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The Launching Event of the EU-Vietnam Sustainable Design Awards (EVSDA) will take place on 17 May 2025 at Ho Chi Minh City's TDX Ice Factory. Under the theme of “Design for Everyday Life”, this event marks a key milestone in the EVSDA Project. Initiated by the EU Delegation, the EVSDA project is committed to the proliferation of sustainable design practices in Vietnam, and the development of communities around these practices; in doing so, the aim is to ultimately contribute to Vietnam’s sustainable inclusive development – indeed one of the priorities in the EU’s engagement with the country.

The launch of the EU-Vietnam Sustainable Design Awards (EVSDA) offers a unique platform for designers, practitioners, experts, and sustainability enthusiasts to connect, exchange ideas, and explore emerging trends through insightful talks from Vietnamese and European experts. This occasion also marks the introduction of the distinguished Jury Board - influential professionals from the field of design and creative practice across Europe and Vietnam - to the Vietnamese sustainable design community.

Under the theme “Design for Everyday Life,” the first season of EVSDA embraces design solutions as essential and deeply embedded in modern living. The design process—comprising research, development, communication, distribution, user feedback, and ongoing improvement—ensures high-quality products and spaces that enhance everyday experiences worldwide.

EVSDA introduces a distinctive interdisciplinary approach that connects Sustainable Architecture Design, Product Design, Communications Design, and Innovation. This integrated perspective facilitates meaningful exchanges of ideas and practices, fostering innovation while conveying clear and fundamental insights into the essence of design to the broader community.

The Awards are open to Vietnam-based practitioners with projects realised in the context of Vietnam.

The submission portal will officially go live on 01 July 2025 and be open until 15 September 2025. 

AWARDS STRUCTURE

Each of the four categories will celebrate three projects as selected by the Jury, including one Grand Prize for the project deemed most convincing: a one-week residency at a design office in Europe. 

In addition, each category will include one Emerging Designer Award, and one Audience's Choice Award.

JURY MEMBERS 

(please click on each category for detailed biographies of the jury members)

Chairperson: Valéria Bessolo Llopiz (ELLE Decoration, France)

Architecture: Tue Hesselberg Foged (EFFEKT Architects, Denmark) & Vu Linh Quang (ARDOR Architects, Vietnam)
Product Design: Sabine Marcelis (Studio Sabine Marcelis, Netherlands) & Nguyen Quoc Khanh (AA Corporation, Vietnam) 
Communications Design: Angela Rui (Istituto Europeo di Design, Italy) & Phuong Vu (Antiantiart, Vietnam)
Innovation: Simon Betsch (KMS Team, Germany) & Bich Vien (EU Delegation, Vietnam)

Sharing about the objectives of the EVSDA project, EU Ambassador to Vietnam Julien Guerrier said: “The project reflects our ambition to develop an innovative framework to support and facilitate the transformation of our lives in a creative way. With this project, I very much look forward to connecting with Vietnamese architects, designers, artists, engineers, cultural practitioners and innovators who will create a bridge between the world of the arts and culture on one side and that of science and technology on the other, to bring in many inspiring ideas combining sustainability, practicality and aesthetics, for the benefit of our daily life. We need all creative minds to make this project a success.”

Further info on the EVSDA can be found on this webpage.