An innovative rotating bookcase/desk in American tulipwood, walnut and hard maple designed by a student from the IES Virgen de la Paloma de Madrid School has won first prize in a design competition run by AHEC (American Hardwood Export Council) in Spain.  The brief for the competition was to design a piece of furniture for reading or writing and the winning modular design, by D. Ignacio de la Rocha Cabanillas, combines the functions of a bookcase and a desk or table in one ingenious geometric form.  The design, which won the student 1000 euros, beat more than 200 entries from Spanish furniture design students who were invited to enter the competition during their 2008/9 academic year.

A student from the same Madrid design school, D. David Encinas Moro, took second place and a prize of 700 euros with his “Reading won’t be a burden’ piece. This workplace desk/table with shelves designed in American walnut and hard maple has a curved form and transparent panel which makes the piece light and elegant.  The third prize and 300 euros went to a design entitled “Less is more’ by D. Hector de Torres Gimeno from the IES Pico Frentes de Soria school.  The intriguing title fits the American hard maple piece – a clean and simple design that combines beauty and functionality as a home or office table and invites touch to test its stability.

The Awards ceremony took place during the Segovia Hay festival in September with Mike Snow, General Director of AHEC, awarding the prizes.  Speaking to the Segovia audience, Mike Snow highlighted the advantages of wood as a renewable, energy efficient and adaptable material in a world where sustainability is the watchword.  He also reinforced AHEC’s commitment to championing good design in wood with projects around the world.  He said: “In a globalized world, where low cost does not necessarily mean poor quality, design is the most important weapon we have to be able to compete “. He also encouraged designers and architects to help preserve the abundant North American forests by using the wide range of American hardwood species that are available to them. The three prize-winning pieces will be on show in early November at the Maderalia in Valencia.

Before the awards ceremony at the Segovia Hay Festival, AHEC hosted a roundtable on the topic “Is design really useful?” moderated by the director of the Spanish publication Interior Design, with leading Spanish designers discussing how the role and availability of materials will influence the design trends of the future.