June 14, 2006—Seventy-nine awards were distributed in The Best of NeoCon 2006 competition of contract furnishings, a highlight event during NeoCon in June at The Merchandise Mart, Chicago. Celebrating its 17th year, The Best of NeoCon’06 also issued 12 Innovative Awards and three Editors’ Choice Awards, as well as The Best of Competition Award.
Named Best of Competition, My Studio Environment designed by Douglas Ball for Herman Miller, is a furniture system that is user-centered for open plan workspace design.
The Best of NeoCon’06 is sponsored by Contract Magazine, Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc., The International Interior Design Association (IIDA), The International Facility Management Association (IFMA), and McMorrowReport.com. All entries must be new to the marketplace. Categories in the competition range from furniture to fabrics, architectural products to software, lighting to flooring, wallcoverings to carpet.
This time-honored competition is noteworthy not only because of the number of entries, but also because the jurors faced a demanding task of seeing each competition entry within the showrooms and exhibit suites, all accomplished within the two days prior to NeoCon’s opening bell. The jurors examined the entries in person in Mart showrooms and exhibit suites and asked probing questions of the manufacturers.
Composed of 54 corporate, government and institutional facilities management executives and business facilities interior designers (working in 10 jury teams), jurors represent design and facilities professionals who select, specify, or buy commercial/institutional/governmental/healthcare products. The result of their work was announced at a breakfast the first day of NeoCon, giving all attendees (close to 50,000) three days in which to see the winning products in their respective Merchandise Mart showrooms and exhibit suites.
The following names the Best of Competition winner and Gold Award winners in their respective categories:
The Best of Competition
Herman Miller, for My Studio Environments
Gold Award Winners
Alternative Office
Anthro Corporation, for e-Nook
Architectural Products
Industrias Riviera, for Axis
Carpet: Modular
C&A, for Beneath the Surface Collection
Carpet Fiber
Antron Carpet Fiber, for Antron Brillance
Casegoods/Desks/Credenzas
Gianni, Inc., for Metallo
Conference Room Furniture
Nucraft, for Discovery
Education Solutions
Vecta, for x-Stack
Files & Storage
Inscape Corp., for Storwall by Office Specialty
Flooring
Constantine Commercial, for Sustillian recycled vinyl flooring
Furniture Systems
Herman Miller, for My Studio Environments
Furniture Systems: Enhancements
Humanscale, for Access Rail
Healthcare Furniture
Steelcase, for Opus
Lighting
Herman Miller, for Leaf
Office Accessories
Egan, for EganWall Presentation Wallcovering
Seating: Conference
Vecta, for Permiso
Seating: Guest
Cabot Wrenn, for Tenure
Seating: Ergonomic/Desk/Task
Interstuhl Buromobel GmbH & Co, for Mitos
Seating: Sofas & Lounge
Bernhardt Design, for Suzanne Trocme Collection
Seating: Stacking
Izzydesign, for HAG Conventio Wing
Software Technologies
K.R.Moeller Associates, LogiSon for Remote Manager Software
Surfacing Materials
3form, for 100%
Tables: Conference
Allsteel, for Merge
Tables: Occasional
HBF, for LOGiMEET Occasional
Tables: Training
Versteel, for Impromptu
Technology Support
Hafele America, for Ellipta
Textiles: Drapery/Shades
Innovations, for Window Walls
Textiles: Healthcare
Designtex, ABC Healthcare Textiles
Textiles: Upholstery
KnollTextiles, for Dorothy Cosonas Collection
Textiles: Panel
KnollTextiles, for Palladium and Hard Rock
Wall Treatments
Set Wallcovering Systems, for System One by Grant Design Collaborative
Workplace Technologies
FreeAxez USA, for FreeAxeza 40, FreeAxez70
Silver Award winners
Carpet: Modular
Milliken Carpet, for Foreign Intrigue
Education Solutions
Sedia Systems, for Runner
Files & Storage
Spacesaver Corp., for Eclipse Powered System
Furniture Systems
Haworth, for Patterns
Healthcare Furniture
KI, for Soltice
Seating: Ergonomic/Desk/Task
Geiger International, for Foray Seating, Stacking
Software Technologies
Haworth, with ConfiguraSverige, for CET Designer
Tables: Training
Halcon, for Medio Training & Conference
Walls: Movable
Industrias Riviera, for 3075
Workplace Technologies
K.R.Moeller Associates, LogiSon Acoustics, for Network, V2
Innovation Awards
Brayton International, for OOM.Constantine Commercial, for Sustillian recycled vinyl flooring.
Egan, for Eganwall Presenttion Wallcovering.
Halcon, for Medio Training and Conference Tables.
InterfaceFLOR, for The 1968 Collection.
Keilhauer, for Sguig
Lea North America, for Studies
Lees Carpets, for Design Studio
Legacy Furniture Group, for California Collection
Leland International, for LaCrosse Chair.
Turion Bamboo Traders, for Strandwoven Furniture Board.
Wolf-Gordon, for Surface over Structure.
Editors’ Choice Awards
Cabas USA, for Toulouse.
cf stinson, for The Michael Graves Crypton Collection.
Keilhauer, for Sguig.
