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Reporting by Temenouzhka Zaharieva. Images courtesy of Alexandra Doleva

It is not a new idea that designers benefit from Open Source policies. In fact, the Open Design Foundation was created about 13 years ago, but still, when we hear Open Design we sometimes think of low-cost, crowd-sourced design. Not such is the case with the idea behind the workshop-contest by Mariana Chalakova and her team from City Design Development (CDD), Sofia. The workshop, CDD Creative Atelier, utilizes "open source" as an approach for creating conditions for the emergence of a creative design community.

CDD is a company that consults and implements projects for furnishing of office space by working directly with manufacturers of lighting, flooring, furniture, textiles and wall coverings. During the workshop they acquainted the group of designers and interior architects with the new Armstrong material, Linoleum Form (linoleum for furniture). The group used the material in designing their own pieces of furniture and the winning project from the workshop is to be produced by City Design Development. The team of CDD, which consists of architects, designers, project managers, electrical engineers, joiners and builders with their knowledge and experience were available for questions and assistance throughout the day of the workshop.

Students from the Higher School of Civil Engineering, Sofia

The criteria by which the jury made their choice was:

• Utilization of the inherent qualities of materials - texture, surface appearance, sustainability, environmental impact


• Innovation


• Functionality


• Overall vision


• Presentation of the concept - visual and verbal


• Cost, feasibility

The prize for the winning project is the implementation of the winning project in the next few weeks. Also, the members of the winning team will have the opportunity to visit the factory in Germany ARMSTRONG at the expense of Armstrong OtlinoleUM.

Enrico Repouz of The Steven Leach Group

The goal is after Sofia Design Week CDD Creative Atelier will continue with workshops through which to gather talented young designers and architects and share with them their data base of materials, knowledge and technologies so that they can work together in the future.

The Winning Project from the Higher School of Civil Engineering

The participants showed great enthusiasm. The projects were diverse, some bet on the mobility of office furniture, and some on innovative approach. As the results show, there were representatives with different experiences and backgrounds—the winners were a group of students and a designer with years of experience. The winning project is designed by the team of students: Blagovesta Kokarova, Teodor Varbanov and Ivan Parlapanov from the Higher School of Civil Engineering "Lyuben Karavelov" Sofia. Enrico Repouz, a designer from The Steven Leach Group wins a visit to the factory of ARMSTRONG in Delmenhorst.

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