Pilkington Vehicle Design Awards 2010

Royal College of Art vehicle design graduates Marten Wallgren and David Seesing took top honors at the Pilkington Vehicle Design Awards held at the RCA in London on 24 June.

Marten Wallgren from Sweden scooped the award for Best Overall Design Interpretation for his next-generation car sharing system entitled 'The Grid'. The 'private public transportation service for the year 2025' incorporated a two-seater, semi autonomously driven car with community charging features. The concept was described by judge, and renowned independent car designer, David Wilkie as a "wonderful car design" that "moves car design on" and showed "how, probably, cars could be in the future".

David Seesing, from Cologne in Germany, was awarded the prize for Best Use of Glazing with his 'Symbiosis' concept that connects architecture and transportation in a sustainable design. Seesing said the self sufficient system has the ethical intent of sustainable design's twofold objectives: the well being of the inhabitant, and the conservation of the environment.

Land Rover Principal Designer Earl Beckles, who was also on the judging panel (and a former winner of the Pilkington Vehicle Design Awards in 1998), said of Seesing and his winning project:

"[David] had a very innovative approach to tackling environmental issues and sustainability. He created a vehicle that used double glazing as a conduit to allow air to flow through to generate and store energy in the vehicle. It interfaced with a house design structure as well, and the two worked hand-in-hand to regenerate energy and use it more efficiently and effectively." Beckles felt the project showed "a lot of innovation in terms of approaching sustainability and translating architectural metaphor in automotive design".

Two commendations were also made to Dalibor Pantucek for Best Overall Design Interpretation, and Miika Heikkinen for Best Use of Glazing.

The Pilkington awards are highly regarded and, now in their 23rd year with the RCA, have become renowned in the industry for spotting the vehicle design stars of the future. Several former winners have gone on to establish successful careers with leading carmakers and design studios.  

The Pilkington Vehicle Design Awards 2010 were presented by Paula Hilditch, Global Product Manager, Windscreens & Glass Composition, Pilkington Automotive, with judges David Wilkie, Earl Beckles, and independent vehicle designer Raquel Aparicio López (who received a commendation from Pilkington when graduating from the RCA in 2008).

View the designs, and hear from the judges and winners, as well as an online audience Q&A session, in CDN's Pilkington Vehicle Design Awards webinar (now archived).

CDN will be publishing a full report and gallery on the RCA Vehicle Design Degree Show 2010 in the coming weeks.

Related Websites:
Royal College of Art
Pilkington

CDN Webinar Archive 

By CDN Team