Valchromat partnered with the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Lisbon (FA.ULisboa) to promote an ideas competition that challenged students to explore new applications for Valchromat composite panels, strengthening the connection between Academia and Industry while encouraging innovation, creativity and experimentation in product development.
Integrated into the Technology courses of the first year of the Master’s Degree in Product Design and the third year of the Bachelor’s Degree in Design, the competition took place between April and May 2026 and invited students to develop proposals aimed at children or small and medium-sized domestic pets.
The submitted projects explored the technical and aesthetic potential of Valchromat materials, demonstrating the versatility of the product in everyday contexts and proposing innovative solutions with real application potential.
The jury awarded the 1st Prize to “Mobiliário que Transforma” (“Furniture that Transforms”), designed by Bruna Carrancho.
The following projects also received Honourable Mentions:
- Purrflex, by Emília Azizova
- Trainomat, by Pedro Correia
- Homiau, by David Valentim and Mariana Serpa Pinto
In the next phase, the selected projects will be developed into prototypes in the workshops of the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Lisbon and at FabLab Lisboa, allowing the concepts to be materialised and validated.
Valchromat congratulates all participants for the quality of the projects presented and thanks the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Lisbon for its collaboration in this initiative, which strengthens the relationship between Academia and Industry and promotes innovation through design and material experimentation.
Congratulations to the winners and to all participants.
Learn more about the competition:
https://www.fa.ulisboa.pt/index.php/pt/agenda/noticias-2/4207-valchromat26
