Jump the Gap International Bathroom Design Contest with Up to 10,000 Euro Prize Money 2021
Applicant criteria
- Both
Opportunity criteria
Opportunity description
Roca Design Centre invites creators to to participate in jumpthegap which is a biennial International Design Contest promoted by Roca since 2004 with the collaboration of BCD Barcelona Design Center, aimed at creative people who think towards the future whilst designing today. The contest is looking for new, innovative and sustainable concepts for the bathroom space of the future, taking into account that the viability of the project should not limit the creativity of the proposals.
Aspects of Contest
[1] Surprising Experiences: The raise of hyper-emotional consumption brings along the need to live new surprising multisensory experiences. The value of objects decreases and the increasing value of time itself make the consumers search for emotionally intense experiences that may impact on their different senses.
[2] Homing: The bathroom experience is a very personal moment and, ideally, the bathroom should, therefore, be your private one. If it is not possible, it should at least welcome you in a cozy atmosphere, warm and comfortable. Homing doesn’t necessarily have to be deployed in the high-end products only, but also in the mainstream segment.
[3] Automatization:
Technology will be welcome in the bathroom in the same way that it is welcome in other rooms, as far as it:
- Strengthens the feeling of “having things done for you” and makes your life simpler.
- Minimizes the time spent in non-pleasant activities (like cleaning).
- Leaves the bathroom ready for the next user with the minimum effort.
Smart products that eliminate the routine actions like switching on devices, setting up working conditions, opening and closing lids, etc. Intelligent products that understand what you expect from them and react accordingly.
[4] Ageing Population: Bathrooms designed for dependent people have to facilitate the execution of routine tasks. The user should be able to perform them without additional knowledge and/ or special skills in order to minimize the time spent on non-pleasant activities. New products must create the perception of safety and should delay the moment when external help is required to perform the bathroom basic activities. An appealing design and simplicity of the interface should make all special features look desirable.
The so-called “Eco-products” must be better in every sense. We see that even that the environmental concern of the consumers is growing; they will only adopt sustainable practices if they receive direct, visible and measurable benefits. Being sustainable must be convenient: it must require little or no effort, and it must be very clear what the impact of every action is. Being sustainable must be profitable: it must make the consumer to save resources (i.e.: money) and it must be measurable.
Benefits
- Two winning projects will be chosen and will receive a prize of €10,000 each, one in the professional category and one in the student category.
- One Special We Are Water Foundation Prize will be chosen and will receive €6,000. This mention will be given by the We Are Water Foundation.
Eligibility criteria
[1] The contest is open to young applicants from every country in the world and has two categories:
- Professional category: designers or architects* born from 1 January 1979 onwards.
- Student category: design or architecture students* born from 1 January 1989 onwards.
[2] Entries may be individual or from a group of two professionals or two students. Mixed groups are not accepted. Each person or group may participate in one project only.
[3] Judges, their families, their studios or design teams may not compete. The same applies to members of the pre-selection committee and employees of companies that form part of the Roca Group. Winners of any edition are also excluded from participating.
*or other related professional/discipline such as building engineer.
Benefits for winners and finalists
- A PR campaign to promote the winning and finalist projects and their authors.
- Attendance to the Awards Ceremony on October 10 (2019) at the Disseny Hub Barcelona (Spain). Roca will cover travel and accommodation expenses for the winners and accommodation for the finalists.
- Special agenda during their stay in Barcelona: participation in some specific visits and meetings. A chance to present their portfolios to jury members and local experts.
- A jumpthegap official diploma. Winners will also receive a trophy and a digital label to be used on communication channels.
- Participation in a jumpthegap (talk), if possible, in their respective countries.
- If required, the author/s of the winning project will cooperate with Roca’s Design Department on the manufacture of a possible full-size mock-up or specific material to be used in presenting the project.
Jury Criteria
- Innovation: How well does it meet the overall aim of the jumpthegap® contest? Is it set new standards for the world to follow? Is it an outstanding idea? Is it breaking new ground for the future? Does it have an “out of the box” approach? Does it show an alternative to other existing elements?
- Sustainability: Does it look to work in harmony with the environment? Does it look like a great achievement in sustainable design? Does it show ecologically responsible use of materials and resources (energy and water-wise)? Does it especially emphasize the importance of reusing materials? Does it help or facilitate the acquisition of new hygienic habits more respectful with the environment?
- User Benefits: Is the overall idea clearly explained and easy to understand?
How attractive is it for a user? Does it look appealing, or welcoming? Does it look friendly to use? Are the benefits to the user (such as e.g.: performance, comfort, safety, ease of use, universal function and access, etc) clearly visible? - Presentation: How good is the quality of the deliverables? How carefully is the information presented? Are the images good?