Now in its 13th year, Buildings' annual Product Innovations program, exclusively for exhibitors at NeoCon World's Trade Fair (held earlier this year in Chicago), exemplifies the philosophy that high-performance products are functional and beautiful. In fact, the judging committee believes that this year's submittals were especially novel and inventive, as noted throughout the following pages. Which of the 24 products selected for a Citation of Excellence or a Grand Prize in one of nine categories—Computer Solutions, Energy Efficiency, Environmental Solutions, Product Performance, Safety and Accessibility, Workplace Aesthetics, Workplace Flexibility, Workplace Productivity, or Unique Solutions—will be the answer to your facilities' needs?
NeatLinks wire/cable management by Humanscale
A simple concept, ease of installation and use, system modularity, and execution of design make NeatLinks—Humanscale’s solution to routing cables, power strips, and ballasts (bricks)—a great product to prevent tangling and damage to power/data equipment. The product mounts quickly with screws or adhesive tape, in any direction, to almost any surface. NeatLinks’ sleek, unobtrusive design features a curved, finger-friendly edge that allows the user to view and access the cables, power strips, and ballasts concealed within.
NeatLinks by Humanscale.
(800) 400-0625 or www.humanscale.com
Ninety task light by Luxo Corp.
With the Ninety task light by Luxo Corp., it’s possible that you’ll never have to change the light source in your office or at your workstation ever again. Ninety’s four high-power LEDs have a 45,000-hour lifespan; with normal office use, that equates to 25 years of life. A sleek design by Shawn Littrell, combined with asymmetric light distribution for an ergonomic solution that offers task or large-work-area illumination, make Ninety an attractive, energy-efficient tool in increasing worker productivity.
Ninety by Luxo Corp.
Echo Recycled Glass tile by Crossville Inc.
Crafted by artisans using centuries-old techniques, Echo Recycled Glass tile from Crossville has a clear, luminescent quality that’s unusual in recycled glass. Available in 15 colors, this tile for walls, countertops, and floors comes in five sizes and three finishes: clear, iridescent, and sophisticated, frosted matte. Echo contains 30- to 50-percent recycled content and, as part of its green story, has reinvigorated a historic 1880s manufacturing facility in Ottawa, IL (the Peltier Glass Co., renowned for its production of stained glass for Louis Comfort Tiffany), to create recycled glass tile for the 21st century.
Echo Recycled Glass by Crossville Inc.
Tarafit™ by Gerflor®
Gerflor’s Tarafit installation system improves the overall cleanliness of a space by creating rounded floor corners vs. angular, which are typical of conventional, flash-coved resilient flooring. This allows standard cleaning equipment to rid the floor corners of dust or disease-causing agents. The Gerflor vinyl flooring used to create Tarafit is impervious to water; ease of maintenance, smoothness and durability, aesthetics, and a uniform finish are additional attributes. An array of color choices and designs makes Tarafit an ideal solution for many spaces.
Tarafit by Gerflor.
XTend by Spacesaver Corp.
A highly efficient, mobile high-bay storage system—XTend from Spacesaver Corp.—features an integrated, wire-guided order picker vehicle system and an overhead, anti-tip system to ensure easy and safe access to items as high as 30 feet. Electrically powered wheeled carriages, to which heavy-duty shelving is mounted, compact together by riding on recessed rails, eliminating the need for multiple aisles and substantially reducing space requirements. For enhanced fire-loss protection, an open-flue spacing and baffled shelving design, combined with an interface into the on-site fire-alarm system, help confine the fire source and quickly activate the alarm by directing heat and smoke upward.
XTend by Spacesaver Corp.
SmartLink™ Classroom Furnishings by The HON Company
The HON Company’s SmartLink education furniture revolutionizes K-12 classrooms with a comprehensive collection that includes a teacher’s station, modular storage, a wall rail system, and student desks. This adaptable, durable, and technology-centric furniture solution synchronizes teacher and student desks for a complete, visually coordinated classroom, taking into account the changing needs of schools, such as enrollment, class size, and subject matter. The desktop shape of the student desks accommodates right- or left-handed users.
SmartLink by The HON Company.
Olla™ seating collection by The Gunlocke Co.
A fresh, contemporary seating collection for conference, guest, and swivel uses has been introduced by The Gunlocke Co.: the Olla seating collection. With its unique combination of mixed materials (wood veneers, leather, and metal) and a choice of two frames, Olla’s minimalistic styling provides a subtle, elegant fusion of material and function. The durable collection exceeds BIFMA standards and is backed by the company’s extensive, 12-year warranty.
