Keynote for ADA Design Awards
- Gregers Reimann
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 13 hours ago
IEN was honoured to have been invited to give the keynote speech for the ADA Design Awards 2025. The main message of the keynote was: "Good design pays. Because it has an attractive payback time, once all the benefits are factored in". To illustrate the point, IEN used one of our Malaysian case study projects, Paramit - factory in the forest. View and download the keynote slides here:
IEN also took part in the subsequent panel discussion entitled "Designing Human-Centered Spaces: ESG & Wellbeing in Practice". The panellists were:
Ts. Vincent Lim, Conveno Green Consultancy
Kathy Fong, Stoked Associates
Gregers Reimann, IEN Consultants Sdn Bhd
Louise Choong, moderator
Some of the topics discussed by the panellists revolved around whether green design requires fundamental design interventions (sometimes invoking considerable upfront costs) or whether to start small with low / no additional cost. An interesting real-time poll was done among the audience, asking them whether the principle responsibility for green design befalls the designers or the developers. About 3/4 of the respondents answered "Developers". Realistically, it will have to be a collaboration between the developers (paymasters) and the designers (experts).
The next session was a soft launch of the low-carbon building material, KAERA, which has load-bearing abilities (compressive strength of 25MPa after 25 days) and almost entirely consists of soil + an additive, i.e. no cement. The product was presented by Dr. Kody Kato and his business partners:
The grand ball room at the JW Marriott was full for the Gala dinner (21 Nov 2025), where the ADA Atap Design Awards were announced and handed out on the stage. There were 24 project categories and 6 Studio categories.
ADA Atap Design Awards 2025 | Studio categories
Best Residential Design (Landed) ≤ 3,000 sq ft. | Best Residential Design (Landed) > 3,000 sq ft. | Best Residential Design (High Rise) ≤ 2,000 sq ft. | Best Residential Design (High Rise) > 2,000 sq ft. |
Best Luxury Design (Landed) | Best Luxury Design (High Rise) | Best Building Facade Design | Best Reborn Project Design |
Best Themed Design (Residential) | Best Themed Design (Commercial) | Best Design Concept (Residential) | Best Design Concept (Commercial) |
Best Workspace Design ≤ 10,000 sq ft. | Best Workspace Design ≥ 10,000 sq ft. | Best Restaurant Design | Best Cafe Design |
Best Bar & Club Design | Best Public Space Design | Best Show Unit Design | Best Retail Design |
Best Leisure & Wellness Design | Best Hospitality Design | Best Use of Colour | Best Sustainable Design |
ADA Atap Design Awards 2025 | Studio categories
ADA Rising Star Award | ADA Trusted Designer Award | ADA Outstanding Designer Award |
ADA Prestige Achievement Award | ADA Designer Of The Year |
IEN was on the jury for the ADA Atap Design Awards where one of the evaluation criteria related to environmental sustainability. The winner of the "Best Sustainable Design" was ZT Studio in Penang for their interior design of the Lumut House, one of the shophouses in UNESCO protected George Town. Link to the award-winning project (click). For the rest of the award winners and runner-ups, refer to the official homepage: https://www.design-awards.atap.co/26-category-winners/2025
EXTRA STORY: "Not easy being green"
While the fellow panellists and conference organisers were lauding Gregers (IEN) effort of walking the sustainability talk by bicycling to the event, realities on the ground at JW Marriott Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, were in fact rather challenging for cyclists. One the first day, when arriving at the hotel lobby drop-off on my folding Brompton Bicycle, the hotel traffic wardens immediately approached me and said that bicycles were not allowed. Telling them that I was here to give the keynote address on sustainability fell on deaf ears. After folding the bicycle and showing the guards that I could easily carry the bicycle as if it was a suitcase, they reluctantly allowed me to enter the hotel.
The next day, for the Gala Dinner, I arrived on my cargobike that has an electric pedal-assist. Once again, I was stopped by the hotel traffic wardens, this time at the entrance to the underground hotel carpark. They said that only cars and motorbikes were allowed to enter. I pointed to the electric motor at my bike and said that I was literally riding a "motorbike". After some hesitation, the guards eventually allowed me to park at the motorbike parking at Level B4. When walking through the carpark guess what I saw? One of the carpark guards was patrolling the huge underground carpark on his beautiful - yes, you have probably guessed it - bicycle!
When leaving the hotel the same evening, a long queue of cars had formed inside the JW Marriott carpark, because the exit is to the near permanent traffic clogged Jalan Bukit Bintang, arguably one of the most traffic congested streets in Kuala Lumpur. On my bicycle, I could thankfully get quickly out of the carpark. The left-most exit took me past the hotel lobby drop-off, where the guards, once more, shooed me away, even though I had come out from their own carpark as a paying costumer. Conclusion: Not easy to be green!
Gallery with photo highlights:
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