A proud achievement for Malaysian Institute of Art (MIA) as two Interior Design students receive Silver Awards at the REKA Design Week 2026 Student Design Competition.
Congratulations to Teh Yu Chen and Chong En G, whose design proposals were recognised with Silver Awards in their respective categories at the competition organised by the Malaysian Institute of Interior Designers (MIID).
Under the 2026 theme “Designing Dignity,” the competition invited students to explore how interior design can respond to human needs, well-being, inclusivity, accessibility and quality of life.
Teh Yu Chen — Silver Award, Diploma Category
Future Kitchen: Symbiosis
Teh Yu Chen was awarded Silver in the Diploma Category – Future Kitchen Design for her project, Future Kitchen: Symbiosis.
Developed around the concept “Nature × Technology × Humanity,” the project explores the future kitchen as a space where these three elements can coexist and support one another.
Yu Chen’s proposal combines a warm, contemporary interior with integrated technology, functional kitchen zones and elements inspired by nature. Her presentation explores the kitchen through spatial perspectives, planning and detailed design components, demonstrating how the individual elements come together to form a cohesive future living environment.
Rather than treating the kitchen purely as a functional workspace, Symbiosis considers how the space can respond to the changing relationship between people, technology and the natural environment.
The proposal reflects the competition brief’s emphasis on evolving lifestyles, technological advancement, sustainability and changing user needs in future kitchen environments.
Chong En G — Silver Award, Degree Category
The Pause Within
Chong En G was awarded Silver in the Degree Category – Public Toilet Design for her project, The Pause Within.
The project reimagines the public toilet as a space that can provide more than basic functionality. Inspired by the idea of pausing, resting and resetting, the proposal creates a calm and welcoming environment within an everyday public facility.
Chong’s design uses soft rounded forms, warm earthy tones, greenery, carefully considered lighting and tactile-looking materials to create a more relaxed spatial atmosphere. Her presentation board demonstrates the development of the concept through diagrams, spatial planning, material selection and interior visualisations.
The project also considers the sequence of spaces and the user’s experience within the environment. Through the thoughtful combination of form, materiality, colour, planting and spatial arrangement, The Pause Within explores how an ordinary public facility can become a more comfortable and human-centred experience.
This approach responds to the competition’s focus on accessibility, inclusivity, sustainability, hygiene, functionality and enhanced user experience in contemporary public toilet design.
Turning Design Ideas into Recognition
The two Silver Awards celebrate the ability of MIA’s Interior Design students to take a concept and develop it into a complete visual and spatial design proposal.
Through Future Kitchen: Symbiosis, Teh Yu Chen explores the relationship between nature, technology and humanity in the future of domestic spaces. Through The Pause Within, Chong En G explores how calm, comfort and human experience can be introduced into an everyday public environment.
Both projects demonstrate different ways of approaching interior design, while sharing an emphasis on understanding people and the way they experience space.
Congratulations to Teh Yu Chen and Chong En G on their Silver Awards at REKA Design Week 2026.
Their achievement is a proud moment for MIA and a celebration of the creativity, thoughtfulness and design potential of its young interior designers.
