Two local university graduates, Dayana Aripin and Evva Lim Yee Fah, were recently named Asia Young Designers of the Year for their contributions to the fields of architecture and interior design respectively.

The 13th instalment of the Asia Young Designer Awards, organised by Nippon Paint Malaysia, was themed “Forward: Human-Centred Design” and required participants to imagine an innovative, sustainable and socially conscious space.

Dayana and Lim went up against finalists from 13 locations across Asia to emerge the top winners.

Dayana, who hails from Penang, won her category with a reimagining of George Town’s heritage houses as a means of microhousing.

“My secret childhood ambition was to be a carpenter,” she tells FMT. “I think it was fate that brought me to study architecture and I fell in love with it.”

She believes architects are tasked with bringing people together through spaces that are functional yet aesthetically pleasing, which involves “a thoughtful design process” that combines vision and creativity.

The Universiti Sains Malaysia graduate adds that architecture students have to learn to enjoy learning and not overexert themselves. “Architecture is all about problem-solving and thinking out of the box,” she says.

In the interior design category, Lim’s winning work featured a safe space for women to develop skills and empower themselves.

The Taylor’s University graduate, who lives in Kuala Lumpur, credits her parents for her love of interior design.

“They always brought me to view showhouses and properties when I was young, and I was always amazed by how a space can be transformed through aesthetics,” she recalls.

According to her, interior designers display their personalities through their work, which involves balancing elements such as space, lines, light and colour – aspects that are also crucial in architecture.

She adds that commitment and time management are key for interior design students. “It is going to be very tiring but it will be worth it,” she says.

Neither Lim nor Dayana had expected to be nominated for the Asia Young Design Awards, much less be named the winners. They will be going on a six-week, fully sponsored programme worth RM42,000 at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design in Massachusetts.

“To be representing Malaysia is such a significant experience, especially during the pandemic,” Dayana says.

Lim adds: “I burst into tears because all the hard work, effort, sacrifice and tears had finally paid off.”

The young women hope to leave an impact on the local architecture and interior design scenes.

Lim aspires to have her own studio one day, as “it will lead me to work on more international projects, with more interior designers and architects from all around the world”.

And having already founded her own architectural studio, Dayana is optimistic it will be among the best. “It might take five to 10 years, but I’m up for it,” she says.