June 15, 2026 — Beyond next-generation workplace solutions and sustainable materials, The Best of NeoCon also considers healthcare environments and has a group of jurors who specialize in healthcare interiors planning. The winners of the 36th annual Best of NeoCon Awards were announced June 10 at The Mart as part of NeoCon 2026, the commercial interiors event. The awards recognize products that exemplify excellence in design, performance, innovation and user experience within the built environment.
KI is the Best of Competition winner
The Best of Competition-winning Cognetic Technology by KI stood out for its intuitive, human-centered design. A key feature of the Kiaura Collection, the Cognetic Technology is available in seating for conference, guest and lounge, and ergonomic desk/task that can be specified in a variety of hospital or medical office buildings. The patented seating innovation was developed to fundamentally rethink how the body interacts with seating. The gravity-powered, multi-axis motion system continuously responds to subtle natural body movement, supporting posture variability, fluid movement, and effortless balance without requiring constant conscious adjustment. Unlike conventional seating systems built around levers, tilt mechanisms and static positioning, Cognetic Technology creates an intuitive, frictionless, more responsive seated experience.
Jurors praised the solution for its ability to encourage natural movement and adapt seamlessly to the user, noting that it “moves with your body and how you want to move,” and is “intuitive and effortless to use,” creating a more dynamic and comfortable sitting experience. Other jurors noted that the technology “effectively encourages movement in the workplace,” providing an “added feature of calm as it functions a lot like a rocking chair,” and pointed out the neurodiversity features and health benefits, noting that “hip flexibility helps those with a plethora of health issues and back problems.” One juror remarked that the unique technology “will be a game changer in the market,” concluding, “We loved sitting in this chair and didn’t want to get up. We are very excited to see this technology get specified on projects.”
The Best of NeoCon 2026 winners that are suited for specification by healthcare facility managers and interior planners are listed below.
The Mohawk Group garnered Gold and Sustainability awards for Hero Rubber made with Nike Grind, a high-performance resilient flooring collection that transforms recycled athletic footwear into a sophisticated surfacing solution.
This collection, also a finalist for Best of Competition, is the only flooring product to incorporate Nike Grind — a specialized material composed of rubber, foam, fiber, and leather sourced from end-of-life athletic shoes. Available in 24” x 24” tiles, 48” x 72” mats, and 48” x 25’ rolls (original only), Hero Rubber offers thicknesses of 4mm, 8mm, and 12mm to accommodate a wide spectrum of flooring needs.
C.F. Stinson won the Silver and Sustainability awards for Healthcare Textiles with Bloomscape. Inspired by botanical forms and organic movement, Bloomscape brings the restorative beauty of nature to healing environments. The collection features 10 unique patterns: four high performance woven textiles (Cloud Line, Fleur, Flow and Primavera), five biodegradable vinyl patterns built on the Hyphyn platform (Cloud Forest, Discovery, Sandwave, Topography and Trek), and one privacy curtain (Wildwood).
The collection is engineered for the demands of high-traffic healthcare interiors. Every fabric is bleach-solution cleanable and exceeds industry durability standards. All of the coated fabrics have been thoroughly tested for compatibility with a myriad of cleaners and disinfectants. All non-woven products are HC-201 Certified, which allows designers, specifiers, and end users to easily identify products that have been designed specifically for healthcare.
Wanderwood by Patcraft earned Silver in Healthcare Hard-Surface Flooring. Inspired by classic terrazzo, Wanderwood explores how material can transform what’s possible. A unique wood-inspired terrazzo visual available in 24-in. x 24-in. tiles, Wanderwood LVT flooring is fully recyclable, durably designed and manufactured in the USA.
Constructed with ExoGuard+ technology for high appearance retention that withstands scratching and staining, Wanderwood offers a price-competitive flooring solution for a range of high-performance spaces. Available in 2.5mm and 4mm thicknesses, the 4mm products can be installed alongside carpet tile without the need for transition for seamless coordination, and features a 20 mil wear layer for superior durability and suitable for heavy commercial traffic.
Templok Energy Saving Ceilings from Armstrong World Industries (AWI), a fusion of acoustics and thermal science, won an Innovation Award. The system transforms traditional ceiling panels into passive thermal storage devices through integrated phase change material (PCM) technology — a salt-and-water solution that melts and freezes at 72°F to help regulate indoor temperatures passively.
Integra Seating received the Silver Award for its Odyssey Collection Expanded in the Healthcare Guest & Lounge Seating category. For 2026, Odyssey expands into counter-height and bar-height seating, extending the collection’s signature aesthetic into elevated seating applications. Odyssey also evolves into a more comprehensive systems solution with capabilities to connect chairs and integrate inline or end tables crafted from solid surface. An optional under-seat storage shelf enhances organization by providing space for personal belongings in high-traffic environments, while Odyssey tables in four sizes further expand versatility.
At the heart of the collection is a wrap-around design with an organic, continuous curve that serves both aesthetic and functional purposes. The sleek form, capped with solid surface available in a range of stocked colors, creates visual impact while enhancing cleanability and performance. An ergonomically contoured back provides superior lumbar support with a refined silhouette.
The Etta Collection from Keilhauer took the Gold award in Healthcare Guest & Lounge Seating and Seating: Modular, and the Silver for Lounge Furniture Collections. The 3-seater sofa, 2-seater bench, and modular sofas are designed for the way people naturally gather, inviting users to settle in so their attention can stay where it belongs. Because space isn’t just a place to sit, it’s a place to be.
Designed for privacy without isolation, the privacy chair creates a sense of enclosure that supports focus while remaining open, giving thoughts the space they need to take shape. A subtle gap between the back and seat integrate allows for easier cleaning, supporting maintenance without compromising the design, while an 18-inch seat height supports ease of movement, making it simpler to sit down and stand back up.
Since 1990, the Best of NeoCon Awards program has served as a definitive benchmark for commercial design excellence, commending solutions that advance how people work, learn, heal, connect and experience space. This year’s edition received 274 entries from 97 NeoCon exhibitors.
A multidisciplinary jury of approximately 45 leading architects, designers, facility managers, end-users, and industry decision-makers — including leaders from CannonDesign, Gensler, HDR, HKS, HOK, Marmon Mok, Northwestern Mutual, Shepley Bulfinch, State Farm, and Walgreens — convened on-site at The Mart this past weekend to evaluate submissions throughout the NeoCon show floors. An additional panel of business journalists and facility management (FM) professionals determined the Business Impact Awards. See the full jury list here.
Eileen McMorrow, Director of Best of NeoCon, remarked:
The breadth of this year’s nominees demonstrates how dynamically NeoCon exhibitors are designing for the human experience and responding to real-world challenges with solutions that thoughtfully balance aesthetics and performance. From meaningful advancements in workplace, healthcare, hospitality, education and lighting, the ingenuity and innovation celebrated by the competition are always exciting to see. In particular, the introduction of Illuminate brought a new layer of energy and brilliance to NeoCon, showcasing how vital lighting is to human wellness and the architectural narrative. Collectively, the winners represent a commitment to creating more responsive, resilient, well-being-driven, and people-first spaces.
View the full list and images of Best of NeoCon 2026 winners.
