According to the results of a survey by MaP
Testing, the average person spends around
three-and-a-half hours in the bathroom per
week. But despite the important role it plays
in daily life, the bathroom hasn’t exactly
gained a reputation as a hub of innovation
and imagination. That’s why, in 2012, Roca
launched the One Day Design Challenge. The
competition – which takes place in numerous
cities around the globe – sees designers under
the age of 30 race against the clock to create
original and innovative products related to
the bathroom space. Once eight hours are
up, competitors are judged by a panel of
renowned professionals from the design and
architecture sectors. ‘We decided to organize
an event for young professionals and students
that’s linked to the Roca brand,’ says Xavier
Torras, Roca’s brand communication director,
‘giving them the opportunity to explore an
area of the house that has not traditionally
been very open to creativity and out-of-the-
box design solutions.’
The competition began in Roca’s
home country, Spain, and has been expanding
ever since. In 2019, for instance, 13 editions
of the One Day Design Challenge took place
across 12 countries, resulting in 22 winners.
Each edition has a different brief, with topics
linked to current affairs and adapted to the
country’s context. Aspects such as overpopu-
lation, hygiene and the use of public spaces
are all taken into account. ‘The contest has
been growing very quickly,’ says Torras. ‘Now
that it’s held in so many countries, we thought
it would be interesting to add more value to it.’
But how, exactly? Roca’s answer
was to bring together the best of the best for
the Master Design Challenge, the world final
for One Day Design Challenge 2019 winners.
The event, says Torras, offers more visibility
and experience to the participants and win-
ners. Representatives from the 12 countries
in question – Poland, Portugal, Argentina,
Russia, Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, UAE,
Oman, Bulgaria, Spain and China – gathered
at the Barcelona Design Centre (Barcelona
Centre de Disseny) from 20 to 22 January,
culminating in the crowning of Ahmad Alkat-
tan as the ultimate winner. The UAE repre-
sentative achieved the accolade with ExSinka,
a mobile, app-operated washbasin designed
with the elderly and disabled in mind.
Prior to the competition’s official
kick-off on 21 January, the group gathered for
a day of inspiration and education, including
trips to the Institute for Advanced Architec-
ture of Catalonia – where they worked with
experts in the Fab Lab – and to Materfad,
Barcelona’s materials research centre, to learn
about sustainable polymers. And because
the continued training of young designersis important to Roca, the top prize was not
only monetary, but included a spot at one of
Domaine de Boisbuchet’s coveted workshops.
Sustainability has become a topic
of increasing importance, which is why the
Master Design Challenge is aligned with the
United Nations Sustainable Development
Goals. This attention to eco-consciousness
has not just been on Roca’s mind, but on those
of the participants, too. It’s one of the biggest
shifts Torras has noticed since the competi-
tion’s inception. ‘Young creatives simply can’t
conceive of designs that don’t contemplate
the responsible use of water,’ he says. Another
development? ‘We’re starting to see a lot of
technology incorporated in the projects, either
related to the internet of things or apps linked
to the bathroom space.’
To date, more than 9,000 crea-
tives have participated in the One Day Design
Challenge to realize at least 3,000 projects.
And the event shows no signs of slowing
down. Further expansion is underway this
year, with 17 cities adding the challenge to
their agendas. Which means there are many
more ‘masters’ to come.•
roca.com
onedaydesignchallenge.netRepresentatives from 12 countries
gathered in Barcelona for a programme
full of inspiration and education.Roca x Frame 133