Olla seating collection by The Gunlocke Co.
Hum. Minds at Work. by Kimball Office
Developed in partnership with Formway Design, Kimball Office’s Hum. Minds at Work. draws upon 3 years of research about how people work and what they need to work better. At the heart of Hum. are four unique elements: Personal Workspace, which uses a height-adjustable, convex tabletop to balance individual needs with team needs; the See Me™ Screen, which was designed to create a visual boundary that filters distractions without isolation; Terrace, which uses a variety of horizontal planes (terraces) to give people a means of sorting work in their own way; and Meet Me™ Space, a neck that creates a natural gathering point for two-, three-, or four-person meetings.
Hum. Minds at Work. by Kimball Office.
IdeaPaint by IdeaPaint Inc.
IdeaPaint is a patented, single-coat, roller-applied paint that transforms any smooth surface into a high-performance, dry-erase surface. This low-cost option, which doesn’t stain or dirty over time, turns nonfunctional areas into areas that facilitate impromptu meetings, collaboration, teamwork, and brainstorming. With a floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall writing surface, there’s no limit to the number of blockbuster ideas that can be shared. Every smooth surface holds the potential to become a space for inspiring creative concepts. If, at some point, you want to return a surface to its original form, IdeaPaint can be scuffed, primed, and then painted over.
IdeaPaint by IdeaPaint Inc.
Recognized in the category of Computer Solutions, Khameleon Version 7.0 software offers an integrated system to manage daily operations, automate accurate costing, bill, and more. Khameleon Version 7.0 comes preconfigured with 15 role-based workbenches, as well as embedded analytics tools to support strategic decisions that drive profitability and growth.
Khameleon Version 7.0 by Khameleon.
Recognized in the category of Energy Efficiency, Humanscale’s Diffrient Work Light II is a precision-designed, pre-engineered task light that offers an internal counterbalance for feather-light movement and wide-range positioning with minimal effort. Accommodating the latest CFLS of up to 60 watts (the equivalent of a 250-watt incandescent bulb) for cool, energy-efficient illumination at the desktop, this task lighting—when combined with lower overhead-lighting levels—can reduce energy use for lighting by as much as half.
Diffrient Work Light II by Humanscale.
Recognized in the category of Environmental Solutions, Emerge eco-resilient commercial tile from Azrock by Tarkett has been developed in the ecological spirit of a LCA (life-cycle assessment) approach: It’s created using Lean manufacturing processes that include recycled content, and its longevity, resistance to scratches and scuffs, and minimal maintenance requirements make it an environmentally responsible choice. Emerge’s 12-inch square tiles are patterned in a mix of tone-on-tone base colors with a peppering of other colors that add pop and dimension, and ensure that the tiles complement almost any interior environment.
Emerge by Azrock by Tarkett Inc.
Recognized in the category of Environmental Solutions, Carnegie Fabric’s Urban Landscape cubicle textile collection is constructed of eco-intelligent polyester (EIP), a breakthrough in fiber development and the next level of environmental textiles. Fabrics are free of persistent bioaccumulative toxins (PBTs), safely and perpetually recyclable, and sustainably manufactured using hydroelectric power and recycled industrial waste. Patterns incorporate the defined lines of architectural blueprints and structures with organic patterns that overlap and create subtle texture.
Urban Landscape by Carnegie Fabrics.
Recognized in the category of Product Performance, ABET Laminati’s Walkprint high-pressure laminate is impregnated with aluminum oxide, making it tough enough to walk on. Perfect for horizontal surfacing on countertops, casegoods, furniture, shelving, and displays, the collection’s five surfaces emulate marble, granite, and wood. Walkprint’s thicker skin—an increased thickness of 1.2 millimeters—adds three times the abrasion resistance of normal high-pressure laminate.
Walkprint by ABET Laminati.
Recognized in the category of Product Performance, Acuity™ office seating from Allsteel Inc. delivers good looks and a dynamic adaptive fit (AcuFit™) for a noticeably different sitting experience. Highly intuitive, easy-to-reach controls and a weight-activated back-support mechanism give users great comfort. The back is available in four carrier/mesh options, and a fitted upholstered back or “jacket” can be slipped over the mesh. In addition, more than 90 percent of the chair’s materials can be recycled.
Acuity by Allsteel Inc.
