Submissions closed - Winners announced December 3!  Submissions closed - Winners announced December 3!
  
 
 

Student Design Competition

Twice
a year

8
Judges

6
Winners

6
Awards

Join the challenge!

Students enrolled in design programs are invited to create a Material Bank Board and MoodBoard by curating materials from Material Bank and leveraging AI for their designs. Show off your creativity and sustainable thinking in this exciting competition.

 

Register Now

 

Competition Checklist Download

 

How-To Video

 

Got questions? Email our team at studentdesign@materialbank.com.

 

Key Dates

Registration

OCT 1st


Submissions open

9:00AM EST.

Reviewing

NOV 15th


Submissions close

11:59PM EST.

Judging

NOV 20th


Judging

 

Winners Announcement

DEC 3rd


Winners announced

 

It’s super simple

IMG1-1

STEP 1

Sign up and tell us a bit about yourself.

IMG2-2

STEP 2

Create your project and build your board.

Training3

STEP 3

Submit your Material Bank project.

The Awards

Award1

#1

Cash Prize

$3,000

Also included

Annual Midjourney Pro Plan
Chat GPT Pro Plan
Material Bank Curated Collection
Social Media Feature
Award 2

#2

Cash Prize

$1,500

Also included

Material Bank Curated Collection
Social Media Feature
Award 3

#3

Cash Prize

$500

Also included

Material Bank Curated Collection
Social Media Feature

Brand Partner Awards

1-Aug-14-2024-05-02-01-4531-PM
Vivid Vision Award
Projects with the most memorable Benjamin Moore color schemes.
2-Aug-14-2024-05-02-25-2223-PM
Solid Foundation Award
Celebrating the stylish and solid use of Flexco flooring to enhance architectural spaces.
Untitled design (36)-1
Modern Movement Award
Designs that skillfully utilize the intricate patterns and dynamic movements of Cambria to create vibrant, artistic spaces.

Meet our judges!

JessicaBlue_Headshots_April24-9[1]
Jessica Blue Interiors
Jessica Blue
Owner + Interior Designer
Jessica Blue is a Chicago-based interior designer whose work has been featured on Apartment Therapy and Home52. With a degree from Harper College, she has worked for top design firms like Jessica Lagrange Interiors and Kadlec Architecture + Design, leading projects from residential apartments to commercial spaces. Jessica is known for her eclectic style, often blending vintage pieces with modern elements to create layered, distinctive interiors.
Allison Asher Headshot
Flexco
Allison Asher
Business Development & Specifications Manager
Allison Asher is the Business Development & Specifications Manager for Flexco Floors in the Northeast Region. With over 13 years in flooring and a career spanning from Kentucky to Boston, she’s won awards for sales performance, including the Architectural Excellence Award. Allison enjoys collaborating with clients to create exceptional designs and is an active member of IIDA & NEWH. She loves spending time with her partner Brett and their dog, Penny.
HIPAU_Gerardo-Gandy_1[1]
Gensler
Gerardo Gandy
Architectural Brand Experience Designer
Gerardo combines architecture, interior design, and brand strategy to create seamless user experiences and brand expressions. He works with Austin's largest developers visualizing feasibility concepts. Gerardo serves on Gensler’s Community Impact Program steering committee and is the founding Chairman of the ACE Mentor Program of Austin, dedicated to educating students about design careers.
20230813_145743_801
Benjamin Moore
Christine Handy
Architect & Designer Marketing Business Development Manager
24_0405_JM_
CHANEL
Julio Martinez
F&B MBR - construction
Julio is a construction manager at CHANEL, overseeing project development for USA Fragrances and Beauty retail locations. With 8+ years of experience, he specializes in store design, visual merchandising, and brand image implementation. Trained as an architect at Pratt Institute, Julio now resides in Minneapolis, supporting his partner's PhD, cycling in warm months, and enjoying life with his two dogs.
Meet the judges email - Hubspot (1200 x 1200 px) (10)
Material ConneXion
Andrew Dent, Ph.D.
EVP of Research
Dr. Andrew Dent, EVP of Materials Research at Material ConneXion and Chief Material Scientist at Material Bank, is a renowned expert in material innovation. He has helped start-ups and Fortune 500 companies enhance their products through innovative material selection. Co-author of the Material Innovation book series, Dr. Dent is a frequent speaker on sustainable materials at events like TEDxGrandRapids.
Summer Kath 2024 smile
Cambria
Summer Kath
Executive Vice President, Design
Summer Kath is Cambria’s EVP of Design, responsible for 200+ design innovations in quartz surfaces. With over 22 years at Cambria, she combines trend-spotting with product development, spearheading launches like the Inverness and Alloys families. Named one of Minneapolis/St. Paul’s “40 Under 40,” Summer is also an advocate for design and wellness. She lives in the Twin Cities with her family and enjoys cycling and yoga.
Meet the judges email - Hubspot (1200 x 1200 px) (11)
Starbucks
Mo Alsinan
Store Designer – Midwest

