Last week, for over an hour, students of the University of Architecture and Urbanism Ion Mincu, together with professors, young professionals and one of the most appreciated designers in the world, Guta Moura Guedes, engaged in a talk about thinking forward, finding sources of creativity and the importance of core values and knowledge in innovation. The reason for their encounter was the official launch of the jumpthegap® international design competition, organized by Roca, world leader in sanitary objects production and constant pioneer in bathroom space innovation.

During the speeches, the young audience walked through the reasons why they need to start looking above the University’s classes and look to all resources of inspiration for new lines, vibes but most of all, uses. Maybe more than any other industries, architecture, urbanism and design need to meet the ever-changing needs of our society. Cristina Șerban, Directorul Departamentului de Proiectare de Interior și Design, walked “out of their boxes” in order to make them understand the importance of attending such projects and extra activities during their study period, to find inspiration outside their routine. Maria Ivtcheva, Roca’s Marketing and Communication Manager, presented the jumpthegap® 6 year history and general conditions for this year, while Guta Moura made the audience think forward.

“Design is in a bottle of water, design is in a pen, design is in every little thing surrounding us. You need to understand your power to change the world, make it better, more useful or beautiful. But most importantly, design is not about plain beauty, it is first of all about utility, about making things easier, faster for people, finding those products that the society will need in 10 years. Don’t invent something for your country, but for the world, because that’s what design is about” stated Guta Moura to enthusiastic students present at the conference.

Also present at the conference were Segio Castro, managing director of Roca South-East Europe, Vesselin Simov, Marketing Manager Roca South East Europe, and Cornel Costache, Sales Manager for Romania, who addressed students present, showing their belief that Romania has an emerging market of minds and enough enthusiasm to have projects in the finalist’s list of the jumpthegap® contest. 

The conference had a free entry so that as many students and young professionals can take advantage of this unique opportunity.

jumpthegap® is an international competition, at its sixth edition, addressed to both students and professionals aged up to 35 years, that pushes designers and architects to look for a new, innovative and sustainable concepts for the bathroom space. More than 50% of the products that we will use in 10 years have not yet been manufactured, much less designed. Therefore jumpthegap® is aimed to force designers and architects to find answers and innovative and sustainable concepts for the bathroom space.

The registered projects can tackle aspects like sustainability, aging population, homing and personal moments, can create surprising multisensory experiences or bring up products based on automatization, which can have things done for you, minimize input time and effort. The two biggest prizes consist in 4000 euros for the two categories (Student and Professional) and there will also be a special new prize, of 1000 euros, for the most sustainable project selected by Roca’s We Are Water Foundation.