Embracing Talents, Creating Change: Atap Design Awards (ADA) 2023 Returns Bigger and Better, Celebrating Over 400 Designers and Brands 

The 5th annual Atap Design Awards (ADA) shines a spotlight on design industry excellence.

Kuala Lumpur, December 2023 – Atap Design Awards Week (ADA) returned for its fifth edition spanning from the 7th to the 9th of December to recognize outstanding interior design firms throughout Malaysia. Guided by the theme Embracing Talents, Creating Change, the annual three-day event was organized by Atap.co, the nation’s premier platform for interior designers, beginning in 2019 to commend remarkable creativity and excellence among design professionals and firms in the design industry.

Held at JW Marriott Hotel Kuala Lumpur on the 8th of December 2023, the ADA Gala Dinner & Award Ceremony witnessed 460 attendees savouring a pre-gala night cocktail bar and a showcase of stunning vehicles, presented in partnership with our premium lifestyle partners Millennium Welt and Moët Hennessy Diageo Malaysia.

During the ceremony, a total of 239 awards were presented to various interior design firms spanning multiple Project Categories, including Best Residential Design, Best Luxury Design and Best Workspace Design. Additionally, ADA announced the recipients of 42 awards across various Studio Categories, including the ADA Rising Star Award and Designer of the Year Award and new categories such as Best Interior & Architecture Photographer Award and Best Design Channel. These recognitions reflect Atap’s unwavering commitment to nurturing talent and fostering a vibrant community across the diverse landscape of design.

Atap shall continue to build connections, and the communities at the heart of it, that is our explicit promise to all of you.

– Mr. Seow Yao Han, Co-Founder of Atap.co

A panel of distinguished industry experts were responsible for selecting the recipients of the awards and is comprised of Virginia Lung of One Plus Partnership, Hong Kong; Dr. Kody Kato of Office for Design Evolution (ODE), USA; Pamela Tan of Pohsin Studio, Malaysia; Lin Ho of H.Linho Photography, Malaysia; Jennifer Murray of Evocateurs Design, Singapore; Markus Roselieb of Chiangmai Life Architect, Thailand; and Wei Ming Tan of Aureole Design, Malaysia. Some of the elements that factored into the judging criteria included the overall design vision, aesthetics, functionality, innovation, and dedication to environmental sustainability.

Notable winners from ADA Designer of the Year Award included: 

• Central Region: Wuuu Studio
• Southern Region: Supernormal Design Studio
• Northern Region: ZT Studio
• East Malaysia: MOM Designer House

ADA 2023 was organized with the support of our prestige sponsor TOTO by W. Atelier and official sponsors Delux Malaysia and Hunter Douglas (M) Sdn Bhd. In addition to our valued brand partners Levo Art Stone, Eglo Lighting by E&E, Rugsea, Bacteria Free Water Filters (M), VMG Work, Sleek Acoustic Panel by Shimlen Sdn Bhd and Tekni Furniture, the night was elevated with the generous contributions by our trophy sponsor Feruni Ceramiche and our audio & visual sponsor Goldenduck International.

Kicking off ADA Week 2023, Envision 2023 – ADA Designer Conference on the inaugural day successfully drew 230 attendees at GMBB, Kuala Lumpur. As articulated by Grace, General Manager at Atap.co, “Envision serves as the call to action for us to imagine a future we want to live in amidst the ever-evolving market trends and changes”. The conference spotlighted topics by international experts from the ADA judging panel. These included ‘Narrative Open Plan: Ecological Sustainability & Design’ by Davide di Martino, director of Unagru Architecture & Urbanism, London; ‘Architecture in The Tropics: Exploring Creative Engineering in Design’ by Dr. Kody Kato, founder of Office for Design Evolution, Malaysia; and ‘AI-Powered Masterclass: Unleashing AI Technology in Interior Design’ by Jianhe Wu, founder at TYArchiStudio, Taiwan. 

The most sustainable project is not built, it is thought of. It is the complete opposite of what we’ve learned and what our instincts are.

– Davide di Martino, Director at Unagru Architecture & Urbanism London 

Simultaneously, the Design Fusion Showcase celebrated the collaboration between product brands and interior designers, featuring creative booth installations. Unique creations of TOTO, DELUX, Tekni, VMG Work, Goldenduck International, Eglo Lighting by E&E and Rugsea were proudly displayed by Doubble Interior Associates, IQI Concept, Nu Infinity, Wuuu Studio, Dot Works, Trinity Squad and Studio Three respectively. Additionally, Levo Art Stone, Bacteria Free Water Filters (M) and Feruni were present to showcase their wares.

Concluding the week, the winning projects of ADA 2023 were displayed during the ADA Winning Projects Gallery Showcase at the TOTO Showroom by W. Atelier showroom, Petaling Jaya. With the presence of Jennifer Murray, Design Principal of Evocateurs Design, and W. Atelier’s Managing Director En. Kamal Bin Abdullah, a special award presentation was held for the People’s Choice Award and the Student Icons. 

“Having competitions like this is so important because I always tell my design team to be really grateful for your projects. We’re always all hands on deck so these kinds of platforms are perfect because sometimes we forget to say to each other ‘Wow great project!’,” shared Jennifer Murray. “It is our creativity, curiosity, and passion that will get us through this industry together.”

We’d like to thank all our partners and sponsors who have contributed to the huge success of ADA 2023. Stay tuned to our Facebook and Instagram for exciting updates on ADA 2024.