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NeoCon, the contract furnishing industry’s premier event,
attracted over 40,000 attendees in Chicago last June. A brief
selection of the newest products and showrooms introduced
at this year’s show follows.
-R.F.C.
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Keeping
a good thing going
For the second year in a row, The Mohawk Group enlisted
architect Shashi Caan to design its Merchandise Mart showroom
to help galvanize its image, given the individual brand
identities of five distinct operations—Karastan Contract,
Durkan Commercial, Durkan Patterned Carpet, Mohawk Commercial,
and Bigelow Commercial. A distinct feature of the space
is a storage area that extends 48' down the length of
the showroom and rises 7' high, which is masked by a wall
that features the artwork of James Toro “carved”
into a block of backlit Dupont Corian. For 2005, Caan
has been tapped to develop a collection for the Karastan
Contract division of the company. Mohawk Group, Atlanta.
www.mohawkgroup.com
[Reader
Service # 226 ] |
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New brand, philosophy, and showroom
Designed by Perkins & Will/Eva Maddox Branded Environments,
Haworth’s new showroom launched a new design philosophy
that takes a holistic approach to the work space and addresses
performance through the concepts of “Work” and
“Restore.” A Restore Pavilion features a reflecting
pool built into the raised flooring, while a Work Pavilion
incorporates “Glow Walls” that offer artificial
daylight and flooring used for communication. Haworth
has applied for gold-level certification in the USGBC’s
LEED-CI pilot program. Haworth, Holland, Mich. www.haworth.com
[ Reader
Service # 227 ] |
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One
flexible office worker
Awarded Best of Competition in this year’s Best of
NeoCon competition, Topo’s “flex-fit” walls
feature unlimited adjustment within an 18'' range to increase
or decrease work-setting size without additional components.
Work surfaces flex-to-fit 18'' laterally and 3'' vertically
to accommodate changing footprints, human scale, and individual
preferences. As an added bonus, users may open or close
their work space with sliding window screens between desks
and roller screens between workstations to facilitate
collaboration or concentration. Metro, Oakland, Calif.
www.metrofurniture.com
[ Reader
Service # 228 ] |
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Female designs on furniture
According to Brayton, the 3 Women Collection is
a direct reflection of the rise of talented women in design
and architecture. The collection includes designs by Laurinda
Spear, FAIA, founding principal of Arquitectonica; Pamela
Light, a senior vice president at HOK in L.A.; and Alison
Spear, AIA, a principal of her own firms in Miami and
New York City. The Circa modular lounge (right) was designed
by Alison Spear for the collection along with a ganging
table. Brayton, High Point, N.C.
www.brayton.com [Reader
Service # 229 ] |
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| For
more new products see this month's Product
Focus |
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