced wind.

terracotta valley wind by intsui design