Editors' Choice 2013
Editors' Choice 2013
Alucobond Plus
Alucobond Plus, manufactured by 3A Composites USA, is an aluminum-composite material that is suitable for both interior and exterior cladding. Made of two sheets of .02 aluminum bonded to a lightweight, fire-resistant core, it is available in 50 x 196 or 62 x 196 sheets. Shown here cladding the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Alucobond is easily customizable and available in a broad array of finishes including stainless, bone white, and zinc. full caption
Paper Lane Pattern for Varia Ecoresin Panels
Part of 3forms Varia Ecoresin line and Full Circle Program, Paper Lane employs the precision hand-cutting of craftspeople in Nepal to slice discarded 3form catalogs and arrange them in vertical striations. The result is a panel with vibrant, colorful fields. Varia Ecoresin is a polyester-based material containing 40% pre-consumer recycled content. full caption
Owalo 7000 Pendant
Finnish architect Seppo Koho draws on his national tree, birch, to design sophisticated wood lamp shades for lighting brand Secto Design Oy. His Owalo 7000 suspension lamp features a slatted oblong form specifiable in natural birch, walnut birch, and black or white laminated birch. The pendant measures 39½ long x 5¼ high x 3½ deep and utilizes LED or fluorescent lamping. full caption
WoodWorks Grille Ceiling Additions
Armstrongs WoodWorks Grille ceiling-system line includes vertical and horizontal blade options and a Tegular edge for easy installation in standard suspension systems. WoodWorks Grille Tegular panels are offered in 2 x 2 and 2 x 4 sizes and standard finishes including maple, light cherry, dark cherry, and walnut. full caption
Terralite Cement
Terralite cement is a lightweight, thermally insulative material that delivers increased R values and performance over conventional lightweight concrete, according to the manufacturer. Appropriate for both interior and exterior applications, Terralite is 20% lighter than traditional concrete, making it ideal for roofs, walls, and geotechnical fill. full caption
Vandal-Resistant EZH2O Bottle-Filling Station
To withstand destructive and common wear-and-tear activities, indoors or out, Elkays EZH2O bottle-filling station has been enhanced with durable and tamper-free features such as an easy-to-use push-button, an inside-mount fountain spout, and a stainless-steel exterior. A monitor displays an estimated count of 20-ounce plastic bottles diverted from landfills through use of the filler station. full caption
Woven-Metal Fabric Fins
Cambridge Architecturals woven-metal fabric fins come in a variety of open-area patterns for solar-shading purposes. Pictured here as cable-supported fins on the western elevation of the University of Oregons Ford Alumni Center, the material limits solar heat gain while providing natural daylighting and views. This Mid-Balance pattern has an open area of 52% and is made of stainless steel. full caption
AR Series LED Architectural Troffer
Crees AR Series LED Architectural Troffer distributes high-quality light with the efficacy of 100 lumens per watt and a 33% energy savings versus standard T8 fluorescents. Its flush-mount white housing allows the AR Series to blend seamlessly into almost any ceiling design and softly illuminate a space through highly diffused performance optics. The troffers are available in two models and a range of color temperatures to match existing fluorescent technologies (3,500K and 4,000K). The series supports dimming down to 5% with industry-standard 0–10V controls. full caption
Kiora Sink
Sieger Design created the rectilinear Kiora sink for Duravit with a 2-wide frame that provides splash protection and a slim, elegant appearance. The easy tilt of the drain board allows water to flow off plates, pots, and pans back into the sink. Kiora is available in surface-mounted and drop-in variations. The sink is reversible as a right- or left-handed bowl, thanks to the axial layout of the tap, overflow, and pop-up waste control. full caption
Bamboo Door Collection
GreenLeaf bamboo doors are made to order by master craftspeople using independently certified green materials. Standard offerings include flush, stile-and-rail, and French styles. All inner panels have an SCS recycled-content- and clean-air-certified MDF core covered with a solid bamboo veneer. The flush doors come with microbevel and inlays in stainless steel or brass. Bamboo grain can run vertically or horizontally. full caption
Round 4 I/D
An indirect-direct LED suspension lamp, Round 4 I/D from Peerless can provide additional energy savings through optional features such as an integrated sensor for daylight dimming and occupancy detection. The die-cast aluminum luminaire—also available with a white finish—comes in 4 or 8 sections, and the cylindrical units can be combined and squared off with L-shaped corner pieces to create continuous installations. full caption
