At an exclusive ceremony in Chicago during NeoCon, Janus et Cie announced the winner of its second annual Global Student Design Competition—this year centered around the theme of “Placemaking.” The overall winner, Camille Ferreira of Istituto Marangoni in Milan, impressed judges with her “Inter-Link” project, which stood out for its beautiful presentation and innovative use of the familiar form of chain links. 

The four finalists were Lijie Liu of ArtCenter College of Design, recipient of the competition’s first-ever Olivia Bloomfield Inclusivity Award for her “Replanting” project; Emmett Lockridge of Kansas State University, recipient of the Most Playful Award for “Kinection”; JC Stewart of Kansas State University, recipient of the Best Presentation Award for “Relaxploration”; and Chloe Stanley of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, recipient of the Best Community Enrichment Award for “Revival.”

The awards ceremony featured jury members including acclaimed designer Sebastian Herkner of Sebastian Herkner Design, Jenny Myers of RIOS and Adam Stover of Populous, along with Janus et Cie design champion Christopher Locke of Designing in Color. Other special guests included the first Janus et Cie Global Student Design Competition winner, Ian Reimschisel—now a graduate of Kansas State University— and Maya Bird-Murphy of Chicago Mobile Makers. 

Collaborating with international design collective RIOS to develop the brief and the foundational platform, Janus et Cie determined that the goal of the 2024 competition would be the creation of verastile products that explored the concept of placemaking. The dynamic relationship between pieces—how they cluster, group and fit together to establish a locus for dialogue and community—underscored each of the prizewinning entries.