Sunbrella^® and Architizer™ announced the winners of the 2017 Future of Shade competition, a call on creative architects and designers from around the world to envision pioneering shade designs to meet the needs of the 21^st century and beyond.

The 2017 competition received 348 submissions from more than 30 countries. The wide range of entries challenges conventional notions of how fabric can be used to make exciting, emotionally connected and functional spaces.

“We are extremely proud to support innovative thinking around shade solutions,” said Vince Hankins, industrial business manager for Sunbrella. “This year’s winning entries are a testament to the impact shade can have on society. We’re inspired by the ideas and forward thinking of each submission.”

The Future of Shade competition offered three unique categories with distinct challenges where shade plays a critical role in the solution: Humanitarian, Well-Being and Building Shade.

• The Grand Prize Winner in the Humanitarian category was “Resilient Communities” by Felipe Guerrero Castillo from Colombia. “Resilient Communities” is a system of architectural modules called Endure Module System designed to provide community, shelter, and cleanliness and hygiene via light, easily deployed living units, water/dew collection structures and portable toilet shelters made of fabric for people displaced by war and natural disasters. An Honorable Mention went to “Tent-to-Farm” by entrant Vignesh Harikrishnan from India.
• In the Well-Being category, the Grand Prize Winner was “Reuse | Revive | Repopulate” by Rafael Duailibe dos Santos from Brazil. It envisions repurposing old, dilapidated buildings, whose roofs have collapsed, into community spaces by adding a grid fabric shade structure in place of the roof, contoured landscaping and chair swings. An Honorable Mention went to “Cooling Tower” by Carlos Cuenca Solana from Ecuador. A Jurors’ Choice award went to “Discover” by Enrique Ramirez and Alessandra Farias of Peru.
• The Grand Prize Winner in the Building Shade category was “Light Skin” by Arman Hadilou from Berkeley, California. “Light Skin” is a unique building façade system of fabric ribbons designed to improve the building’s energy efficiency through light control and a new “skin” that transforms a boring façade into something compelling. An Honorable Mention went to “Cotton Hill” by Sergii Borodenko and Aljona Kolesznikova from Milan, Italy. Jurors’ Choice awards went to “Frames to Shams-Ol-Emareh, by Zahra Noori Jamshidi of Tehran, Iran, and “Invertible Shade” by Ehasn Fatehifar of Iran.

“I was fascinated by where entrants allowed their imaginations to lead them in rethinking shade,” said Jury Member Jim Miller, owner of J. Miller Canvas, a shade fabrication company in Southern California. “As a fabricator of shade structures, I like to push the envelope, and it’s inspiring to see architects and designers push even further to create unique designs that solve problems, while also adding aesthetic value to a space.”

The 2017 winners were selected by Sean Anderson, associate curator of architecture and design at the MoMA, Alicia Ajayi, design associate at MASS Design Group and Jim Miller of J. Miller Canvas. Architizer CEO Marc Kushner served as moderator. Each grand prize winner will receive $10,000, for a total of $30,000 in cash prizes. High-res images are available in the Sunbrella Press Room.

Sunbrella has revolutionized the way the world thinks about how beautiful fabrics look, feel and perform. With an inspired palette of colors, styles and textures, premium Sunbrella fabric gives consumers, designers and architects the material they need to create the extraordinary in marine, shade, indoor upholstery, outdoor upholstery, commercial and contract applications. 

Versatile in style and function, Sunbrella fabrics create welcoming spaces indoors and out, offering durability, fade resistance and ease of cleaning. They also offer peace of mind; Sunbrella fabrics have achieved GREENGUARD GOLD certification as contributing to healthy indoor air quality.

Introduced in 1961, Sunbrella fabrics are manufactured and marketed by Glen Raven, Inc., a 135-year-old family-owned company based in North Carolina with operations worldwide. For more information on Sunbrella, including inspiration, fabric collections and where to buy, visit sunbrella.com.