Ruchi Baniya, Dipesh Mali, Vivek Shrestha and Angel Singh Maharjan won the top awards at IIFT’s Space and Design Expo Seasons 6 and 7, which concluded at Kathmandu’s City Center on Sunday. The two-day event recognised student work in café and thesis design, closing with an awards presentation and a graduation ceremony.
Organised by IIFT School of Fashion and Interior Design, the exhibition brought together 101 interior design students. Visitors explored 78 café designs and 42 thesis designs displayed across the ground floor through the third floor of City Center in Kamalpokhari.
The projects featured creative concepts, practical design ideas and interior models developed during the students’ studies and training.
Volume 6 Winners
In the Café Design category of Volume 6, Ruchi Baniya secured the winner’s title. Grishma Bogati finished as first runner-up, followed by Smriti Shrestha as second runner-up.
Ram Gopal Tandukar and Mukesh Maharjan judged the category.
Dipesh Mali won the Thesis Design category, with Samina Maharjan named first runner-up and Anisha Khadgi second runner-up. Ranjan Prajapati and Rabin Shilpakar served as judges.
Volume 7 Winners
In Volume 7’s Café Design category, Vivek Shrestha claimed the top award. Samriddhi Shrestha finished as first runner-up, while Shobha Adhikari took second runner-up.
Angel Singh Maharjan won the Thesis Design category, followed by Grishma Bogati as first runner-up and Susena Limbu as second runner-up.
The Public Choice Award for Café Design went to Nikal Bhaila Shrestha, while Anisha Thapa received the Public Choice Award for Thesis Design.
Cash Prizes and Graduation Ceremony
Café Design winners received Rs 12,000, while first and second runners-up received Rs 10,000 and Rs 8,000, respectively, along with trophies.
In Thesis Design, winners received Rs 15,000, first runners-up Rs 12,000, and second runners-up Rs 10,000, together with trophies and certificates.
Chief guest Dinesh Shrestha, Nepal’s consular representative for Malta, and IIFT Managing Director Phupu Tenzing Sherpa, among others, presented the awards.
Congratulating the winners, Shrestha said practical and creative events of this kind could help students move forward professionally in their chosen fields.
Sherpa said the expo offered students an opportunity to present their academic achievements and introduce their work to industry professionals. He described it as a platform where people working in interior design, construction, hospitality, cafés, real estate and entrepreneurship could discover emerging talent.
He added that IIFT’s fashion and interior design education aims to prepare skilled professionals and help students enter the industry.
A graduation ceremony for students who had completed their studies at IIFT was also held during the closing programme.
