Nedda El-Asmar, Jonas Van Put, Atelier Vierkant and ETAP Lighting are the big winners of the Henry van de Velde Awards 25! ​
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Since 1994, the Henry van de Velde Awards have given recognition to products, projects, services and systems by designers and companies from Flanders. These design awards are given to creations that have a positive and remarkable impact on our economy, environment and society through thoughtful design.

This year, the awards are made possible thanks to the support of these partners: Flemish Agency for Innovation & Enterprise (VLAIO), the Public Waste Agency of Flanders (OVAM), Bokrijk, the National Lottery, the Flanders Environment Agency (VMM) and Bozar.

The festive award ceremony announcing all winners of the Henry van de Velde Awards 25 took place at Bozar in Brussels on 21 January 2025. ​
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Here are the winners of the Henry van de Velde Gold Awards 25:

1. Lifetime Achievement Gold Award: Nedda El-Asmar

The Lifetime Achievement Gold Award honours a designer who has been active for at least 30 years and has made a national impact in economic, social and/or cultural terms and is an international player within the industry.

The jury awarded the Lifetime Achievement Gold Award 25 to Nedda El-Asmar for her remarkable track record as a designer, in which she manages to combine craft and innovation. Her designs are characterised by a perfect balance between functionality, aesthetics and timelessness, where elegance and simplicity are always at the centre.

Nedda El-Asmar's work covers a diverse range of products, from cutlery and tableware to everyday utensils. Her collaborations with leading international brands and her commitment to education have made her a leading designer, leaving her mark on the next generation of designers.

'I pass on to my students that you have to be prepared to be financially less well off for the first 10 years. An artistic career requires perseverance and passion, and time to discover yourself.’

Nedda El-Asmar

Wave_Puiforcat_Nedda_1998Condom holder_Nedda_1992_ (C) Wolf&Wolf

Nedda El-Asmar (c) Elyane Van Coillie-3M(Y)ICKEY_Nedda_2023_(C)_Sarmad_thenobodyartiste

2. Young Talent Gold Award: Jonas Van Put

The Young Talent Gold Award is a design award to encourage a young talent active for up to 10 years. The assessment considers social relevance and the quality of the entire portfolio. The laureate receives a cash prize of 10,000 euros.

The jury awards the Young Talent Gold Award to Jonas Van Put because of his exceptional vision and talent as a designer of objects and spaces. His work shows a sense of experimentation, effortlessly combining aesthetics and functionality. His formal language is honest and thoughtful, his designs honest, relatable and surprising. His work often invites users to enter into a dialogue with each other. What Jonas makes are not objects you hang on the wall, but designs you want to experience.

Moreover, Jonas Van Put is one of the driving forces within a community of makers, where he promotes cooperation and exchange of expertise. In addition, Jonas has already taken his first steps internationally.

‘For me, cocreation is the most valuable way to realise a project. Then it is immediately supported by more people, which improves the quality. Since starting my practice, I have surrounded myself with communities of designers and makers.’

Jonas Van Put

Al Cabinet, Jonas Van Put i.s.m./together with hé! architectuur, Jaap Bontekoe, Marleen Poelmans, 2022 © Tim Van de VeldeDaybed fl93, Jonas Van Put voor/for Fortlaan 93, 2017 © Piet Albert Goethals

Buzzijungle, Jonas Van Put voor/for BuzziSpace, 2017Mirror Monolith, Jonas Van Put, 2024 © Hanne FransenJonas Van Put © Kelly De Block

3. Company Gold Award: Atelier Vierkant

The Company Gold Award is a design award for companies that use designers and design strategically. It rewards good commissioning practices in relation to design. Important criteria are the degree of professionalism, strategy, sustainability and innovation. ​

The jury awarded the Company Gold Award to Atelier Vierkant for its exceptional merit in the world of ceramics. What began as a small family business has grown into an internationally recognized player. At the same time, the entire know-how and production remain in Belgium, supported by a diverse and international team. Material research is taken to the extreme, resulting in impressive ceramic pots. The company's strong DNA, combined with an unparalleled passion for craftsmanship, has made Atelier Vierkant a leading export company.

