Photo: Contributed
Stacy-Ann Matthews and Tara Hunt, from Yorkville University in Ontario, won second place for their creation entitled “Noyes Balance”
Formica Canada is proud to announce that for the sixth year in a row, three Canadian students rank among the winners of the 2025 FORM Student Innovation Competition. Stacy-Ann Matthews and Tara Hunt, from Yorkville University in Ontario, won second place for their creation entitled “Noyes Balance” while Grace Luong, from the University of Waterloo in Ontario, tied for third place with a student from Mexico for her design, “Solarium.” First place went to Leah-Marie Boake, from the New Jersey Institute of Technology, for her creation, “Playce.”
Architecture and interior design students from Canada, the U.S. and Mexico were invited to design a furniture piece exploring the theme Designing for Wellbeing. With the 194 submitted designs, students demonstrated how elements like colour, sound and patterns can positively impact how people live in and experience a space. Each design was required to incorporate three or more Formica or FENIX products.
“The FORM Student Innovation Competition continues to generate tremendous interest among students and educational institutions across Canada. Canadian students submitted 82 entries and displayed remarkable creativity in how they interpreted the theme and demonstrated great rigour in the design of their projects,” said Christelle Locat-Rainville, marketing director at Formica Canada. “We congratulate all the students who participated this year, especially Stacy-Ann Matthews and Tara Hunt from Yorkville University in Ontario, who won second place, and Grace Luong from the University of Waterloo, who tied for third place. The quality of the projects submitted improves every year, and the skills of the next generation bode well for the future of our industry.”
Innovative designs focused on well-being
Grand prize: Leah-Marie Boake from the New Jersey Institute of Technology is the grand prizewinner for her entry “Playce.” An indoor children’s playhouse and desk combination, Playce is designed to encourage imaginative play in children, which is important for cognitive growth, social skills, emotional development and stress relief.
Second-place prize: Stacy-Ann Matthews and Tara Hunt from Yorkville University in Ontario, received the second-place prize for their piece “Noyes Balance.” The dynamic, multi-functional piece is designed to enhance wellbeing in home workspaces by promoting organization and disguising clutter.
Third-place prize: Grace Luong from University of Waterloo in Ontario and Andrea Vidal Alvarez from Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla in Puebla, Mexico, tied for the third-place prize.
Grace Luong’s piece, “Solarium,” is a floor lamp designed to mimic the warm essence of sunbeams and connect users to nature, evoking a feeling of wellness. Andrea Vidal Alvarez’ piece, “SereniTea Hub,” is a practical and aesthetic multifunctional cabinet designed to help users pause for small moments of wellbeing in their daily routines.
Honourable mentions: In no particular order, the other top 10 finishers were:
• Sabrina Landry, Cégep de Trois-Rivières
• Mathilde Johnson, Cégep de Trois-Rivières
• Takeshi Harada, New Jersey Institute of Technology
• Zaida Vanessa Manzano Rivera and Adriana Munguía Chirino, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de México
• Ava Cannedy, Purdue University
• Eduardo Regis Vázquez Carrasco and María Fernanda Castolo Aguilar, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla
The students behind the top three winning designs will receive cash prizes and the grand prize winner will get to see her design “Playce” come to life at NeoCon 2025, from June 9-11, at the Mart in Chicago, one of the most important events in commercial design and the premiere gathering place for design professionals.
See more information here.