Competition Guidelines

Contest Period

The UPCycling Contest (“Contest”) starts at 12:00 a.m. Eastern Time (“ET”) on October 1, 2024 and ends at 11:59 p.m. ET on October 31, 2024 (“Contest Period”).

Eligibility

Open to students who are legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, 18 years of age or older as of the date of entry and have a Material Bank student account. Must be currently enrolled in an interior design or architecture program to enter. Proof of eligibility may be requested to receive a prize. Employees of Material Bank (the “Sponsor”) its respective affiliates, parent companies, subsidiaries, divisions, suppliers, distributors and advertising, promotional and judging agencies (collectively, the “Administrators”), and its affiliates and each of their respective employees, shareholders, directors, officers, members, assigns and agents and their immediate family members and/or those living in the same household of each are not eligible to participate or win. Void where prohibited by law. Contest is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws and these Upcycling Contest Official Rules (the “Official Rules”).

How To Enter

You may enter the Contest during the Contest Period by: (1) registering at the Material Bank Upcycling Competition site (the “Site”) by providing the required information, including your name, school email (that is linked to your Material Bank Account), school name, design program name and project title and concept statement; (2) creating your project and building your board following all stated instructions (the “Submission”); and (3) submitting your project to receive one (1) entry (the “Entry”). To enter you must pay the required entry fee. The entry fee is $10 and will be donated to The Hip Hop Architecture Camp. Residents of CO, MD, ND, NE, and VT can enter without paying an entry fee by going to Submittable Registration Link - CO, MD, ND, NE, and VT.
Limit one (1) Entry per person for the entire Contest Period. The person uploading the Entry will be deemed the entrant (the “Entrant” or “you”). If there is a dispute as to the identity of an Entrant, the Entrant will be deemed the authorized account holder of the email account used for the Entry, as long as such person is otherwise eligible in accordance with these Official Rules. “Authorized account holder” of an email account is defined as the person who is responsible for the e-mail address associated with the account. Any Entry not in compliance with the above and which does not meet the other requirements of these Official Rules will be disqualified. Participation is subject to disqualification of all Entries if Sponsor or its Administrators discover that multiple accounts are used by the same person.

Representations And Warranties

The Entrant represents and warrants, and acknowledges and agrees to, the following with respect to the Entrant’s Submission and Entry:

• The Submission and Entry will not violate or infringe any third-party copyright, trademark, trade dress, logos, or other proprietary right of any entity or person (living or deceased), including, but not limited to rights of privacy, publicity or portrayal in a false light, or your Entry will be disqualified.

• The Submission is the Entrant’s sole original work and has not been submitted previously in a promotion of any kind or previously exhibited or displayed publicly (i.e., disclosed beyond your immediate circle of friends and family) through any means.

• The Entrant has the right to grant Sponsor a license to use the Submission and Entry (and any material embodied therein) as provided in the Official Rules.

Submission Requirements

All Submissions must meet the requirements listed below or they may be disqualified.

• Project statements: Entrants must provide a brief project description summarizing the design, a challenge statement outlining the design challenges, a solution statement detailing how these challenges were addressed, and an explanation of their inspiration and how the materials are appropriate for the project type.

• Submission Form: AI image upload, shared public link to board, project info, and project statement.