'We were looking for square ceramic seed pots for our laurels, but we couldn't find them anywhere. So we started producing them ourselves. We started small, with the clay we had developed ourselves. But very quickly we couldn't keep up with demand.' — Annette Lanstoght

Atelier Vierkant

Production-Color_AtelierVierkant_Bart-van-LeuvenCKL_NieuweCollection2019_foto-Bart-van-Leuven

Dries-Annette-Bert-Willy-WardEM_Place-Des-Fleurs_Paris_foto-Bart-van-Leuven

4. Ecodesign by OVAM Gold Award: ETAP Lighting

The Ecodesign by OVAM Gold Award is a design prize for a company or designer who acts as a role model for other designers. The laureate convinces the jury by a well-considered choice of ecodesign principles as a common thread throughout the corporate culture and strategy and/or through the designed products and services.

The jury awarded the Ecodesign by OVAM Gold Award to ETAP Lighting for its progressive strategy in the field of sustainability. With its innovative 'Circular Light as a Service' concept, the company is taking an important step towards a circular business model. Instead of selling lighting, the company offers a service where customers receive lighting. To achieve this shift to service, the product range was completely rethought with an eye toward maintenance, disassembly, repair and replacement of parts, which significantly extends the life of the products. In addition, the company is committed to upgrading existing lighting in buildings.

‘As transition manager for circular economy, I am proud of ETAP's pioneering ‘Circular Light as a Service’. With a focus on maintenance, repair and reuse, they are betting on the lifetime extension of luminaires. In this way, ETAP offers a circular and future-proof lighting model. Their strategy and innovation have rightly earned them this award.’ - Brigitte Mouligneau, Transition manager Flanders Circular

ETAP Lighting

Etap Lighting claas_stadskantoorleuven2Etap Lighting showroom

Etap Lighting Dominiek PlanckeEtap Lighting E8-armatuur

5. Business Innovation Gold Award: Open Access Breast Couch

Design agency: Max Schoepen and Radion-D
​Client: UZ Gent

Open Access Breast Couch is a positioning platform for chest radiotherapy. If the patient lies on their stomach, radiation can be delivered more precisely, avoiding potentially harmful, even fatal, side effects of the therapy. The device is currently used in three Belgian hospitals and already served hundreds of patients. The design was scientifically based through clinical studies and combines medical science with engineering and ergonomics. ​ ​

Open Access Breast Couch 1Open Access Breast Couch 2

The Silver Award goes to Caretool S!MPLR from design agency S!MPLR in partnership with VIVES hogeschool and Thomas More hogeschool. ​
​The Bronze Award goes to Dripl Refill Point, from design agency Comate commissioned by Dripl.

6. Consumer Gold Award: Urbanisto

Design agency: Dott Achilles
​Client: Urbanisto

Urbanisto is a modular bike solution where you can easily switch between a regular electric bike, a family cargo bike or a practical cargo bike. The bike responds to the changing needs of cyclists. As a consumer, you only need to invest in one electric driving system, which significantly reduces maintenance and repair costs. With easily connectable front-end modules, you can create various mobility solutions in no time.

Urbanisto 0Urbanisto 4

The Silver Award goes to Verde KinetiCore from design agency Lazer Sport.
​The Bronze Award goes to Fairbuds from design agency Dott Achil commissioned by Fairphone.

7. Crafts by Bokrijk Gold Award: Guided by Tiles

Design agency: Dear Reader, (Eva Moulaert with Robin Vermeersch)
​Client: Ouest Architecture

Guided by Tiles is a tile design consisting of a set of 24 tile shapes used to form both arrows and words (signalling) and drawings (art integration). The tile design was designed for the renovation of theatre Le Vilar in Louvain-la-Neuve. The signage transcends the purely functional and focuses on the active experience of the space.

