Cosentino Design Challenge 2026 winners: architecture design prize

Cosentino Design Challenge 2026 Winners

24 October 2026

Design students from AUD scoop top honours in 20th edition of global Cosentino Design Challenge

“The Slate” and “Monolight” named winning concepts from 127 Architecture entries worldwide

Winners Maya Kharboutly and Rizvi Abdul Hameed, with runner-up Lea Bader and Jose A. Carrillo, Associate Professor of Architecture at AUD.

Cosentino Design Challenge 2026 Winners:

Dubai, 23 October 2026 – Cosentino, the global leader in innovative and sustainable surfaces for architecture and design, has announced the winners of the 20^th edition of the Cosentino Design Challenge (CDC), an international competition that encourages future generation of architects and designers to explore new ideas, materials and approaches to design.

Running from 1 October 2025 to 1 June 2026, the anniversary edition attracted 356 conceptual projects from more than 50 design schools and universities across Europe, Asia and America. Of these, 127 entries were submitted in the Architecture category and 229 in Design.

AUD Students and faculty at Cosentino City Dubai:

Students from the American University in Dubai (AUD) secured two of the three winning positions in the Architecture category, with a third AUD student receiving the runner-up prize, marking a strong showing for the UAE and highlighting the calibre of emerging design talent in the region.

Cosentino Design Challenge 2026 Winners & Runner-up:

“To see our students take two of the three winning spots in the Architecture category is a proud moment for AUD. What makes this achievement especially exciting is seeing them approach a shared brief in such distinct and imaginative ways, pushing the boundaries of how we think about space and materials. It is a testament to the curiosity and ambition we encourage in our students, and to the ideas they are bringing to the future of architecture” said Jose A. Carrillo, Associate Professor of Architecture at AUD.

Since 2023, Professor Jose has integrated the Cosentino Design Challenge into his Architecture courses at AUD, as part of the university’s industry partnership with Cosentino. This latest achievement builds on its success in the 18th edition, when an AUD student won first prize.

Responding to this year’s Architecture theme, “Media Spaces,” third-year Architecture students Maya Kharboutly and Rizvi Abdul Hameed were selected as winners for their respective concepts.

The Slate by Maya Kharboutly

The Slate reimagines the post-production studio as a space that can constantly adapt to different ways of working. Its system of movable stone panels can pivot, slide and reconfigure the studio, shifting between acoustic screens, work surfaces, review areas and spaces for collaboration.

By replacing fixed divisions with a flexible architectural system, The Slate brings editing, teamwork and presentation into a single adaptable environment, creating a studio that can evolve with the people and work it accommodates.

Monolight by Rizvi Abdul Hameed

Monolight explores how stone can become a dynamic medium for interaction. Ultra-thin Dekton panels form a luminous skin through which light travels along vein-like fractures, creating the impression of light emerging from within the stone.

Set within a public garden plaza, the structure responds to human presence through an integrated lighting system, with its surface intensifying and pulsing as people approach and interact with it. Stone, light and technology come together to transform a familiar material into a living urban landmark.

Palimpsest by Lea Bader

Second-year student Lea Bader’s Palimpsest was named runner-up in the Architecture category.

Palimpsest explores how architecture can become part of the media experience rather than simply providing a backdrop for it. Projections and reflections are integrated into the gallery’s surfaces, shifting as visitors move through the space and continually altering their perception of the architecture. The project takes its name from the idea of a palimpsest, where new layers are written over older ones but traces of what came before, remain visible. In the same way, Palimpsest creates a space that is constantly changing while retaining echoes of previous moments.

“Among our many initiatives for the design community, the Cosentino Design Challenge is particularly close to my heart because of the significant role it plays in engaging and encouraging young designers,” said Marta Barragan, Marketing Partner, Cosentino Middle East. “This year, the UAE has secured three awards, a testament to the growing calibre of talent and the quality of education offered by design schools in the region, with AUD being a long-standing partner. We look forward to launching the next edition and expanding our reach to engage more universities in the year ahead.”

Following the official award ceremony at Cosentino City Madrid, Cosentino City Dubai, in Dubai Design District (d3), the brand’s Middle East headquarters, hosted a celebration for the region’s winners on 21^st October. The event recognised the winning students, who each received a €1,000 cash prize, while the runner-up received a certificate. The event also marked the regional launch of the 21st edition of the Cosentino Design Challenge, #CosentinoDC21.

The international jury for the 20th edition comprised Ángel Cobo (Madrid School of Architecture – ETSAM), Isabel Plaza Ocaña (Artediez School), José Antonio González (Andalusian School of Art and Design – ESADA), Jesús Manuel Rivas (Carlos Pérez Siquier School of Art, Almería), Jorge Roa (Seville School of Architecture – ETSAS) and Yüksel Pögün-Zander (Berlin International University of Applied Sciences). Santiago Alfonso, VP of Institutional Relations and Corporate Reputation at Cosentino Group, served as President of the Jury, with local interior designer Lucas Paris also joining the panel.

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American University in Dubai (AUD)

The About American University in Dubai (AUD) has been offering a world-class American education in the UAE since 1995. With a diverse student body representing over 100 nationalities, AUD delivers globally recognized undergraduate and graduate degrees across fields including AI, Business, Engineering, Communication, Biology, Psychology, Architecture, Design, Education, and International Affairs.

Our accomplished faculty combine academic excellence with real-world experience, preparing graduates who are highly sought after by employers worldwide. AUD is licensed by the UAE Ministry of Education and accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award bachelor’s and master’s degrees. AUD also holds prestigious accreditations such as AACSB, ABET, IAA, ACEJMC, NASAD, among others.

Cosentino Design Challenge (CDC)

Cosentino Design Challenge (CDC) is a research and creative challenge for future architecture and design professionals from all over the world. It is a unique opportunity that unites students with Cosentino, a world leader in its sector, and with its innovative surfaces Dekton®, Silestone®, ECLOS® and Sensa by Cosentino®.

Both architecture and design are two disciplines that are totally aligned and related to the business and activity carried out by the company on five continents.Cosentino Design Challenge 20 has the collaboration and support of 42 schools and universities around the world that include this great challenge in their academic calendar, as well as free candidacies from other educational institutions.

#CosentinoDC20

@GrupoCosentino

Cosentino Group

Cosentino Group is a global family-owned company that produces and distributes innovative surfaces for architecture and design. As a leading company Cosentino anticipates, together with its customers and collaborators, design solutions that offer value and inspiration to people’s lives. This goal is made possible by pioneering brands that are leaders in their respective segments such as Silestone®, Dekton® and Sensa by Cosentino®. These innovative surfaces allow the creation of unique environments and design for the home and public spaces.

Cosentino currently distributes its products in more than 120 countries from its headquarters in Almeria (Spain), and it’s present with its own assets in 32 of them. The multinational has 9 factories (8 in Almeria, Spain and 1 in Brazil), 1 intelligent logistic platform in Spain, and more of 180 logistics, commercial and business units throughout the world. More than 90% of Cosentino Group’s financial turnover comes from international markets.

www.cosentino.com

Cosentino Design Challenge 2026 winners images / information received 241026

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