Winners announced for Dulux Design Tour

Dulux has announced the chosen five recipients of its design tour scholarship, Dulux DIAlogue on Tour, delivered in collaboration with the Design Institute of Australia (DIA) and the Designers Institute of New Zealand (DINZ).

Now in its second year, Dulux DIAlogue on Tour is an inspirational expedition, exclusive to DIA and DINZ members across New Zealand and Australia, which gives five design professionals the opportunity to travel to London and Stockholm for an enlightening education from European and Scandinavian design talent.

The five Dulux DIAlogue on Tour winners are:
Rufus Knight, Knight Associates – New Zealand
Miriam Fanning, Mim Design - Australia
Ben Edwards, Studio Edwards – Australiaa
Adele Winteridge, Foolscap Studio - Australia
Melissa Reid, Group GSA – Australia

Travelling to the two capitals in September, the winners will engage in open dialogue with their hosts, sharing ideas and viewpoints, and showcasing the talent coming out of Australia and New Zealand. For Philip Vodanovich, Commercial Manager Dulux NZ, the tour looks to provide winners with new inspiration to invigorate their own design style and career.

“We’re delighted to be continuing the Dulux DIAlogue Tour in its second year and to see that, once again, the calibre of entrants has been exceptional,” he says. “The tour is a valuable opportunity for design talent from across Australia and New Zealand to be part of an inspiring cross-pollination of ideas that will undoubtedly bring new perspective and ambition to their future work.

“DIA and DINZ are key institutions shaping the future of design in their respective countries. We hope the Dulux DIAlogue Tour will only reinforce their importance for our industry and support them in continuing to attract a growing cohort of influential designers.”

Of the New Zealand winner, Davina Harper, Dulux Colour & Design Specialist says “We are excited to have Interior Architect Rufus Knight representing New Zealand on the tour this year. The incredible work that Rufus is doing is helping to shape the future of interiors in this country.”

All applicants were required to hold a current DIA or DINZ membership to be eligible to enter the contest.
To enter, they answered a series of questions on their own design philosophy and inspiration, and provided commentary on how they would benefit from the opportunity.

Notes to Editor:

Rufus Knight, Knight Associates – New Zealand
Rufus graduated from studying Interior Architecture at Victoria University's School of Architecture and Design in Wellington in 2008. After finished his degree, he held an Associate position at award-winning practice Fearon Hay Architects. Following a stint abroad in Europe, notably working for Vincent Van Duysen Architects in Antwerp, Rufus was awarded the Designers Institute of New Zealand's highest achievement for spatial design, the Purple Pin in 2015. In 2016 he went on to open his own Auckland-based studio, Knight Associates Ltd. which concentrates on Interior Architecture and Design.
Miriam Fanning, Mim Design - Australia

Founder of Mim Design, Miriam started her journey at RMIT where she studied Interior Design. Having also worked at The Buchan Group Melbourne, Miriam has always given back during her career and has shared her knowledge through different outlets such as judging both AIDA and AGOTYA awards, giving DIA talks, participating in boards such as Denfair and offering industry interviews.
Ben Edwards, Studio Edwards – Australia

After achieving a 1st in Architecture, Ben started his career as an Architectural Assistant at CRDG Architects before becoming Director at The Intervention. After spending a year here, Ben moved to LAB Architecture Studio and then on to 1:1 Architects, where he became a Senior Architect. In 2009, he became co-director at Edwards Noore, before taking his current position as Director at Studio Edwards, earlier this year.
Ben has tutored design at the Icelandic Institute of Design, Monash University, Liverpool University and Oslo Academy of Arts as well as guest tutoring at RMIT and Melbourne University. He has also been a judge for the Victorian Architecture Awards Program and an ambassador for the OVGA Bushfire rebuild program.

Adele Winteridge, Foolscap Studio – Australia

Adele graduated in 2004 with a degree in Architecture from Curtin University, Perth, where she worked at The Design Team whilst she was studying. After graduating, she moved to Sydney where she worked at Futurespace before taking a role as program coordinator of The Interior Department at The Whitehouse Institute of Design. After moving to the Melbourne campus, she took on some freelance work before founding the Foolscap Studio in 2009 to pursue her own dream.

Adele has won a Belle Interior Design Award and an award for Emerging Practice 2014 from IDEA as well as judging for the Eat Drink Design Awards and the INDE awards.

Melissa Reid, Group GSA – Australia

After graduating with a Bachelor in Design from University of Technology, Sydney, Melissa worked for several Sydney-based interior design companies including Michael Holmwood and Associates, BKI Design and KGB Design. She then made the move to London where she worked at Pringle Brandon Architects and Aukett Associates before returning to Melbourne in 2007 and taking a job as National Principal of Interiors at Group GSA. In 2009, Melissa opened MRI design where she remained as the Design Director before returning to Group GSA as Principal of Interiors in 2014, where she is now.

Founding Chair for the DIA Queensland Gold Coast Committee, Melissa is also part of the coordinating team for the inaugural 7x7 DIAQ:GC Talk Series and Creative Chatter Student Programme and DIAlogues on the Gold Coast. In April 2014, she was awarded fellowship to the DIA for her significant impact on design, her individual contribution to the Design Institute of Australia and the advancement of the professional design industry.