'Guided by Tiles shows how craftsmanship and innovation can go hand in hand to create a design that is both sophisticated and sustainable. The project transcends the purely functional and shows how design inspired by craftsmanship can transform the everyday use of a space into a meaningful experience.' - Igor Philtjens, President of Domein Bokrijk vzw and Deputy of Tourism and Heritage Limburg

Guided by Tiles 5 (c) Corentin HaubrugeGuided by Tiles 2 (c) Corentin Haubruge

The Silver Award goes to IT Pieces from designer Flora Miranda.
​The Bronze Award goes to Al Khat from designers Gillis & Aniss commissioned by ​ Flanders DC (FOR THE NOW).

8. Design Research Gold Award: Phonobet

Designer: Walda Verbaenen
​Partners: ​​MAD-Research, PXL-MAD School Arts / UHasselt (research group READSEARCH)

Phonobet is an alphabet with recognisable letter shapes that provides assistance in the correct pronunciation of an unfamiliar language for the non-native reader. Depending on the mouth opening when pronouncing a sound, letter shapes were adjusted in height or made larger. Letter shapes visualising long pronounced sounds were also made wider. Letters pronounced together were linked together. The supporting function and power that design and typography can provide build a bridge to bring people closer together.

Phonobet 3 lrPhonobet 0 lrPhonobet 4 lr

The Silver Award goes to Gent Waste Brick for DING, from design agency BC materials commissioned by Design Museum Gent and sogent.
​The Bronze Award goes to Hoe maak ik mijn gebouw toekomstgericht? from archipelago architects commissioned by OVAM and in partnership with CERAA.

9. Environment Gold Award: Gent Waste Brick for DING

Design agency: BC materials
​Client: Design Museum Gent and sogent

Gent Waste Brick for DING is a circular facing brick that will be used for the new museum wing of Design Museum Ghent. The brick is made of lime, sand, white cement and 63% raw materials derived from waste streams from Ghent, namely crushed concrete and crushed construction glass. It is a unique white facing brick with a special texture, a ‘clean’ production that does not involve an oven. After extensive research, the design team opted for pressed rather than fired bricks because of their lower_CO2 impact. In production, the raw materials are mixed, after which the bricks are pressed, cured and dried.
​This project also won silver in the category Design Research. ​

Gent Waste Brick for DING 1 basismaterialenGent Waste Brick for DING 8 stenen stapelen

The Silver Award goes to FenNet from design agency Pars Pro Toto commissioned by Hommes et Terre and in partnership with Fentum. ​ ​
​The Bronze Award goes to Jaga Net Zero from design agency Jaga.

10. Graphics Gold Award: Musée de la Mémoire ‘PROPRIÉTÉ UNIVERSELLE’ ® 

Designer: Joëlle Tuerlinckx and Adriaan Van Leuven
​Client: Joëlle Tuerlinckx, Captures éditions and HOPPER&FUCHS

Musée de la Mémoire ‘PROPRIÉTÉ UNIVERSELLE’® is an artist's book by Joëlle Tuerlinckx, which tells, confirms and completes the story of the M.M., a museum without walls. The book was conceived by the artist and developed in dialogue with the graphic designer. The ‘catalogue-inventory of a museum-by-itself’ tells the evolution of a museum as a monument to a former mining area. Without walls, the museum places memory in the air, stretching out into the universal. The book has all the hallmarks of a classic art catalogue: a generous format, with works presented frontally, detached from their context, printed in colour on coated paper.

Musée de la Mémoire 1 (c) Guy-PhilippartMusée de la Mémoire 11 (c) Guy PhilippartMusée de la Mémoire 9 (c) Guy Philippart

The Silver Award goes to Tosca from designer Jelle Jespers commissioned by Das Mag and Maud Vanhauwaert.
​The Bronze Award goes to Safer Streets from agency Mutant commissioned by L’Oréal Paris.

