PPG Presents Awards To Automotive Glass Design Competition Winners

Students at Detroit’s College for Creative Studies (CCS) who won the PPG Design Challenge Awards for 2007 designed a premium midsize multi-activity vehicle with new window systems to meet the styling and image-enhancing needs of a 20-something male target consumer.



- A $1,500 scholarship for first place was awarded to Ludwin O. Cruz, 20, Pembroke Pines, Fla. He designed an asymmetrical car half made of glass embedded with carbon nano-tube wire weaving, making the glass more of a structural element as well as a visual one. The driver-side glass half, styled to be reminiscent of a golfer’s swing, has dimples like those on a golf ball to focus the sun’s energy onto solar panels beneath to power four independent wheel motors and interior electronics. The glass top incorporates the roof and windows for maximum visibility. A glass panel embedded in each door near the occupants’ feet allows light into the interior while affording visibility for easier maneuvering to park or drive in traffic.



- A $1,000 scholarship for second place was won by Woo Sung Lee, 26, Seoul, South Korea. He combined sport utility vehicle functionality with sports car styling on a solid truck base in a concept inspired by the crystal structure of bamboo charcoal, echoed in the honeycomb theme. Honeycomb-shaped glass affords strength and acts as an air filter on the sides and front. The expansive curved windshield meets narrowing side windows without disruption from a traditional A-pillar. Front-ended weight gives the car a more aggressive appearance.



- Third place and a $500 scholarship went to Andrew Ho, 21, Toronto. His design for a four-door crossover utility vehicle has a roof of electrochromic glass extending from the back bumper to the front that allows occupants to control the amount of sunlight entering the passenger cabin. Navigational and other data displayed in the laminated glass at front give the driver real-time information about the roadway and surrounding environment. Chamfered edges around the top and side window glass light at night. A digital image of water projected through glass onto the ground around the car evokes the feeling of boating on a lake and illuminates the area for ease in tight parking situations. Glass strips above the rocker panels increase visibility, while glass incorporated into the wheel rims enhances aerodynamics and lights to indicate a turn or braking.



Jim Shepherd, PPG automotive OEM glass general manager, announced the winners in the company’s eighth annual auto glass design competition at the North American International Auto Show here and presented the students with glass trophies.



During the ceremony, Alan Kivisto, PPG global account manager, recognized Scott Green, senior account manager, J.D. Power and Associates, for his participation. J.D. Power and Associates has cooperated with PPG since the competition’s inception, and each year its automotive industry experts define the design parameters.



Twenty-six transportation design sophomores presented concepts supported by artwork and clay models for judging. Judges were Brian Janik, designer, Nissan Design America; Brad Richards, Truck Studio design manager, Ford Motor Co.; and Roman Steven Yneges, senior creative designer, General Motors Corp. Janik and Richards are CCS graduates.