StickBulb Collection
Rather than create a one-off lighting installation, the multidisciplinary design firm RUX of New York developed StickBulb, a modular “light-up erector set.” Using reclaimed materials, StickBulb is an LED strip housed within a sleek wooden beam. The bulbs come in lengths from 1 to 7 and can be displayed as a sconce, leaned against the wall as a minimalist light fixture, or mounted to the underside of a shelf to illuminate work surfaces. full caption
Vertigo Tree Grate
Referring to the dizzying sensation and the Alfred Hitchcock film of the same name, Vertigo tree grates from Ironsmith feature a concentric square motif that torques as it radiates outward. Made of cast iron or aluminum, the grate comes in sizes ranging from 48 to 60 square, with tree openings starting at 14 square. Ironsmith also offers the design in a drain-grate version. full caption
Custom Shower and Toilet Stalls
Custom glass and hardware systems company Carvart offers solutions for a variety of architectural-interior needs, including frameless wet-space partitions such as shower stalls (shown) and toilet cubicles. This installation features Carvarts Color Line of tempered and laminated glass panels, which are attached to each other and the floor with anodized aluminum fittings. full caption
Sensate Faucet
Kohlers touchless kitchen faucet uses a sensor that responds in 20 milliseconds for consistent on/off operation, without the need for users to tap or wave in front of the sensor; they just need to place a hand or utensil through the activation area to start or halt water flow. Sensates small handle allows users to tweak the water temperature and flow. Optional manual operation ensures that the faucet works during power outages. full caption
XSM Vibrant Series LED Module
Light quality—and not necessarily brighter light—can deeply affect how viewers see color and texture, so Xicato has tuned color gamut areas to create its Vibrant Series, an LED solution that renders cleaner whites, more brilliant reds, pinks, and blues, and greater depth and detail. The 1¾-diameter module can be used by curators, designers, and retailers to highlight particular displays without affecting the color temperature of the surrounding space. full caption
Parallel 42 Bench
Michigan-based Landscape Forms repurposes lumber from its own manufacturing waste to create the slatted modular bench series Parallel 42. The indoor-outdoor units can be specified in isosceles trapezoid or parallelogram formats, which can then be combined to form linear, X, or T shapes, and a number of geometric configurations. The bench is constructed from unfinished Jarrah wood, which weathers naturally to a pewter gray, and steel supports that are powder-coated to protect against rusting, chipping, peeling, and fading. full caption
Lumenbeam Grande LED Projector
Lumenpulses award-winning Lumenbeam family of exterior and facade lighting expanded this year with the addition of Grande. This largest version is a 100W LED luminaire with a 133/16-diameter face that can project anywhere between a 60° flood and narrow 6° beam. The fixture can be mounted on the ground, walls, or poles. full caption
Weil Studio Collection
To produce crisp graphics that are visible inside and outside of a building, Pulp Studio collaborated with photographer Amanda Weil to create custom installations. Shown here in a floral version for Bel Air Bar and Grill in California, the studio laminated a double layer of the imagery—with a frosted interlayer—onto Solarban glass, then added a further glass layer on the interior side, vacuum sealing it all. Similar custom solutions are available. full caption
Interior Sun-Control Fabrics
Phifers Style 2500, part of the Performance+ collection, is a 1% open basketweave fabric that combines the performance of a traditional SheerWeave material with the highly reflective properties of a metallized coating. The entire Performance+ series is available in 63 and 96 widths in 10 neutral colors for commercial interiors. The fabrics are also infused with Microban antimicrobial product protection. full caption
HDR120 Sensor Activated Clean Dry
TOTOs HDR120 hand dryer demonstrates that designing inside the box can also yield attractive results. Its simple white form measures a compact 12 x 21½ and conceals sensor-activated double-sided blowers that generate 208 mph of air speed. Side panels and a tray prevent excess water from dripping to the floor. The energy-efficient unit operates quietly—at 57dB. full caption
Antimicrobial Copper Hardware
