Grand Prize Winner Named in 2020 DSCVR Student Design Competition

CALHOUN, Ga., November 18, 2020 / 3BL Media / — Durkan, together in partnership with NEWH, announced today that Ishanya Singhal of the Savannah College of Art and Design is the grand prize winner of the 2020 dscvr Student Design Competition. Nearly 11,000 votes were cast as part of the contest’s first year with public voting, shining light on an alluring portfolio of 10 striking, innovative and realizable concepts representing the future of hospitality and the next generation of design. As this year’s first-place recipient, Singhal has won a $2,500 NEWH scholarship and a bespoke design experience exclusively curated for her by Durkan.

The emerging textile, print and pattern designer is currently pursuing her Bachelor of Fine Arts in fibers at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in Savannah, Georgia, where she is also minoring in fashion. According to Singhal’s contest entry for “Sentiment,” an expression of love is different for every individual, from small gestures to grand displays of affection. The passage of time strengthens both the intended meaning behind and reception of the sentiment, which becomes even more precious and never fades away. Both ends of the spectrum are represented in her concept.

“The boldness in Ishanya’s patterning makes the ballroom composition very dramatic,” said Arnavaz Barshan, director of design for Durkan. “The linear flower work in the pre-function area is delicate yet masculine in appearance, which is something we are seeing on trend. Besides it being engaging, her concept is also well balanced in the space, which is very critical when designing for these kinds of larger hospitality public areas.”

This year’s first runner-up and second-place winner is Megan Orme of Utah State University, with “Ostenti.” According to her dscvr entry, the concept is a representation of direction, relation and connection, created using topographical maps from across the world. Her design features an unexpected color palette and modern design that integrates weaving paths, terrain-like textures, and the mysteries of landscape, calling to attention the interrelation of people and place. Orme is the recipient of a $1,000 NEWH scholarship from Durkan.

Securing their place as 2020 competition runners-up were Ashtyn Chance, third place, of the University of Northern Iowa, winning a $500 scholarship with “Rocky Waters;” Sinead Hornak, fourth place, also of SCAD, winning $300 for “Withering Roots;” and completing the list of the top five finalists, Candace Buttars of Utah State University, winning a $200 scholarship for “Marina.” Click here for more information on the 2020 dscvr honorees.

“Our addition of voting to the contest platform this year has allowed us to solicit the valuable feedback of a wide range of established designers, college students, peers and other members of the design community,” added Durkan’s Barshan. “We are fortunate to have such wonderful and creative entries each year for dscvr. They are truly inspiring and we know each of this year’s top five have a promising future ahead.”

The contest challenged the student designers to create floorscapes for ballroom and pre-function that were envisioned as separate but coordinating components using 12 colors or less. Submissions were initially reviewed by a panel of Durkan associates and narrowed down to 10 finalists, all judged based on concept, presentation and market feasibility. All designs will be cataloged by the flooring manufacturer. Previous competitions have jump-started careers in the hospitality flooring sector and have even inspired new carpet collections, including Durkan’s Up Color.

“NEWH is proud to work with Durkan in awarding the winners of the dscvr Student Design Competition,” said Jennifer Wellman, vice president of scholarship at NEWH. “We applaud the continued support Durkan provides to the next generation of emerging talent in the hospitality design industry. It’s so important for students to feel the support and sense of community that our industry provides and Durkan understands how that support can change lives and kickstart careers.”

The competition began in 2010 and is sponsored each year by the hospitality flooring brand of Mohawk Group, and NEWH, a leading networking organization for hospitality industry professionals. The partnership exhibits the talent of student designers in the hospitality field and contributes toward their education, providing opportunities including relevant experience, networking and financial assistance for college.

To learn more about the dscvr Student Design Competition, this year’s honorees, and to be among the first to be notified about the launch the 2021 program, please click here.

About Durkan

From the hotel lobby and corridors to guest rooms and ballrooms, casinos, convention centers and areas of assisted living facilities, Durkan is world-renowned as an industry leader in innovative design solutions and stylish, high-performance hospitality carpet and hard surface flooring solutions. Durkan’s products are offered in a wide range of exclusive innovative pattern and texture technologies, including Definity™, an advanced generation precision sculpturing technology that produces the highest definition of texture, pattern and color available in hospitality carpet; and Synthesis™, which provides a three-dimensional layering effect using a custom base and Precision Dye Injection (PDI) surface that enables unprecedented image quality. For more information about the hospitality division of Mohawk Group, visit www.Durkan.com.

About NEWH

NEWH is the premier networking resource for the hospitality industry, providing scholarships, education, leadership development, recognition of excellence and business development opportunities. It’s about scholarship, education and business networking. Since its inception, the organization has awarded over $5 million in scholarships to students pursuing a major within the hospitality industry. Members of NEWH, Inc. are professionals actively engaged in development, management and operations, architecture, communications, design, distribution, education, manufacturing, production, purchasing and sales in the hospitality, food service, senior living and related industries. Learn more at www.NEWH.org.