The 2021 winning entry is the work of Henry Glogau, a New Zealander based in Denmark, who devised the Portable Solar Distiller. “Winning was not something that I was that focused on,” says Henry, “but to be named this year’s winner is a real honour.” He entered the Lexus Design Award competition primarily for the experience of working with world-class mentors, followed by the opportunity to make his design vision a reality. “To be part of this whole process, from the mentorship all the way through to the development of my final design, has been really incredible, not just for the design but also for me as a designer.”

Graduating from the Royal Danish Academy with a Master’s specialising in Architecture and Extreme Environments, Henry’s aim with his design was to provide drinking water, natural light and energy from leftover salt brine for informal coastal settlements. He looked at the challenges and importantly, where there was an opportunity to utilise what was already readily available in these environments. “What was quite important for me was thinking about how we could work with our ecosystems instead of against them,” he explains.

During Henry’s Master’s programme, he travelled to Chile where he spent time working with an NGO helping to fight extreme poverty with transitional housing. “I started to think about a design that was more focused around the humans who actually live in these environments. It was these communities who have no access to resources who were the real motivation for me to try to address some of these issues,” he says.

Rather than designing a solution for a single social issue, Henry updated his design after guidance from the award mentors and set about creating a Portable Solar Distiller, which desalinates water, making it safe to drink. The sustainable and passive design was selected by this year’s panel of judges who critiqued each of the finalists on their ability to anticipate, innovate and captivate with imaginative solutions. “Henry took a simple concept and made it viable for communities,” commented his fellow finalists Gayle Lee and Jessica Vea, who created Heartfelt, a long-distance device to combat loneliness. Henry’s Portable Solar Distiller not only provided a streamlined and functional user experience, but also demonstrated a benefit to society as a whole.

Along with Henry, each of the finalists was able to evolve their designs with expert guidance from mentors drawn from a range of design fields. “The best advice I received was to be flexible and not to be afraid of starting your design from scratch,” says finalist Alina Holovatiuk, whose project InTempo centred on human emotion with an app and phone cover to reduce stress levels. “During this process I learned to take courage in trying something new,” adds finalist Kenji Abe, who designed CY-BO, a new form of cytologically-inspired packaging material. “The essence of our design was simplicity and low technology. With input from each of the mentors, we were able to change the design details and make it better,” says Intsui Design, whose project Terracotta Valley Wind focused on a cooling system for subway stations. “I was encouraged to approach future design with boldness,” adds finalist Irmandy Wicaksono, who designed KnitX, a set of functional, electronic textiles.

For 2021 winner Henry Glogau, finding multiple solutions in one user-friendly, transportable design was the key to success. “A lot of these issues, such as water scarcity, will become more prevalent issues the world will face in the not-too-distant future,” he stresses. “I'm passionate about how we can design for a self-sustaining future.”

Lexus strives to work with emerging talent in the field of design who demonstrate a shared vision for a better tomorrow – both for people and the planet. Henry and all the design award finalists have fully demonstrated their passion to create solutions and their ability to adapt and innovate.

Chosen as the project that best encompasses “Design for a Better Tomorrow,” based on the three key principles of the Lexus brand -- Anticipate, Innovate and Captivate -- the Portable Solar Distiller uses sunlight to produce clean drinking water from polluted or sea water. Merging local resource production with community architecture, this low-tech solution also serves as a shaded gathering place.

Receiving the award, Henry Glogau, said: "It’s a great honour to be selected as this year’s Grand Prix winner and I’d like to say thank you to the judges. When you look at the level and quality of the finalists and their projects and the progress that has been made throughout, any one of us could have been the winner this year.

“I’d also like to thank the Mentors. Their expertise in a variety of fields really strengthened not only our designs but also us as designers. We finalists will cherish the thought-provoking questions and conversations we had, and we were so fortunate to experience them. And lastly, a massive thank you to Lexus. It’s incredible to be part of a prestigious award with a company that is truly passionate about Design for a Better Tomorrow, and which gives up-and-coming designers a solid foundation to build their design futures on.”

After the selection of the Grand Prix winner, Judge Greg Lynn commented: “Congratulations to the winner. The competition format worked so well and provided mentorship and resources that let great ideas flourish. The winner was one of the designers who surprised me the most, from the original application to the final submission. The winner’s consistent mission persisted, while the transformation in scale and social function was exemplary. The design became more refined, more functional and more open source during the process. The ability to produce working prototypes was important to all the participants but to the winner it pointed towards the manifold potential of the system that became much more than just a product or appliance but instead a portable, deployable infrastructure.”

The six finalists, selected in January this year, were mentored by Joe Doucet, Sabine Marcelis, Mariam Kamara, and Sputniko!. These four world-class creators guided them through the challenges on the way to producing refined prototypes of their design submissions. The mentoring process was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that is certain to have a positive impact on each finalist’s career on the international design stage.

The finalists, including the Grand Prix winner Henry Glogau, honoured Lexus with their lively curiosity, professional attitude to their work and the impressive proposals that their creativity produced.

For more information, please visit LexusDesignAward.com

Official Hashtag: #LexusDesignAward

ABOUT LEXUS DESIGN AWARD

Launched in 2013, the Lexus Design Award is an international competition for up-and-coming creators from around the world. The Award seeks to contribute to society by supporting designers and creators whose work shows potential to shape a better future. Six finalists gain a rare opportunity to prototype their designs under the mentorship of leading designers. The Lexus Design Award provides global media exposure to drive professional career advancement.

Mentorship is a uniquely attractive core element of the Lexus Design Award. Six finalists are given the irreplaceable once-in-a-lifetime experience of being mentored directly by world class creators. Mentors provide diverse perspectives and help finalists refine their ideas through continued discussion. Nurtured by the synergy of the finalists' insatiable curiosity and the mentors' passion, each idea has evolved into an even more innovative proposal within the limited period of about three months.

Mentor Mariam Kamara said, “I'm impressed by the amount of work the finalists have been able to do in such a short time. They have really taken the advice and feedback we have given them in their stride and showed a lot of passion and dedication into pushing their ideas to be all that they can be. It is obvious they care about the effect and impact their works can have, and it definitely comes across. The deep level of compassion they all show is absolutely commendable. I'm really staggered by everything they've been able to achieve.”

The six finalists will present their final proposals to a jury of renowned design leaders: Paola Antonelli, Dong Gong, Greg Lynn and Simon Humphries. One Grand Prix winning design will be announced on April 27^th, marking the climax of this edition of the Lexus Design Award.

For more information, please visit LexusDesignAward.com

Official Hashtag: #LexusDesignAward

ABOUT LEXUS DESIGN AWARD

Launched in 2013, the Lexus Design Award is an international competition for up-and-coming creators from around the world. The Award seeks to contribute to society by supporting designers and creators whose work shows potential to shape a better future. Six finalists gain a rare opportunity to prototype their designs under the mentorship of leading designers. The Lexus Design Award provides global media exposure to drive professional career advancement.