Le Mirage Real Estate and VCUarts Qatar Launch “Designs For Life” Competition

The “Designs For Life” competition, part of Le Mirage’s community and education outreach program, is providing VCUarts Qatar’s third year interior design students with an innovative platform for their creativity, skills and design knowledge.  The competition, a pioneering industry-academia partnership, is in line with Qatar National Vision 2030 and its vision of building a sustainable future for generations to come.

The contest invites creative design talent from junior students from VCUarts Qatar’s Interior Design program, in teams of two, to design elements of a hotel in three phases that will be individually assessed: firstly an overarching concept; secondly the concept will be applied to the lobby and elevator area, and in the third phase, applied to a typical guest room.

Students this year will design the concept and interiors for the lobby and hotel rooms of the Four Points by Sheraton extension in Msheireb Doha. Ms. Malini Saldanha, the group marketing manager of Sharaka Holdings together with Mr. Badih Touma Executive Director of Lacasa Architects introduced the project to the students. They made a presentation to the students explaining Le Mirage and Four Points by Sheraton brand guidelines, the project, expectations of the jury and the general guidelines of the competition.

Amer Fares, CEO of Sharaka Holdings, the parent company of Le Mirage Real Estate, said, “We are delighted to continue this exciting series. Last year’s competition was very encouraging and the excitement, dedication and creativity of the students was indeed commendable. Sharaka Holdings focuses on two core sectors namely education and real estate development. Designs For Life is our way of bridging the gap between academia and industry; education and real estate. We wish the talented students the very best of luck and look forward to yet another successful Designs For Life competition”

Liam Colquhoun, the Interim Chair of the interior Design department at VCUarts Qatar, explained, “The Interior Design department will be building on the success of last year’s collaboration with the Le Mirage Brand with another live project for our junior-level students. Opportunities such as these, collaborating with industry leaders on live projects, enrich the education of our students and provide vital “real-life” experience of the designer’s role in a commercial setting.”

The students have been successfully working on their projects online, and have been discussing and critiquing the various aspects of their designs in virtual meeting rooms. One of the key strengths of VCUarts Qatar’s students is their adaptability, and this is a natural trait, particularly for interior designers who are used to being creative when faced with challenges that arise at short notice.

This year sees the addition of Lacasa Architects, joining as a member of the jury. Mr. Badih Touma the Executive Director of Lacasa Architects is playing a very active role in guiding and mentoring the students as they design their way through the competition.

The first prize winning team will win a two-month internship with Le Mirage Real Estate while the second prize winners will win a two-month internship at Lacasa Architects. Teams entering the contest will also see their designs showcased on Le Mirage and VCUarts Qatar’s social media.

The contest is open exclusively to VCUarts Qatar’s 3rd year students, with all submissions due by the end of April.