When Tolga Teki came across an advert for LG's Conceptualife 2011 competition on his university's notice board, he was instantly excited by the prospect of taking part in it. "I saw it as an opportunity to put my creative skills to use, the concept of presenting a vision of the future of kitchen design and appliances under the theme of ‘Green and Futuristic' was intriguing. After registering, I put in several hours of daily research at the university library. I reviewed past projects. I educated myself about different materials, analysed options for my design and then created the final project named Waveset," says the 22-year-old student of University of Marmara in Istanbul, Turkey.
Teki's design went on to win the grand prize in May, which includes a fully paid one-month internship at Dubai-based design firm X-Architects, $5,000 (around Dh18,400) and an LG Optimus smartphone. Tolga's LG Conceptualife design, Waveset was a skilful mix of basic interpretations of sand and water with innovative energy solutions. The judges felt his design was interesting and the most applicable as it integrated technology with cutting-edge design albeit with a human touch.
Explaining his winning design and the concept behind it Teki says, "It's a simple kitchen counter that is inspired by the curves and loops that you see on the sand when the wave pulls back after touching the shore. I find those impressions very soothing and beautiful.I tried to keep the colour theme and its design as smooth and flowing as I could.
"My kitchen counter is practical and works well as a design idea because I took great care to ensure minimal spillage and maximum utilisation of space and energy."
Talking about his future, Teki says, "I was always inclined towards architecture and design but now I want to think beyond beautiful elevations and develop options for living spaces too. Interiors can be multi -dimensional with a persona of their own. There is so much that can be done in this area."
