Celebrating innovation at the 2024 Surface Design Awards

The 2024 Surface Design Awards were the culmination of 160 entries from 20 countries brought together to celebrate innovation in material use in architectural design projects around the world.

The Surface Design Awards honour outstanding achievements in both interior and exterior design, recognising innovative and sustainable projects. Even the trophies are crafted from reclaimed scrap material, making each one unique and illustrating the ability to find a use for something destined for landfill. The winning entries continued the theme, with clever ideas that showcase sustainability, circularity and the use of natural materials.

For example, the Interior Surface of the Year category was won by Portugal’s Matter for Casta, a sustainable material made from grape stalks generated during wine production. Judges praised its circularity, as well as Matter’s collaboration with local industries.

The innovation in materials continued with the Commercial Building Exterior category, which was won by AJ Wells & Sons for The Rowe. It designed, developed, manufactured and installed the vitreous enamel external soffit on the sixth floor of The Rowe building in Whitechapel, London, featuring large-scale public artwork from artist Yinka Ilori.

Vitreous enamelling is the process of fusing glass to metal at high heat (not to be confused with look-alike substances such as epoxy resin referred to as ‘cold’ enamel). AJ Wells & Sons said: “It is great to see vitreous enamel being used for increasingly ambitious projects. Its non-fading colours, graffiti resistance and zero-smoke/fire-safe properties mean it is the ideal choice for so many urban projects – whether underground, at street level or several storeys up.”

Biophilia

Extensive use of natural materials meant that biophilia featured heavily in the awards. The undulating roofs of the Tarang Pavilion by The Grid Architects, which won the Light and Surface Interior category as well as being awarded the Awards Supreme Winner, not only look like waves (Tarang is the Hindi word for waves), but the judges commented on the warmth and texture of the terracotta brick tiles.

Brick featured heavily in the Housing Exterior category, including in India’s The Nest by Studio Lotus. Elements from the former home were reused where possible – millwork, railings and custom-designed art deco elements from the old house such as railings, doors and staircases – and combined with warm earthy materials such as brick, wood and stone, which were locally sourced and reclaimed where possible. 

Meanwhile, Housing Interior category winner Cork House in London by Polysmiths used cork panels to clad internal and external surfaces. Built during lockdown, the project was born out of necessity when a shortage of materials such as concrete, plasterboard and plywood led to rising costs. The resulting cork finish gives the property a tactile, warm and earthy feel that exceeded the architect/owner’s expectations.

The Commercial Building Interior award winner, Argentina’s Hitzig Militello Arquitectos’ Moshu Treehouse, is a jaw-dropping exercise in use of reclaimed wood and natural materials in both the interior and the exterior of the restaurant. A tree planted in the courtyard gives the project its name.

The Exterior Surface of the Year award was won by Woven House in Kent by Giles Miller Studio. Judges praised its “clear craftmanship with biophilia cleverly being used out of context” for its use of a sculptural metal façade over glass that acts as a giant trellis for climbing plants. “The façade makes the building look at home within nature, brings the beauty of those natural surroundings visually into the building for the inhabitants’ benefit and also enables the extensive use of floor-to-ceiling glass by creating natural shading,” says Giles Miller Studio.

The Awards highlight what those in the built environment are already aware of – that detail is everything. For public spaces and private homes, design details that prioritise sustainability generate an unmatched sense of wellbeing.

View the winners at b.link/SDA24_winners
For a closer look at all the finalists, visit b.link/SDA24_finalists

Image credit | Supplied | Rob Parrish