Tanjung Piai’s Mangrove Living Museum by Lew Wai Fong blends architecture with nature to promote sustainable living.

TOKYO: Malaysia made a significant impact at the AYDA Awards and Creative Colour Awards 2024/2025 Grand Finale in Tokyo by Nippon Paint, securing four awards among competitors from over 16 countries. These wins highlight Malaysian creativity and commitment to design excellence.

Lew Wai Fong from Universiti Malaya won the AYDA Best Sustainable Design Award for his project, Tanjung Piai’s Mangrove Living Museum, aimed at preserving Malaysia’s threatened ecosystems while fostering community connections with nature. His vision embodies sustainability and beauty coexisting.

On the same platform, Tan Ee Wei of Equator College received an Honorary Mention for HomeSEED, a resilience training centre for the homeless in George Town. This project emphasises design as a tool for dignity and empowerment, offering skill-building and safe spaces for its residents.

Meanwhile, FEI Architect, led by Lam Shen Fei, won Best in Public Spaces for the Creative Colour Awards for transforming SMJK Poi Lam’s multipurpose hall, incorporating vibrant colours and traditional design for a joyful community space.

Similarly, Mak Arkitek Konsult received the Architectural Best in Residential Exterior for V21 Residence @ KKIP, a social housing project that uses colour to elevate low-cost housing and enhance community identity.

“These forward-thinking and innovative students are curating blueprints for a kinder, more sustainable Malaysia. What’s inspiring is how these young designers are not waiting for change. They are making it through design and using creativity to respond to the issues we face as a society. And that’s exactly what the AYDA Awards aim to do. To nurture purpose-driven talent that designs with empathy, awareness and heart,” said Nippon Paint Malaysia general manager Tay Sze Tuck.

“Malaysia’s wins this year are a beautiful reminder that design excellence is not confined to any one stage of life. Whether you are just starting out or already shaping skylines, what matters is purpose, creativity and heart. These four winners have all of that and more,” he said, adding that Nippon Paint will continue to support design at all levels, fostering innovation and creativity across the architectural community.

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