Friday, 14 September 2007 | Levent OZLER

Julien Cueff: Best Conceptual Interior

Julien Cueff from the Royal College of Art, UK has been awarded the Interior Motives award for Best Conceptual Interior. Cueff's "Phemton" concept vehicle features sleek removable seats and wall panels that transform into stylish home furniture and a high-end home entertainment system. Cueff was also awarded Interior Motives Student Designer of the Year for his concept.

The Phemton features non-symmetric components and materials that give the interior a futuristic, yet classic look. The driver and passenger's seats become individual lounge chairs when placed in the home and the rear seat becomes a comfortable sofa that complements the design of the other components of the system.

Pierre Sabas, also from the Royal College of Art was runner-up with his trio of vehicles aimed at the over fifty-five generation consisting of the iD, the AR.WAV and GENE concepts. The iD is a two-wheeled personal mobility vehicle that can be driven like a bike and reflects the image of the user, ensuring the vehicle projects the identity of the driver. The AR.WAV is a rugged electric vehicle with classic looks, designed for admiring countryside views. The interior resembles a country hut and the large windows allow users to view the full panorama of the countryside landscape. Sabas's GENE concept is a customisable private vehicle that enables a wide range of users such as youths, small families and couples to purchase interior components and create their own personalised arrangements.

Evan Mai, from the College for Creative Studies, USA, came second runner up with his "Scion Zero", a zero impact urban mobility vehicle. The concept car is powered by a mid mounted electric motor and can clean itself by spraying internal water jets in a similar action to a household dishwasher. The car features waterproof internal materials and drainage holes in the footwells and the roof and seating is removable to increase internal space.

The Interior Motives Design Awards are open to design students from around the world and are judged by senior industrial designers from the world􀀂s leading carmakers and suppliers.