Sassuolo, Italy -- Five projects from North America, Africa, Europe, and Asia, were chosen as the winners of the fifth edition of the international award created and sponsored by Fincibec Group. The Quinquennial Tile Award will end on Sept. 25 in Palazzo Re Enzo, in the centre of Bologna, with the award ceremony dedicated to the designers who have creatively and artfully used the ceramics solutions of the Fincibec Group companies in their projects.

The QTA5 jury, made up of three experts in the sector of ceramics, design, and architecture, awarded the first prize to the "Mc Clure project", a luxury residence in the Country Club in La Quinta, Calif., U.S. Surrounded by the beautiful landscape of the Coachella Valley, the villa offers a breathtaking view of the Santa Rosa Mountains. The designer chose neutral and elegant ceramic finishes that fit in with the minimalist furniture, based on white and grey tones, and that allow to perceive the full intensity of Nature in southern California through large glass windows.

The winner of the second prize is House Kashula, in South Africa. This structure, with Jerome Starkey's contemporary design, is characterised by simple, clear lines and large windows that allow the beauty of the surrounding natural environment to enter. It is deliberately devoid of any decorative elements. The flat roof and the sequence of asymmetrical shapes make House Kashula a harmonic element that is perfectly integrated into the surrounding landscape, a mountainous region that also inspired the materials and finishes used in this project.

The third prize goes to a new production plant in Collecchio, Parma, Italy, designed by the Reggio Emilia-based firm IOTTI+PAVARANI. This dynamic industrial venue now has a AAA+ building that houses the executive offices. The exteriors of a private residence in Alpine, N.J., U.S., comes in fourth place. They were designed using the full potential of the technical characteristics and different laying solutions of the ceramic products with grip surface and 20 mm thickness. The fifth project to be awarded a prize is the Riu Sri Lanka Hotel, with 500 rooms, furnished and equipped to offer guests every comfort, and built on the magnificent Ahungalla beach, one of the island's best known and appreciated destinations.

The award ceremony will also mark the beginning of The Quinquennial Tile Award, 6th edition. Over the next 18 months, residential, commercial, public, and industrial projects built between 2015 and 2019 will be allowed to enter the competition.

For more information, visit www.tileaward.org.