• Board Requirements: Must include a minimum of 25 different samples. Must include one sample from each of the following brands: Benjamin Moore, Flexco, and Cambria.

• Images: Upload 3 AI-generated images that reflect your design. Images must be in JPG or JPEG format, with a maximum file size of 1MB.

Additional Terms & Conditions

Without limitation of any other terms and conditions provided in these Official Rules, Submissions and Entries shall not contain or include any of the following, as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion:

• Obscene, profane, lewd, sexual, offensive, defamatory, vulgar or inappropriate content or language, or present unreasonable risk of harm to person or property.

• Material that promotes bigotry, racism, hate speech, terrorism, bullying or harm against any group or individual or promotes discrimination based on race, sex, religion, nationality, disability, sexual orientation or age.

• Content that is known by the Entrant to be false, inaccurate or misleading.

• Content that defames, misrepresents or disparages Sponsor or its Administrator or their products or other people, products or companies.

Judging and Notification

All Entries will be judged by Sponsor-selected judges (“Judges”) between November 12, 2024 and November 19, 2024, based on the criteria below. Judges are presented on the Site and are subject to change.

Creativity:

Originality and innovation in the design concept and execution.

Project Concept Statement:

Clarity and alignment of the project description with the competition goals.

Material Selection:

Thoughtful selection of materials from Material Bank that are appropriate for the specific application and project type, with a diverse range of product categories.

Sustainability:

Incorporation of sustainable design principles and materials.

Use of AI:

Effective and creative use of AI-generated images to enhance the overall project.

Brand Sample Requirement:

Submission must include at least one sample from Benjamin Moore, Flexco, and Cambria in their project and MoodBoard.

MoodBoard:

The visual appeal and clarity of the MoodBoard as a summary of the project’s concept and design.

Overall Presentation:

The cohesiveness of the project, including the integration of the MoodBoard, AI images, and the written components.


The criteria outlined above will be collectively known as the “Judging Criteria.” The Judges will use the Judging Criteria to determine the three (3) winners. The three (3) honorable mentions will be judged by the brand representatives as further described below. Any tied Submissions will be re-judged by the Judges based 100% on Creativity and Project Concept Statement. Judges’ decisions are final with respect to all matters relating to the Contest. By participating, Entrants agree to the Official Rules and the decisions of the Judges, which shall be final and binding in all respects.
Potential prize winners will be notified via email and will be required to follow the instructions outlined in the direct message to arrange for prize fulfillment within five (5) business days or potential prize winner may be disqualified and an alternate potential prize winner may be determined from the next highest scoring Submission (as outlined above).

Prizes

The following prizes will be available to be awarded:

First Prize. One (1) first prize will be awarded. First prize winner will receive three thousand dollars ($3,000), one year of Midjourney Pro Plan, One year of ChatGPT Pro Plan and a feature in the Material Bank Curated Collection. Total approximate value of first prize is $3,750.

Second Prize. One (1) Second prize will be awarded. Second prize winner will receive fifteen hundred dollars ($1,500) and a feature in the Material Bank Curated Collection. Total approximate value of second prize is $1,500.

Third Prize. One (1) third prize will be awarded. Third prize winner will receive five hundred dollars $500 and a feature in the Material Bank Curated Collection. Total approximate value of third prize is $500.

Winners will be recognized on Material Bank’s social media platforms, including email, Instagram, and LinkedIn. A curated collection of the winning projects will go live on or about January 6, 2025 and remain on the Material Bank website for three months.

In addition, there will be three (3) honorable mention winners for the Branded Partner Recognition Awards listed below. Entries for these awards will be judged by respective representatives from Benjamin Moore, Flexco, and Cambria, each selecting a winner for their specific award:

Vivid Vision Award: Most memorable use of Benjamin Moore color schemes (Honorable mention, featured on Instagram).

Solid Foundation Award: Stylish use of Flexco flooring in architectural spaces (Honorable mention, featured on Instagram).

Modern Movement Award: Exceptional use of Cambria patterns to create artistic spaces (Honorable mention, featured on Instagram).

Winners will be announced on or about December 3, 2024.

