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Environmental Warriors and Solidarity: The Winners of MDA 2008

‘Ecodesign' and ‘Design Solidarity' are two terms which have recently come into fashion, and they also help to summarize the spirit of this fourth edition of the MINI Design Award. The works of MDA 2008 will be on exhibition in Rome until November 19. The topic of ‘Water' is particularly suitable for interpretations and approaches of the following type: A valuable and essential resource, the importance and value of which is often underestimated. How much water flows past us on a daily basis, without us even noticing? How much of it is wasted and polluted, without us having any pangs of conscience? These thoughts seem to be what the participants of the competition are trying to get across to us with many of their works. And it also reflects what seemed to be suggested by the jury's award of the prizes. In the end, this is the most important message which was to be conveyed to the audience by the exhibition, put together by Rossella Bertolazzi and presented in conjunction with Zone Attive and the Italian State of Lazio. Massimo Gattel (3^rd prize) had a genuinely original design, creating a real ‘drinking fountain' on which you had to turn a metal pipe to get any water. According to Gattel, he was inspired by the movement of wringing out a cloth. "A gesture designed to remind us that we're all using a resource that is not unlimited." Edoardi Perri's Pensaci due Volte (2^nd prize) is in a similar vein. A city fountain in the form of a double faucet is supposed to encourage us to think about the value of water. The jury also awarded a special mention to Marco Vaona's Sete. This work took the form of a glass illustrated by horizontal stripes, representing the unequal distribution of water in various regions of the earth in a most dramatic manner. A submission described by the jury as, "simple and impressive with regard to water consumption in industrialized countries." The simple design of the image was also emphasized. Emanuele Pizzolorusso, winner of the online competition, took a different path with his work Roma Fountain Map, but one which is equally efficient in imparting the value of water: His work is aimed at tourists to Rome, who often forget the existence of the numerous fountains and drinking-fountains which are distributed throughout the city. In his work, these are illustrated on a map of the historical city center, which is printed on a soft water bottle. These are distributed to tourists who then, with the bottle hanging from their neck, walk around the city. A good resource to tackle the heat, but at the same time a somewhat unconventional city guide. Alessandra: I am also an architect. I completed my master's degree in architecture, bio-climatology and environmental compatibility. Giacomo and I studied together (at the ‘Sapienza' in Rome), and we have been entering competitions together for a little while, too.   Do you know MINISpace? What do you think of the concept, "creative use of space"? This is a concept which is worth implementing, and not just in architecture or design. MINISpace is a very important community for us, which not only offers us support, but also enables us to meet other creative people, thereby giving us inspiration for our work. Do you have any ideas for the future? One that relates to MINI is our platform. You could explore a system which re-charges the new MINI E from energy produced by Waterwheelgate. It's just an idea, but we could develop it together with MINI. When and where? November 6 to 19, 2008; every day from 2pm to 10pm. Address: Spazio Ex Gil - Largo Ascianghi 5 Roma Free entry Related Links www.minidesignaward.it www.giacomosanna.com