LG launches Conceptualife student competition

All designs expected to emphasise environmental solutions including the use of recycled material and durability



A Conceptuallife Kitchen design from 2010.

LG Electronics, in conjunction with the UAE’s X Architects, has launched the exciting second edition of ‘Conceptualife’ – a regional design competition that provides a platform for university students to unleash their creativity and present their depiction of future kitchen designs and appliances.


Ahmed Al Ali, Founder and Executive Chairman of X Architects.

Last year’s event saw nearly 600 registrations from participating countries – Saudi Arabia, Iran, South Africa and the UAE. This year, with a focus on eco-friendly and futuristic designs, LG has expanded the event format with the addition of two new countries, Egypt and Turkey.


A villa designed by X Architects.

KW Kim, executive vice-president of LG Electronics, MEA Region Representative said, “Conceptualife, as the name suggests, is about developing concepts that can make life better and this is in line with LG’s philosophy. Our goal is to encourage local talent by giving design students from across the MEA region the opportunity to showcase their ideas to a wider audience.”


A boathouse designed by X Architects.

Ahmed Al Ali is a renowned architect and entrepreneur from the UAE. X Architects’ projects and work have gained continuous recognition after being awarded on a local, regional and international level, and in 2010, Ahmed was honoured with the prestigious and one of the highest ranked local awards, the Mohammed Bin Rashid Award for young business leaders.

“Here at X Architects we truly believe in the power of competitions to encourage students to face new challenges. The LG Conceptualife competition indeed allows students to focus on the types of issues or ‘problems’ that are real and what we at X Architects encounter on everyday projects. This sense of realism, in that they have an end user client to deliver their competition ideas to encourages such attributes as presentation skills, communication processes and also creates dialogue between great brands such as LG Electronics and X Architects and universities or colleges.

The final, which takes place on May 30 in Dubai, will see two short listed finalists from each country battle it out for first place. Each individual will be invited to present and explain their designs to an expert panel who will evaluate their work on uniqueness of design relative to existing kitchens, the use of innovative kitchen appliances, functionality, and use of space, storage and worktops.

All designs are expected to emphasise environmental solutions including the use of recycled material and durability, and will be scored accordingly. All these factors will affect the judges’ decision as they look at the feasibility of bringing such designs to markets.