The awards ceremony of the 16th National Furniture Design Competition, sponsored by Kastamonu Entegre, a global player in the wood-based panel industry, was held in Ankara. As part of the event—where awards were presented across a total of 28 categories—a special panel titled “Stories of Today, Materials of Tomorrow: Designing, Transforming, Sustaining” was organized, moderated by Kastamonu Entegre’s Global R&D and Innovation Director, Dr. Hüseyin Güler. The panel featured leading experts and addressed a wide range of topics, from sustainable architecture and local building culture to alternative and recycled materials as well as innovative solutions for disaster-affected regions.
As Turkey’s leader and one of the world’s top four producers in the wood-based panel industry, Kastamonu Entegre continues to advance its vision of supporting design and innovation through strong collaborations. Aiming to bring innovative ideas to life, strengthen design culture, and promote sustainable solutions in the industry, the company was among the sponsors of the 16th National Furniture Design Competition, which encourages young talents and helps steer the sector. At the awards ceremony held at Ankara ATO Congresium under the coordination of the Ministry of Trade and organized by the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM) and the Central Anatolian Furniture, Paper and Forestry Products Exporters’ Association (OMKO), nearly 1 million TL in prizes were presented across 28 categories.
Supporting young talent in design
Bringing together a wide audience each year—from academics and students to professionals and children—and creating a platform where designers can meet manufacturers to develop innovative products capable of competing on an international scale, the competition saw elementary, high school, and university students as well as professional designers stand out with their projects. Led by Honorary Chair Prof. Önder Küçükerman, the jury selected the winners, while the Kastamonu Entegre Gold Award was granted to the project “Kapıcı” in the “Home Furniture Associate–Undergraduate Student” category and to the project “Keremiskus” in the “Encouraging Creative Solutions by Elementary, Middle, and High School Students” category. Another key outcome was that the award-winning designers gained the opportunity to pursue education abroad with state support.
“Stories of Today, Materials of Tomorrow”
As part of the ceremony, a special panel titled “Stories of Today, Materials of Tomorrow: Designing, Transforming, Sustaining” was held, moderated by Dr. Hüseyin Güler, Global R&D and Innovation Director at Kastamonu Entegre.
Speakers included Zeynep Tümertekin (Co-founder, Studio Mada), Kerim Miskavi (Co-founder, MAS), Yasemin Köse (Founder, ROKA – Circular by Design), Cavid Bayramlı (Co-founder, Wastespresso), and Oğul Öztunç (Co-founder, Piknik Works). The discussion explored the role and accessibility of design in everyday life as well as the evolution of materials and their dynamic relationship with R&D. Participants shared striking insights on permanence versus change in design, the growing convergence between material and product, and the designer’s triad of data–empathy–taste. Emphasizing the importance of user awareness and innovation in sustainable design, the panel underlined that recycling, upcycling, and circular material use are no longer luxuries but unavoidable necessities.
Additional themes included the relationship between designer and user, whether design is a commodity of consumption, and the messages conveyed to the sector by the European Union’s eco-design principles. The session concluded with reflections on the role of industrial upcycling in the furniture sector and inspiring advice for young designers. By bringing together experts from different disciplines, the event offered valuable exchanges on the future of design and inspired young designers to engage with production processes.