In collaboration with renowned architectural design firm Populous, outdoor furniture brand Janus et Cie recently hosted its first ever Global Student Design Competition, focusing on inclusivity. The winners were announced at the Janus et Cie showroom during NeoCon in an exclusive ceremony created by the company as an opportunity for honorees to network with the attending judges while celebrating their hard work. As Janus et Cie senior vice president of marketing Alexis Contant noted, “An essential part of this awards ceremony was to provide a special and intimate platform for winners to meet and have meaningful conversations with seasoned architects and designers about their respective projects and future career aspirations.”

Due to the number of outstanding submissions, judges were compelled to create five specific awards based on multiple criteria. The overall winner, Ian Reimschisel of Kansas State University, wowed judges with his TopSide project, which provided great attention to detail in terms of material and prototype, offering both seating and work surfaces for a range of abilities and age groups.

The four other finalists were Ansel Iisaka of ArtCenter College of Design, who won Best Presentation for his Helios project; Iris (Ziyue) Cheng of ArtCenter College of Design, recipient of the Most Inspired by Nature honor for her Seating Garden project; Vera Marcos Villarreal of Tec de Monterrey, whose Versatile project earned the Best Use of Material award; and Zachary Spearman of Kansas State University for his Sensory Hill project, which was recognized as Most Inclusive.

Images by Kirstine Walton Photography for Business of Home