Interior Design students Yomeh Dacullo and John Brix Cruza received awards from the Nippon Paint Asia Young Designer Awards (NPYDA) Philippines 2022 on March 9, 2023, at the Seda Vertis North, Diliman, Quezon City. 

The two Carolinians were chosen as finalists and were given internship opportunities in the Interior Design category.

NPAYDA lauded Dacullo’s work, MUELLE: The Interiority of Urban Design towards Sustainable Urban Mobility and Intervention through Placemaking Theory. Cruza’s work, PAMANA: A Socio-Cultural Center also received recognition. 

Both works were recognized for their demonstration of the need to gain a global perspective and delivered a localized solution for communities to help cope with life after the pandemic which were in line with NPAYDA’s theme, CONVERGE: Pushing the Reset Button. 

Last year, Kizzie Marie Pacaro was also awarded as a Finalist for her work, Balay sa Lukay which received the Best Green Innovation award.

Each year, NPAYDA provides opportunities for young designers to push the boundaries of their work further beyond the usual. The awards serve as a platform to encourage Architecture and Interior Design students in 17 Asian nations to strengthen their abilities through cross-learning opportunities.