Applications for the AMORF Natural Stone Design and Project Competition Accepted Until 13 July

AMORF Natural Stone Design and Project Competition The AMORF Natural Stone Design and Project Competition is being organized by the Aegean Exporters Association (EMİB). Applications for this well-received competition will continue until 13 July 2020. The competition is open to students and graduates enrolled in or graduated from relevant undergraduate or postgraduate departments of architecture, engineering, fine arts and design faculties. In the AMORF Natural Stone Design and Project Competition, monetary awards of TRY 10,000 each will be given to 10 projects in professional and student categories, including overseas education scholarships. The AMORF Natural Stone Design and Project Competition is being organized by the Aegean Exporters Association (EMİB) with the support of the Ministry of Trade. Among the main objectives of the competition is to increase the export potential of Turkey's natural stones, as the country holds 35 percent of the world's natural stone reserves, and to increase the use of Turkish natural stone in prestigious projects. The competition encourages the development of projects using natural stone that are high in design quality, producible, value-added, environmentally conscious and sustainable. All students enrolled in undergraduate or postgraduate departments of architecture, engineering, fine arts and design faculties at universities, as well as graduates of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in architecture, engineering, fine arts and design faculties at universities, will have the opportunity to demonstrate their talent in this competition. The competition, which the Aegean Exporters Association has brought to the sector, aims to increase competitiveness in natural stone exports and to develop projects that are strong in design, producible, high in added value, environmentally conscious and sustainable. With the AMORF Natural Stone Design and Project Competition, EMİB aims to create a platform that will bring together companies in the natural stone sector with professional and student-level designers, architects and interior architects interested in the sector. Successful designers in the natural stone sector will be rewarded through AMORF. At the same time, plans include contributing to building culture and education in Turkey and supporting creative ideas and projects.

AMORF Natural Stone Design and Project Competition Jury Members

The jury panel of the AMORF Natural Stone Project and Design Competition consists of Gülçin Çalandağ, Treasurer of Platformİzmim Board of Directors; Hüseyin Egeli, President of Izmir Independent Architects Association; Demet Binan, Head of Architecture Department at Mimar Sinan University; Can Özcan, Head of Industrial Design Department at the Faculty of Fine Arts and Design at Izmir University of Economics; Architect Yelda Tuna; Designer Emre Yusufi; Interior Architect Hakan Kütahya; Sertaç Ersayın, President of the Association of Industrial Designers; Gülay Hasdoğan, Head of Industrial Design Department at METU; Industrial Designer Buket Hoşcan Bazman; Interior Architect Erman Bazman; Reyhan Sezgin, Founder Partner of Sezgin Marble; and Melike Alpay Özmen, Board President of Alpay Mermer. Applications to the AMORF Natural Stone Project and Design Competition will be evaluated in three main categories. These categories are: design projects related to the utilization of marble waste and its contribution to the economy, outdoor projects and interior applications, and furniture and accessory design. In the professional and student categories, a total of 10 projects will advance to the final round, and each finalist will be entitled to receive a monetary award of TRY 10,000. In addition, should the project to be submitted by the Aegean Exporters Associations to the Ministry of Trade be approved, overseas education opportunities will be provided to student category competitors who advance to the final round, in accordance with the number of persons to be determined by the Ministry of Trade. Furthermore, one design selected from among the finalist projects according to the decision of the sponsor company and jury members will be produced and put on sale with the designer's commercial rights protected. One finalist project selected by the jury will receive product and business development mentorship for one year. Applications to the AMORF Natural Stone Project and Design Competition can be submitted online through the competition's corporate website until 13 July 2020. The awards ceremony is planned to be held in conjunction with World Architecture Day, celebrated in the first week of October each year, along with an accompanying exhibition and networking event with architects.