UTAR students win several awards at Taiwan Excellence Sustainable Innovation Challenge

Front row, from left: Ong, Lam’s sister, Ang, Jeff Jee and Maadavan

Back row, from left: UTM academic Dr Leng Pau Chung, Jean Wong, TAITRA Director Eva Peng, Lim, Ar Abu Zarim, Dr Tan and UTAR LKC FES Specialist Ar Loh Khang Yong

UTAR Lee Kong Chian Faculty of Engineering and Science (LKC FES) students Lim Zhi Xing and Ang Yee En won Gold award and Bronze award respectively at the finals of the Taiwan Excellence “Sustainable Innovation Challenge”, which took place at KL Convention Centre on 28 July 2023 in conjunction with Taiwan Excellence @ ARCHIDEX 2023.

UTAR LKC FES students Jeff Jee Wei Wah, Maadavan Jayakumaran and Ong Chun Yi also won Best Design Award, Best Sustainable Award and Green Innovation Award respectively at the competition. From a pool of 17 commendable contestants, six exceptional individuals were chosen to advance to the finals. Remarkably, out of the six finalists, five of them were UTAR students.

The winner of the Gold Award, Lim, was honoured with a prize of RM5,000, while the Bronze Award winner, Ang, received RM2,000. Other award winners were presented with a cash prize of RM500 each. Additionally, all awardees were presented with an award certificate to commemorate their exceptional achievements.

The competition was organised by the Bureau of Foreign Trade, MOEA and Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) in collaboration with the Department of Architecture of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) and the Architecture and Sustainable Design Department of UTAR. It required the participants to come up with building floor plans to find ways to incorporate Taiwan Excellence products into the buildings in new and creative ways to solve sustainability problems.

The competition was evaluated by a distinguished panel of three renowned judges from the architecture and building material industry. They were Malaysian Institute of Architects (PAM) President Ar Abu Zarim bin Abu Bakar, Malaysia Green Building Council (malaysiaGBC) Council Member 2021-2023 Ts Dr Tan Sie Ting and Jean Wong, who represented Building Materials Distributors Association of Malaysia (BMDAM) President Lim Chun Heng.

 

UTAR students presenting their designs and ideas to judges. Clockwise, from top right: Ang, Maadavan, Ong, Jeff Jee and Lim

Lim, who won the Gold award for her project titled “Para-Site: The Annex for Extended Lifestyle”, said, “I am deeply grateful to receive the Gold award for my design proposal. This recognition is truly humbling, and I want to express my heartfelt appreciation to the organisers and judges for believing in the vision I presented. Together, we shall shape a brighter future where architecture serves as a beacon of hope, embracing the human spirit with ingenuity and compassion. Thank you, Taiwan Excellence Sustainable Innovation Challenge for this esteemed recognition.”

Lim (fourth from left) receiving her prizes for winning the Gold award

Lim’s project titled “Parasite”

Bronze award winner Ang said, “I am deeply grateful for being awarded the Bronze Prize at Taiwan Excellence “Sustainable Innovation Challenge”. This recognition means the world to me and serves as a testament to the exceptional opportunities provided by UTAR and the dedicated organisers of Taiwan Excellence. The competition not only challenged me to push my boundaries but also allowed me to connect with like-minded individuals and learn from some of the brightest minds in the field. I must acknowledge the relentless support and guidance I received from my mentor. His belief in my potential and encouragement throughout this journey has been the driving force behind my success. Once again, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the organisers, the judges, and my fellow competitors. This moment will forever hold a special place in my heart, and I promise to use it as a source of inspiration to continue making a positive impact in this world.”

Bronze award winner Ang

Ang’s project titled “Tea-Gather”

The list of winners is as follows:

Prize	Name	University	Project Title
Golden Award	Lim Zhi Xing	UTAR	Parasite
Silver Award	Lam Xing Yan	UTM	Urban
Bronze Award	Ang Yee En	UTAR	Tea-Gather
Best Design Award	Jeff Jee Wei Wah	UTAR	Seed
Best Sustainable Award	Maadavan Jayakumaran	UTAR	Riverside Cottage
Green Innovation Award	Ong Chun Yi	UTAR	Sustainable Innovative Home

UTAR congratulates the students on their achievements at the competition.