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Product Reports 2004

Photography: © André Souroujon

Our 2004 Product Reports Jury
Howard Brandston, LC, FIES, Hon. FCIBSE, FIALD (back row, far left), is a partner with Brandston Partnership in New York City.

Thomas C. Lekometros (back row, second from left) is a principal owner and the partner in charge of design for The Lawrence Group Architects, New York.

Blaine Brownell (back row, third from left) is a LEED-certified architect and an associate with NBBJ in Seattle.

Roger Klein, AIA (back row, far right), is principal and director of architectural design at Swanke Hayden Connell Architects (SHCA).

Morley Bland (front row, left) has been with Beyer Blinder Belle in New York City since 1991.

Lauren Crahan (front row, right) has been a partner in the Brooklyn, N.Y., firm Freecell since 2000.

How do you recognize a well-designed product? The seminal designer Charles Eames once said, “The real questions are: Does it solve a problem? Is it serviceable? How is it going to look in 10 years?” As I sift through the thousands of product submissions that cross my desk during the year, I keep this quote tacked to the wall as a reminder of the goals of good design. Our aim at record is to feature products that are useful, timeless, and address a problem in a new way. This is a quest that is not only rewarding for us, but we hope rewarding for you, as well.

In fact, once a year we gather a passionate and knowledgeable jury representing our readers—architects, designers, and product experts—to choose the most outstanding products of the year. This tireless group donates a day from their busy schedules to pore over product submissions, images, and samples, to find products that answer a well-known or recently created demand in the market. This is no beauty contest—products are chosen not only for their aesthetics, but also for their sustainability, durability, ease of maintenance, and a range of other qualities that push them a step beyond the standard.

Our jury has a different relationship with the product manufacturers than our editors do, and while lead times, customer service, and price points are not part of the criteria for judging, the jury can’t help but let these issues factor into their choices. Often their personal experiences with a company that was stellar, or less so, will affect their final decisions.

After all was said and done, our jury selected 125 new products that they felt deserved recognition this year. While avoiding overdesigned products, they favored offerings that combined new technologies and customization options, including a rear-projection acrylic screen that comes in lengths of up to 340 feet, and a phosphorescent glass block material that can be crafted into an array of surfaces.

For the second year in a row, our Digital Products editor Deborah Snoonian, P.E., organized a “virtual” jury to evaluate the best digital products of 2004. Her jury included Patrick Mays, AIA, principal and C.I.O. of NBBJ, Seattle, and Paul Seletsky, Assoc. AIA, director of technology, Davis Brody Bond, New York City.

Our thanks go to the jurors, participating companies, and Record interns Audrey Beaton and James Murdock for their help with this year’s Reports. We are eager to see what manufacturers have on the boards for 2005, and with Eames’s criteria as a guide, to continue our search for the industry’s most exciting new products.
- Rita F. Catinella

See the December 2004 issue of Architectural Record for detailed information about and images of these products.

Top Ten Green Products
Click here for a complete list of the top ten green products

Digital Products
Gehry Partners Digital Project software
www.gehrytechnologies.com

Dimension’s 3D printers
www.dimensionprinting.com

CINEMA 4D modeling and animation software
www.maxoncomputer.com

NavisWorks
www.navisworks.com

Pocket Palette color reader
www.benjaminmoore.com

GoToMeeting software
www.gotomeeting.com

Graphisoft’s Virtual Construction
www.graphisoft.com

IES’s Virtual Environment program
www.iesve.com

X1 search software
www.x1.com

Project Website
www.project-websites.com