Winner of Lexus Design Award announced

Lexus International has announced BellTower from Kenya as the Grand Prix winner of the Lexus Design Award 2020.

BellTower's entry, titled Open Source Communities, was selected for the coveted award from among 2,042 total submissions from 79 countries. Judging criteria for this 8^th edition of the award were based on the three key principles of the Lexus brand: Anticipate, Innovate and Captivate in the quest for a Better Tomorrow.

The winning design, Open Source Communities, addresses challenges often found in developing countries by using smart open-source planning to design affordable communities with sustainable clean water resources.

Accepting the award, John Brian Kamau said, "It was a great honor for us as BellTower, to be one of the six finalists and then win the Grand Prix of the Lexus Design Award 2020. Our journey began with many challenges. However, we persevered to showcase our ambitious concept. Our experience has taught us invaluable lifelong lessons. All our future designs will be aligned with the key principles we learned as part of the Lexus family."

Considering this year's unique circumstances, Lexus innovated to create its first ever virtual jury as part of this process that supports and nurtures the next generation of creative talent. The Grand Prix winner was announced after each of the six international finalists presented to the panel of esteemed judges explaining how they would create a Better Tomorrow. The program's four mentors, who supported and guided the finalists for six months, were also on hand for the grand finale.