Armstrong Natural Creations® Flooring Honored for Innovative Design by International Interior Design Association (IIDA)

LANCASTER, PA – Armstrong Commercial Flooring won top honors in the prestigious 2011 International Interior Design Association/ Hospitality Design competition (IIDA/HD), Resilient Flooring Category, for its new Spice City design series, a unique and innovative luxury vinyl tile in the NATURAL CREATIONS® collection.

Now in its 15th year, the IIDA/HD award is renowned for recognizing designers and manufacturers for excellence in product design, with an emphasis on innovation, function and aesthetic advancements in the hospitality industry.

“Design is critical for our clientele. The number one reason people select our floors is because they like how they look, and the feeling they lend to a space. This award is an honor, and helps to validate our new wave of design thinking, which is driven by listening and directly responding to our customers,” said Julia Pierce, Marketing & Design Director, Armstrong Commercial Floor Products.

“The highest compliment is being recognized for a job well done,” said Pierce. “We strive to be the first flooring resource designers and architects consider, and the flooring brand they request because they know Armstrong can provide the right floor for their needs.”

The award-winning Spice City series, new to the Mystix® collection, offers three coordinating patterns in five colors for a wide range of design possibilities.  Inspired by global design influences, it combines a textile feel with unique visual patterns, and it is easy to maintain.  Morocco is a linen inspired visual offered in a range of neutral colors. Casablanca is a damask-like visual and Marrakech offers an offset border stripe in a graphic pattern.  The palette is earth based, heavy to neutrals, reserving color for ‘pop’.  Coordinated patterns make it effortless to link different interior spaces within a facility. The Spice City series was influenced by hospitality design which continues to inspire design sensibilities in other markets, including healthcare, corporate, higher education and retail.  

“The design of Casablanca was inspired by the iconic designs of Moroccan architecture.  It can be used as an accent with the coordinating pattern in the Spice City collection, or used as an overall.  Marrakech was inspired by simplicity in form with a modern twist; we wanted to give the option for a limitless border.  For a more subtle effect, Morocco can be used as a clean texture,” said Di Anna Borders, Armstrong designer.

Grace Corbin, AIA, IIDA, LEED, senior associate, Christner, Inc., serves on the Armstrong Design Council: “I am delighted to learn of this well-deserved recognition.  Armstrong is focused on its clients’ needs and desires.  These new floors build on a theme that patterns with range – layered, similar to carpet families –  are appropriate in resilient,” she said.  “NATURAL CREATIONS is ‘sustainable’; floors should have longevity and perform with easy maintenance –that is more prudent than just being ‘green’.”

NATURAL CREATIONS products also feature a durable, abrasion-resistant wear layer; the UV-cured polyurethane coating may eliminate the need for polishes and spray buffing in some applications, saving customers time and money. NATURAL CREATIONS is FloorScoreTM certified to California Section 01350 for low VOC emissions, complies with LEED® credit EQ 4.3 for indoor air quality and credit EQ 4.1 for adhesives comply and is compatible with Green Guide for Health Care GGHC-IEC4.3 and Collaborative for High Performance Schools CHPS-EIQ2.2 and LABS-21 IEQ4.3. Estimated price ranges from $4.75-$6.75 per sq. foot, uninstalled.

Entries in the IIDA/HD Product Design Competition were judged by a panel of four industry experts.  This 2011 elite panel included Viveca Bissonnette, FIDA, Assoc. AIA, CID, LEED AP, Hollander design Group, San Diego, CA; Rick Marencic, IIDA, Daroff Design, Inc., Philadelphia, PA; Anne-Marie Gianoudis, IIDA, Gresham Smith & Partners, Birmingham, AL; Felice Silverman, IIDA, Silverman Trykowski Associates, Boston, MA.

“Flooring design directly influences the marketability and tenor of a space. There are two flooring influences in design that we are keenly aware of to help best create and maintain the value of properties for the future: ‘Sustainable Building’ and the ‘Hospitality Look’ – awareness toward making one feel more comfortable in their environment,” said Laura Gemperline, Armstrong designer.  “This award represents a major step to design leadership since hospitality design influences virtually every other segment.”

Winners were recognized at the Platinum Circle Gala during 2011 HDExpo held in Las Vegas. Winning products, manufacturers and designers will be published in Hospitality Design and Perspective magazines.

About Armstrong

Armstrong World Industries, Inc. is a global leader in the design and manufacture of floors, ceilings and cabinets with a focus on innovation, design and environmental sustainability. In 2010, Armstrong’s consolidated net sales totaled approximately $2.8 billion. Based in Lancaster, PA, Armstrong operates 33 plants in eight countries and has approximately 9,500 employees worldwide. www.armstrong.com

About The International Interior Design Association

The International Interior Design Association (IIDA) is a professional networking and educational association with more than 13,000 Members practicing worldwide in more than 50 countries. IIDA is committed to enhancing the quality of life through excellence in interior design and advancing interior design through knowledge, value and community. IIDA advocates for interior design excellence; nurtures a global interior design community; maintains high educational standards; and supports its Members and the Profession with visionary leadership. For more than 37 years, IIDA has helped reveal new Design talent through a variety of educational initiatives and Interior Design/Architecture competitions honoring local talent, including the Global Excellence Awards with BMW, Interior Design Competition, Smart Environments Awards and Sustainable Leadership Awards. www.iida.org

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