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May 25, 2009
ALUMINUM INNOVATES AT HOME Design Contest ― Charles Godbout and Luc Plante take top honours!
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Last Friday, personalities from Québec interior and industrial design circles were on hand at the 21st Montréal International Interior Design Show (SIDIM) for the announcement of the winner of the Aluminum Innovates at Home contest. The competition, an initiative of Alcoa, was organized in cooperation with the Association of Industrial Designers of Québec (ADIQ) and the Québec Ministry of Economic Development, Innovation and Export Trade (MDEIE).
In the company of Jean-Pierre Gilardeau, President of Alcoa Canada and Assam Michel Daoud, Vice President of the Association of Industrial Designers of Québec, an official awards ceremony was held during which a winner was announced from among the five finalists commissioned to design a functional, eco-responsible item intended for use in the entry area of a house.
The grand prize was awarded to Charles Godbout and Luc Plante of Topo Design consortium and Luc Plante, Architecture and Design for Sésame, a ready-to-assemble interior door concept comprising two basic elements: an aluminum frame and a removable panel available in multiple finishes, formats and textures designed to blend with all tastes and all manner of interior design concepts. The association of these two individuals, which dates back to 2003, has proven more than beneficial as their combined efforts have earned them many distinctions at home and abroad. The Montréal-based firm will receive an award in the form of consulting and development services to be provided by Alcoa Innovation with a view to bringing their invention to market and promoting it with consumers.
The competition panel of judges included as follows: Valérie Saint-Laurent, member of the Board of Directors of ADIQ and industrial designer with Éclairage Quattro; Carole Paré, Senior Manager, Marketing—Products, Strategies and Services with Rona; Gilles Dufour, President of Alcoa Innovation; François Racine, Manager, Business Development with Alcoa Canada; and, chairperson Maurice Cloutier, Director, UQAM School of Design and member of ADIQ. Together, these individuals were faced with the challenging task of assessing the merits of the projects submitted by the five finalists. "Our task was difficult at best, given the undeniable technical genius and aesthetic quality of the competing concepts. We wish to thank the five teams for the overall quality of the concepts submitted and the lengthy debate spawned as the judges set about deliberating on the merits of each and choosing a winner. Indeed, deliberations proved both lively and enlightening for us all and I should like to take this opportunity to thank all finalists personally," Mr Cloutier explained.
The announcement of the winner marks the close of the inaugural edition of the Aluminum Innovates at Home contest. Alcoa wishes to thank all participants for their exceptional work which made for a spirited competition finale. "Our heartfelt congratulations to the winning firm which delivered a project commensurate with their reputation for excellence. We shall keep a close watch on product development and efforts devoted to bringing the concept to market," stated Jean-Pierre Gilardeau, President of Alcoa Canada.
Following the ceremony, visitors and media representatives were invited to view concept drawings signed by the winning team and the four runners up at the theme-based Tribune des Designers, a space devoted to creations by Québec designers. The drawings will be on display through to Saturday.
To obtain additional photos of the awards ceremony, contact Kilicom Public Relations at the address or telephone number set out at the bottom of this press release. To view the photographs of finalist concepts and their creators, log on to the architecture, design and art press wire at www.v2com.biz.
e-mail: media@v2com.biz
T 514 845-1188
About the contest
The inaugural edition of the ALUMINUM INNOVATES AT HOME contest, organized by Alcoa in cooperation with the Association of Industrial Designers of Québec (ADIQ) and the Québec Ministry of Economic Development, Innovation and Export Trade (MDEIE), was launched on September 16th, 2008 at Darling Foundry in Montréal. This initiative constitutes an exceptional platform for promoting the genius and creativity of Québec designers. In addition to supporting the development of local aluminum processing expertise, the competition also represents an original means of showcasing uses for aluminum in the home.
About Alcoa
Alcoa is the world’s leading producer and manager of primary aluminum, fabricated aluminum and alumina facilities.
In Québec, Alcoa Canada Primary Metals (ACPM) comprises the Baie-Comeau, Bécancour and Deschambault smelters, as well as the Bécancour Rod Plant. These four plants have an annual production capacity of over one million metric tons of ingots, castings, billets and aluminum rods. ACPM activities generate over $1.6 billion in economic spin-offs annually in the province. Further information is available at www.alcoa.com/canada/en/home.asp and www.aluminumispeople.com.
*Alcoa Innovation is a non-profit organization set up by Alcoa Canada in cooperation with Centre de recherche industrielle du Québec (CRIQ) and Centre québécois de recherche et de développement de l’aluminium (CQRDA). The mission of the partnership is to support Québec-based SMEs by:
- Favouring the development of innovative products which entail the processing of aluminum;
- Promoting the use of aluminum in applications which further sustainable development;
- Supporting research and development initiatives designed to enhance greater public access to and knowledge of aluminum products and the uses of aluminum.
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