11. Habitat Gold Award: PureAura

Design agency: Dott Achilles (& Albert Ko & Adrian Lo)
​Client: Lingnan University
​Partner: INNOrigin Limited

PureAura is a simple, low-cost, high-efficiency air purifier designed to improve air quality in small spaces. Its compact and portable design, including a space for the power bank at the back, a handle with an attachment hole and an elastic suspension loop, makes it ideal for use in tight spaces. It is a practical tool that can reduce short-term health risks for residents of subdivided flats in Hong Kong.

PureAura 4PureAura 1

The Silver Award goes to Stock from design agency Stock Antwerpen.
​The Bronze Award goes to Stack from studio MOTO.

12. Spaces Gold Award: Human-centred design: Ghent municipal offices

Design agency: GELO - Mensgericht Designstudio
​Client: City of Ghent
​Partners: Superdruk, SAR Architecten, Kraaijvanger Architects ​

The city office is traditionally a public space that attracts a very diverse public. How do you design such a municipal office for a city like Ghent, known for being inclusive with a people-centred mentality? It started from a radically different design approach, in which ‘Human-centred Design’ was at the basis, and became guiding for all executing parties. The result is an extremely people-centred and inclusive city office that can serve as an inspiration for other organisations.

Mensgericht Design Stadskantoor Gent (c) Hooked Visuals 2Mensgericht Design Stadskantoor Gent (c) Hooked Visuals 1

The Silver Award goes to 019 from design agency 019.
​The Bronze Award goes toThe Adult Playground, from design agency AKQA Brussels x RAAK Design Studio, commissioned by Helan Onafhankelijk ziekenfonds. ​

13. Public by National Lottery Gold Award: Open Access Breast Couch

The public could choose their favourite project for the Public by National Lottery Gold Award via an online vote. This year, this public award goes to Open Access Breast Couch by design agency Max Schoepen and Radion-D, commissioned by UZ Gent.

Open Access Breast Couch is a positioning platform for breast radiotherapy, in which the patient lies on the stomach and radiation can be delivered more precisely, avoiding potentially harmful, to even fatal, side effects of the therapy.

'This project has clear social added value and a positive impact on Belgian society, something we strive for with the National Lottery in all the projects we support. That this project wins the audience award shows the importance of the impact of design. We are rightly proud of this winner.' — Jannie Haek, CEO National Lottery

Publication Henry van de Velde Awards 25

From Tuesday evening 21 January, the publication of the Henry van de Velde Awards 25 is also available. A copy can be ordered digitally via this link at €10 (press can request a free copy via stefan.ceunen@flandersdc.be). ​
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​Besides an overview of all winners and their work, the publication offers in-depth interviews with the four main winners and a behind-the-scenes look at the work of the winners of the project categories. The richly illustrated publication (160 pages) is bilingual (Dutch-English) and was designed by Geoffrey Brusatto. ​

Events Henry van de Velde Awards 25 (in Dutch)
​Discover the story behind the winners ​
​Talks: How design creates impact

Participating is free, registration required.
​More info via flandersdc.be/agenda 

About the Henry van de Velde Awards

The Henry van de Velde Awards have been presented annually by design and fashion centre Flanders DC since 1994. Today, they have become the most important design awards in our country and the list of winners always offers a sample of design and innovation from our country.

In order to detect the best within each category, a professional jury was once again called in, chaired this year by Chris Baelus. More information about the jury here.

Flanders DC is the Flemish design and fashion centre and works towards strong and future-oriented entrepreneurship within design and fashion. Flanders DC supports these sectors in their role as drivers of economic and social progress by ensuring that designers from other economic sectors are more involved as innovation partners.

This year's awards are made possible thanks to the support of these partners:

More photo material around the winners can be downloaded here. ​
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​More information or additional photo material: ​
​via www.henryvandevelde.be ​
​via Instagram of Facebook ​
​or contact:

Stefan Ceunen

Lead PR & Communications Manager, Flanders DC

• stefan.ceunen@flandersdc.be
• +32 477 77 13 84

• www.flandersdc.be