Release

By submitting an Entry, each Entrant irrevocably grants to Sponsor and its parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates and advertising and promotion agencies, and the successors and assigns and licensees of each of the foregoing the right to use the Entrant’s name/likeness, voice, persona, biographical information and/or statements attributed to the Entrant and the Entrant’s Entry (including, without limitation, the video/photo that is part of the Entry), in whole or in part, in perpetuity, throughout the world, in all media and formats whether now or later known or developed, including without limitation via Sponsor’s and third-party websites and social media and digital channels, for advertising, trade, promotional and commercial purposes and any other purposes, without further notice or compensation, unless prohibited by law. Entrants and winners acknowledge and agree that their Entry becomes the property of the Sponsor, which thereby has the right to edit, adapt, modify, reproduce, promote and otherwise use the Entry in its sole discretion.

General

Receipt of Entries will not be acknowledged. Sponsor’s computer timestamp is the official timekeeper for purposes of this Contest. Potential prize winners and all Entrants, as a condition of entry into the Contest, agree to release and hold harmless Sponsor and its Administrators each of their respective agencies, parents, subsidiaries, affiliates and each of their respective officers, directors, shareholders, members, employees, agents, assigns, and all others associated with the development and execution of the Contest (collectively the “Released Parties”) from and against any and all liability, claims or actions of any kind whatsoever for injuries, damages, or losses to persons or property which may be sustained in connection with submitting an Entry or otherwise participating in any aspect of the Contest, the receipt, ownership or use of prize awarded or any typographical or other error in these Official Rules or the announcement or offering of the prize. Prize winners assume all liability for any injury or damage caused or claimed to be caused by participation in the Contest or use or redemption of the prize. Acceptance of the prize constitutes permission to use each prize winner’s name and likeness, Submission, and Entry for promotional purposes (including any possible public relations opportunities or depictions on Sponsor’s social media pages) without further compensation except where prohibited by law. By entering, Entrant accepts and agrees to be bound by these Official Rules. Sponsor reserves the right at its sole discretion to disqualify any individual that tampers or attempts to tamper with the entry process or the operation of the Contest; violates the Official Rules; acts in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner; or acts with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other person. The Released Parties are not responsible for technical, hardware or software malfunctions, telephone failures of any kind, lost or unavailable network connections, or failed, incorrect, inaccurate, incomplete, garbled or delayed electronic communications, whether caused by the sender, by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Contest which may limit the ability to participate, or by any human error which may occur in the processing of the Entries in the Contest. Entries generated by script or bot are not eligible. Sponsor reserves the right to cancel, terminate or modify the Contest for any reason, at any time. In such event, Sponsor may determine the prize winners from eligible Entries received prior to cancellation as outlined above or may cancel the Contest and not determine the prize winners if no eligible and qualified Entries are received. As a condition of entering the Contest, Entrant agrees that: 1) under no circumstance will Entrant be permitted to obtain awards for, and Entrant hereby waives all rights to claim, punitive, incidental, consequential or any other damages, other than for out-of-pocket expenses; 2) all causes of action arising out of or connected with the Contest, or prize awarded, shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action; and 3) any and all claims, judgments, and award shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs incurred, but in no event will Entrant be entitled to receive attorneys’ fees or other legal costs.

Personal Information

Information collected from Entrants is subject to Sponsor’s Privacy Policy, located at https://www.materialbank.com/privacy-policy.

Governing Law & Venue

THE NEW YORK COURTS (STATE & FEDERAL) SHALL HAVE SOLE JURISDICTION OF ANY CONTROVERSIES REGARDING THE CONTEST AND THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK SHALL GOVERN THE SAME. EACH ENTRANT WAIVES ANY AND ALL OBJECTIONS TO JURISDICTION AND HEREBY IRREVOCABLY SUBMITS TO THE VENUE OF THOSE COURTS WITHIN NEW YORK COUNTY, NEW YORK.

Winners List

For the name of the winners send a written request to UPCycling Contest - Winners List, Material Bank, 3651 FAU Boulevard, Suite 200, Boca Raton, Florida 33431. Winner list must be requested before February 1, 2025.

Sponsor

The Sponsor of the Contest is Material Bank, 3651 FAU Boulevard, Boca Raton, Suite 200, Florida 33431.