Recognized in the category of Safety and Accessibility, ScreenMotion SME-Revolution from Kesseböhmer Ergonomie of America Inc. is a special electrical lift system for flat screens. Controlled by an infrared remote control or handset, the screen appears from and disappears into the inside of furniture in a magical way. Available in two adjustable range variations (from 720 millimeters to 870 millimeters), the system, which can be freestanding or mounted on furniture or a base plate, allows a screen to adjust to each situation based on optical height and angle to the space or room.
ScreenMotion SME-Revolution by Kesseböhmer Ergonomie of America Inc.
Recognized in the category of Workplace Aesthetics, screen—a textured glass partition from Joel Berman Glass Studios—allows an abundance of light into a space, but sufficiently obscures objects to permit privacy. The modular nature of the system allows users to combine units for a larger, more dramatic application; screen can also be customized by adding shelves or flat screens/monitors for increased functionality. Designed to stand vertically in spaces with 8- to 9-foot ceilings, screen’s installed height can be adjusted using threaded rods.
screen by Joel Berman Glass Studios.
Recognized in the category of Workplace Aesthetics, LonElements Sahara resilient surfacing from Lonseal Inc. translates the rippled sand dunes and landscapes of an African panorama into a distinctive design for interiors. The surface finish and print of LonElements Sahara can be selected and tailored to create countless design possibilities for distinctive motifs. This flexible surfacing solution is 68-millimeters thick; can be applied on the floor, wall or ceiling; and resists high impact and abrasion.
LonElements Sahara by Lonseal Inc.
Recognized in the category of Workplace Flexibility, Genius® architectural walls by KI incorporate superior acoustical properties, low life-cycle costs, maximum flexibility, and clean-room capabilities into a movable wall solution. New aesthetic enhancements, including a seamless connector, a hidden track sliding door, and a recessed floor channel, create a unique design with strong visual appeal. Removable panel shells provide increased flexibility with quick, easy access to power and data to assist users in routing wire and cable through the ceiling, the floor, or adjacent panels.
Genius by KI.
Recognized in the category of Workplace Flexibility, the Workrite Sierra™ Electric with Modesty Screen by Workrite Ergonomics is a height-adjustable workcenter that offers flexible privacy in open-office settings. The Modesty Screen utilizes a unique roller design that provides privacy for all Sierra electric or pin-height adjustable workcenters by lengthening or shortening as the height of the workstation is adjusted. The Modesty Screen attaches to the worksurface’s underside; its bottom edge is in a fixed position. The system meets the needs of new, visiting, and hoteling employees without the need for new furnishings.
Workrite Sierra Electric with Modesty Screen by Workrite Ergonomics.
Recognized in the category of Workplace Productivity, the David Austin Desk by David Austin Collection is an ergonomic wonder, allowing even the office cubicle to feel spacious and inviting since it takes up less space. By breaking down the barriers of the traditional office desk, allowing guests to share equal footing with the user, the collection does away with awkward seating and the need for remote conference space, providing real access to one another and facilitating intuitive interaction.
David Austin Desk by David Austin Collection.
Recognized in the category of Workplace Productivity, InSync by Highmark is a high-performance task chair that features weight-activated counterbalance technology and great design. Easy to use, InSync conforms to the user’s body and continually adjusts with every movement or change of posture and balance, eliminating human error. InSync’s unique design ensures that the user is in the correct position and remains ergonomically supported. In addition, the chair is 98-percent recyclable and made of 21-percent recycled post-industrial material.
InSync by Highmark.
Recognized in the category of Unique Solutions, Peter Pepper Products Inc.’s Guest Center provides a functional work environment for lobbies, guestrooms, mixed-use spaces, and business-center applications. The Guest Center also works in healthcare facilities, providing an adaptable environment for family, caregivers, and visitors. The product combines a worksurface with storage, a task light, and a power receptacle for phone, laptop, and MP3 charging. Modular panels accommodate tack panels, writing surfaces, and areas for mounting monitors or accessories.
Guest Center by Peter Pepper Products Inc.
Recognized in the category of Unique Solutions, Sereneview®, Catalina Curtain Co. Inc. offers its Sereneview cubicle curtains for healthcare applications. The curtains feature new nature motifs in response to research data indicating that, when people view nature, it lowers blood pressure, lessens anxiety, and reduces the need for pain medication—all of which lead to shorter hospital stays. Five photographic patterns and seven scenes in four new colors and two fabrics easily integrate with new or existing décor.
Sereneview cubicle curtains by Sereneview, Catalina Curtain Co.
