Top honors at 2022 Boat International Design & Innovation Awards

After last year’s virtual prize-giving, the 2022 Design & Innovation Awards welcomed the return of the in-person awards ceremony in Milan, held as part of the Superyacht Design Festival. Each of this year’s entries represented the spirit and determination of the shipyards, naval architects and designers to persevere and continue to make deliveries in the face of everchanging Covid regulations and supply-chain chaos. An independent panel of judges had the difficult task of selecting winners from a large pool of worthy finalists. Here are the winners of the 2022 Boat International Design & Innovation Awards…

2022 Superyacht Design Festival, hosted by BOAT International, took place at The Mall (Piazza Lina Bo Bardi, Piazza Alvar Alto) in the Italian city of Milan from 22-24 June.

Revealed: The winners of the BOAT International Design & Innovation Awards 2022

• Outstanding Exterior Design, Motor Yachts 24m to 39.9m – Koju yacht;
• Outstanding Exterior Design, Motor Yachts 40m to 59.9m – Al Waab yacht;
• Outstanding Exterior Design, Motor Yachts 60m and above – Viva yacht;
• Outstanding Exterior Design, Sailing Yachts – Taniwha yacht;
• Best Interior Design, Motor Yachts 499GT and Below – Al Waab;
• Best Interior Design, Motor Yachts 500GT and Above – Synthesis yacht;
• Judges’ Commendation: Bliss’s staircase;
• Best Interior Design, Sailing Yachts: Audrey the First;
• Best Naval Architecture, Semi-Displacement or Planing Motor Yachts: Stefania yacht;
• Best Naval Architecture, Displacement Motor Yachts: Al Waab;
• Best Naval Architecture, Sailing Yachts: Perseverance 1;
• Best New Series: Motopanfilo 37M;
• Eco Award: Perseverance 1, Reduction in power consumption;
• Outstanding Lifestyle Feature: wallywhy200, Master cabin;
• Innovation of the Year Winner: 90 Ocean, X-TEND;
• Tender of the Year: T/T Viva – Limo;
• Lifetime Achievement Award: Gerard Dijkstra.

Programme highlights included in the three-day yachting festival:

ADAPT AND OVERCOME: Stefano Boeri, world-famous architect and the brain behind Milan’s iconic landmark – the imposing Bosco Verticale (Vertical Forest) – spoke on the topic of responsive design. He outlined how to recognise and react to changes in society, and look at the creative opportunities that have opened up for yacht designers as they navigate the new and very different landscape ahead.

AN AUTONOMOUS FUTURE: The world of AI is evolving at a pace, and now it’s the superyacht’s turn to get in on the action. Boat International investigated the cutting-edge technologies already being put to the test on the fringes of the industry and what needs to happen for their usage to become mainstream.

AN AUDIENCE WITH GIORGETTO GIUGIARO: Crowned Car Designer of the Century, Giugiaro is perhaps best known as the designer of the DMC DeLorean, the car that featured prominently in Hollywood blockbuster Back to the Future, not to mention huge commercial successes including the Fiat Panda and VW Beetle. In this exclusive interview, Mr Giugiaro relays anecdotes and learnings from his varied and impressive career, while revealing for the first time his new trimaran concept.

DESIGNING A SUPERYACHT FOR THE SENSES: Research has shown how our senses interact with each other and affects what we experience while on board. Professor Barry C Smith, founding director of the Centre for the Study of the Senses and professor of philosophy and director of the Institute of Philosophy at the University of London’s School of Advanced Study, told the audience how it’s done.

100% FOSSIL FUEL FREE – WILL IT EVER HAPPEN? Designers often dream of a fossil fuel-free future, and many have already come up with concepts building on this idea – but can a 100% fossil-fuel free boat ever become a viable reality? Join the debate as innovators in the industry seeking the most immediate solution to reduce yachting’s carbon footprint.

AN INTERVIEW WITH PATRICIA VIEL: Renowned architect Patricia Viel shared her journey into the world of superyachts, her design inspirations, challenges and unique creative processes, and outlined what the new generation of minimalist owners want in terms of luxury.

RESPONSIVE DESIGN: Interactive design is one of the latest and most talked about areas of interior design. We will look at how these installations can enhance life on board, the groundwork that goes into installing them and the most exciting possibilities on the horizon.

A YACHT FOR THE SKIES: As the space tourism industry booms, superyacht designers, brokers and travel companies are focusing their attentions upwards. 2022 Boat International Design & Innovation Awards introduced the creative craft that span sky, land and sea.

THE EVOLUTION OF THE BEACH CLUB: The shape of superyachts is changing, and a spacious, stylish beach club is a trend that’s here to stay. Designers at the vanguard of innovation, including Giorgio Cassetta, Luiz de Basto and Mario Pedol of Nauta Design, were asked how this serene space could develop in years to come.

TIM HEYWOOD’S SIX OF THE BEST: One of the original superyacht super-designers, Heywood’s boats have inspired many a young talent to follow in his footsteps. From Plvs Vltra, to Al Mirqab, A+, Here Comes The Sun, Gene Machine and so many more, he shared with Stewart Campbell how his many creations came to be – and the unprintable stories along the way…

A BOAT, IS A BOAT, IS A BOAT...Lazzarini and Pickering have always tried to find a “primary idea” in all of their projects, whether urban masterplans, a hotel, a house or a boat. Carl Pickering explained the initial client brief, their primary idea and will show the concept design sketches of the project, showing the different ways of being at sea and how they became reality.

HOW TO FIND AN ARTISAN: Every designer dreams of discovering a hidden talent, but where and how are true craftspeople to be found? Deborah Pocock and Alberto Cavalli unveiled the routes to discovering exceptional new artists, as well as a selection of untapped and brilliant makers, whose work is perfect for yachting projects.

ALL WORK AND NO PLAY… The past few years have presented numerous challenges to a yacht designer’s creativity – from remote working and travel restrictions through to the significant distractions of a global pandemic. So, how can you breathe life back into a stressed and demotivated studio? Professor Samantha Parsley has spent over 20 years focusing on what brings joy to the workplace, and why we do the things that we do. She outlined how to make the best of your team throughout these challenging times.

THE ITALIAN WAY. WHAT MAKES ITALIAN DESIGN UNIQUE? Cultural historian, Associate Professor of Italian studies at Villanova University Luca Cottini P.h.D took a look at Italy’s complex past and visual imagination as a rich soil of creativity and innovation.