Over 80 submitted projects, a jury made up of three renowned professionals and 10 winning works that outline the style of a new generation of creators. This is the story of ASAP RegenZ Young Sustainable Design Contest, the first competition dedicated to sustainability in design addressed to students, a project by The Institute, powered by ASAP Romania, with the support of Lidl Romania.
Bucharest, Timișoara, Cluj, Iași, Arad, Brașov. Students from across the country who attend creative vocational faculties entered their works in the competition, in the categories: architecture, fashion or product design. The jury formed by Ioana Ciolacu (fashion designer), Alexe Popescu (designer) and Brîndușa Toader (architect) selected 10 unique perspectives on what a more responsible future can look like, two of them being team projects. The selected Gen Z students won a €1,000 scholarship and the unique opportunity to present their works in an exhibition capsule, signed by ASAP, with the support of Lidl Romania. The launch will take place within DIPLOMA Show, between October 3–12, at Hanul Gabroveni in the capital.
Each project on display speaks about alternative materials, modular solutions, empathetic architecture or conscious fashion – and together they make up a laboratory of ideas for a changing world.
“In the context of contemporary design, which is beginning to become synonymous with sustainable design, the projects entered in the competition had interesting creative approaches, with sustainability components at different levels. We greatly appreciated solutions with elements of novelty, with a focus on constructive simplicity, on the creative refunctionalization of waste or on the use of the new generation of sustainable materials. The common element that defines the exhibition is the students’ attention to the problems of the environment we live in and the surprise of the design solutions proposed.” Alexe Popescu, designer and member of the jury.
Here are the 10 winning ASAP RegenZ projects:
- Product design
• Mihail Ghiorghie Pavel Sibiceanu – Y Coat Stand
• Andrei Teșileanu – Cardboard laptop stand
• Ana-Maria Stănescu – Play+
• Carmen Ruscu – Cofter – modular thermos - Fashion design
• Mario Birdean – Emotions
• Dominik-Lenard Csankovszky – 50% cotton 50% wool
• Andrada Bianca Negru – Contours of the Past - Architecture and interior design
• Maria Stoleriu, Ionuț Cioponea – Housing and urban density
• Mara Stancu – RITM – Community space accessible to people with visual impairments
• Iulia-Camelia Mocanu, Dan Paul Pangică – Urban greenhouses, instances of the interstitial space
RegenZ exhibition where the creative process matters as much as the product
More than a presentation of works, the exhibition emphasizes the creative process: the stages of work, the materials used, the thinking behind the design. ASAP RegenZ is conceived as modular and reusable, to reflect the very principles of sustainability that it promotes.
Thus, between October 3/12, at Hanul Gabroveni, visitors will be able to discover everything from a laptop stand made entirely of cardboard to clothes that tell stories about identity and collective memory, community spaces designed for inclusion or urban greenhouses that give back forgotten spaces to the city.
“Sustainability is not just about separate collection, it is a form of respect for everything that surrounds us. That is why the collaboration between ASAP and DIPLOMA Show was born naturally: to support the creativity of young artists who think and create using sustainable practices. We present with emotion and enthusiasm the RegenZ students’ exhibition and the scholarship winners, through which we show the general public how they managed to incorporate sustainability into their creations, reusing materials or using production techniques with a reduced environmental impact. Through this project we want to broaden ASAP’s concerns and seek to show the community and the general public as many examples as possible of good practices that embed sustainability across various fields.” Mihaela Tutunaru, coordinator of the ASAP program.
ASAP Romania brings teenagers free extra activities within DIPLOMA Show
Throughout DIPLOMA Show 2025, the ASAP program offers students a series of activities through which they can discover the creative universe of the young participating artists, as well as the connections between the exhibition, the city and the community we live in. Among these is the workshop “Traveler through the Old Town”, an architectural journey for children aged 12 to 15, organized in partnership with De-a Arhitectura. The tours will take place on the weekends of October 4/5 and October 11/12, between 11:00 and 13:00, and are free of charge. Students will discover historical buildings, stories about the city and the largest pedestrian area of the capital. The route ends at Hanul Gabroveni, at DIPLOMA Show, where they will receive an introduction to artists and creative professions. Registrations are coordinated by the De-a Arhitectura team and can be made here.
At the same time, the ASAP program invites partner schools and high schools in Bucharest to explore the RegenZexhibition within DIPLOMA Show and offers them guided tours, through which students and teachers can have an educational and interactive experience. The tours encourage the discovery of the creativity of young designers and awareness of how responsible choices can have a positive impact on the environment. Registrations can be made at: contact@asap-romania.ro