Rocky Mountain Hardware collaborated with Olin Brass, a developer of high-performance copper alloys, to produce antimicrobial copper-surface hardware. Hundreds of styles from the company are available for casting in CuVerro, a copper that incorporates antimicrobial properties. Rocky Mountain also produces a series in CuVerro alloy specifically suited to health-care facilities. full caption
ADA-Compliant Window Hardware
Most of Wausaus INvent Series window family and 4250-Z zero-sightline awning and casement insert vents now feature more accessible hardware options. These projected windows operate with one hand and require an operating force of 5 pounds or less to unlock, open, close, and lock without requiring a tight grip or twisting of the wrist. The designs can meet the operating-force and limited-motion requirements of ICC/ANSI A117.1. full caption
Kartell by Laufen
The Italian furnishings manufacturer Kartell and the Swiss bathroom specialist Laufen collaborated on a contemporary bathroom-furniture collection. Called Kartell by Laufen, it includes tubs, shelving, mirrors, drawers, sinks, toilets, and accessories in transparent polycarbonate and a new material, SaphirKeramik, which the company claims is thinner than and twice as strong as ceramic. Shown is a chest of drawers, a SaphirKeramik washbasin, and a transparent polycarbonate mirror frame and stool. full caption
Circle Mesh
The first-ever woven metal fabric to feature circular patterns, Banker Wires Circle Mesh is woven with the same wire as traditional architectural mesh, but is crimped by a spiral machine that allows for different sizes and percentages of open area. The material can be used on any scale and, as an added benefit, the weaving process of mesh produces very little scrap compared with the process of perforating metal. full caption
Eva Zeisel Collection
The late designer Eva Zeisels penchant for sensuous, feminine shapes informed a line of hand-blown Murano glass lighting for Leucos. The collection includes pendants, wall sconces, and table lamps in the rotund Summer design and the narrower Spring version. full caption
2 x 2 FlatLight
Pixi Lightings FlatLight recessed fixtures are designed to be LED replacement fixtures for existing luminaires. Available in 1 x 4 and now 2 x 2 configurations, they are ideal for under-cabinet, flush-ceiling, T-bar, drop-ceiling, and wall lighting, as well as dry and damp locations. FlatLights internal power supply allows for TruFlat mounting, and its 90° bezel edge is suited for commercial applications. FlatLight is available in a 4,000K color temperature, is RoHS-compliant, and features a five-year limited warranty. full caption
Radii Pendant
Part of Io Lightings Radii fixture family, the pendant is adjustable by up to 45º and offers the ability to insert additional control media including a soft-focus beam, linear-spread lenses, and colored lenses. This 50,000-hour accent light delivers center-beam candlepower equivalent to a 100W ceramic-metal-halide lamp at one-third the watts. Available in two different light outputs (standard and high), three color temperatures (2,700K, 3,000K, and 5,000K), and three paint finishes: silver, black, and white. full caption
LIFT
This automated shading innovation from Lutron offers an installed-cost savings of 30% per shade panel when compared with existing market solutions. Ideal for large commercial applications, the Roller 300 drive with Lutron Intelligent Facade Technology (LIFT) is capable of controlling 300 square feet of fabric from one low-voltage shade drive via in-room keypads or Lutrons Hyperion solar-adaptive technology. full caption
Monolithic Ceiling & Lighting System
USG and GE Lighting collaborated on an integrated monolithic ceiling system in which the mechanical components and lighting are incorporated into the ceiling plane. The sustainable system utilizes USGs highly reflective Logix ceiling with GEs energy-saving Lumination LED linear recessed luminaires. full caption
Magna T-Cell Ceiling System
Chicago Metallics Magna T-Cell ceiling system is a modular design that can break up vast stretches of ceiling with staggered elevations. The system, shown here installed at Scioto Downs casino in Columbus, Ohio, can support lights, cameras, and diffusers. Two different cell patterns and custom colors are available. full caption
Timeline Color Series
Through a specially developed color process, Timeline created a sustainable alternative to reclaimed and conventional on-site wood finishing. Timeline products can contribute to LEED projects as a result of its water-based and low-VOC materials and FSC-certified wood. The Timeline Color Series offers 11 custom hues and comes in multiple plank widths and three edge choices. full caption