From inclusive communication and intergenerational bonding to memorial spaces, local place-making and coastal living, the global recognition that NYP’s Diploma in Experiential Product and Interior Design received at the International Design Awards (IDA) started as explorations of how design can respond to real social, cultural, and lifestyle needs

Gold Award: CODA by Issac Wong Zi Yang

“My aim was for visitors to slow down and sense, in a small way, how my parents and others in the deaf and hard of hearing community navigate the world.”

What stands out in CODA is the gentle, respectful way it centres the lived experience of the deaf and hard of hearing community. Instead of treating accessibility as an add on, the project invites visitors to notice how their habits change when sound is no longer the main channel, and when attention to sight, touch and gesture becomes essential.
 

Set within an HDB void deck near SADeaf, the work focuses on visual and tactile communication, informed by Isaac’s experience growing up as a child of deaf parents. Along the route, sign based interactions, carefully placed touch points and considered sightlines turn everyday circulation into moments of awareness and empathy, honouring signing culture while encouraging hearing visitors to reflect on how they listen, respond and connect.

Silver Award: HORIZON by Lee Kiat Heng

“My aim was for people to experience sunrise, sunset and the horizon as a natural part of everyday life at home.”

What makes HORIZON memorable is the way it weaves daily routines together with the changing sea and sky. Activities such as exercise, dining and family time are carefully placed so that each one is anchored by a specific view or light condition, creating a rhythm of quiet, repeated moments with the horizon.

Located on the south coast of Sentosa in concept, the villa treats the coastal environment as part of the home rather than a distant backdrop. Yoga decks, dining spaces, entertainment rooms and family areas are all oriented to capture particular sunrise or sunset moments, allowing residents to feel the progression of the day through shifting colour, light and openness.

Silver Award: Hevea by Lee Jia Jean

"My aim was for people to see Bukit Panjang not just as a place to pass through, but a story to return to.”

Hevea is distinctive in how it takes a familiar housing estate and reveals its layers through a clear narrative structure. Using the metaphor of the rubber tree, the project encourages residents and visitors to move slowly, encounter memories and viewpoints, and leave with a renewed sense of connection to the neighbourhood.

The proposal for a discovery centre in Bukit Panjang unfolds across four zones, inspired by the rubber tree: Roots, Drip, Trunk and Crown. Within these spaces, visitors meet archival material, community voices, mapped walks and lookout points, building a richer understanding of the area’s past, present and possible futures while staying grounded in everyday life.

Silver Award: Sundial by Yang Xinyu

“My aim was to reduce the fear of talking about death and remembering someone in a more natural and personal way”
 

Sundial is particularly moving in the way it gives structure to a topic that many find difficult to approach. Rather than overwhelming visitors, the project offers a calm, step by step journey through remembrance, making space for both private reflection and shared moments of connection.

The design responds to death illiteracy and limited memorial space in Singapore by bringing together a physical memorial environment, a symbolic Life Book and a mobile app. Families can record reflections and posthumous messages, then access them through NFC enabled Life Books housed in different zones, creating a gentle, ongoing way to return, read, remember and maintain bonds with loved ones who have passed on.

Bronze Award: Echoes of the Corridor by Bernice Lee

“My aim was for people to experience the corridor outside the flat as a gentle invitation, not just a boundary.”

Echoes of the Corridor is quietly powerful in how it works with the grain of everyday HDB life. Small, well considered interventions create opportunities for eye contact, short conversations and shared activities, especially for elderly residents who spend more time at home and along the corridors.

Set in Bukit Merah, the project rethinks corridors as shared spaces that support gradual, low pressure interaction. Planter boxes, modular seating, bi fold openings and a modest community garden at the end of the block are introduced to revive a sense of kampung spirit, making it easier for neighbours to acknowledge one another, sit together and build trust over time.

Bronze Award: InterConnect by Twins Lim Ying Shan

“My aim was for people of different generations to naturally cross paths, learn from each other and genuinely want to stay.”

InterConnect stands out for its clear commitment to bringing different age groups into the same shared rhythm. By linking food, greenery, learning and making in one place, the project makes intergenerational encounters feel less formal and more like part of everyday community life.

The proposal reshapes Central Stage at Ang Mo Kio into an intergenerational hub for seniors and youth. A community garden, plant based dessert café, arts and craft corners and a supporting app work together to host workshops, casual conversations and shared experiences, turning a familiar plaza into a warm, inclusive backdrop where relationships can grow across age groups.