2016 Vision Awards - Apr 2016

The seventh annual Vision Design Awards attracted a record number of entries, up 14% from last year. The competition accepts submissions of noteworthy projects from architecture and design firms all across the country. Winners are chosen based on design innovation and excellence with an emphasis on unique and beautiful applications of flooring materials.

Education and hospitality submissions were each up 50% from last year, and the number of corporate entries, which is by far the largest category, rose 27%. However both healthcare and retail entries fell considerably. Due to the balance of submissions this year, the retail entries were judged along with the hospitality category, and a grand prize was awarded in addition to a winner in each of the categories.

All product and firm names are stripped from the entries, so the judges vote strictly based on the merit of the design. Any project may be entered, regardless of the brand or type of flooring installed. Our forward-thinking sponsors, Bentley Mills, Crossville Tile and Tarkett’s Johnsonite, have supported this unique blind jury concept since the competition’s inception in 2010.

This year’s independent jury panel included Shashi Caan of the Shashi Caan Collective, who has participated every year, as well as Cameron Wilson, director of interior architecture at LS3P Associates, and Margo Jones, professor of interior design at SCAD.

The winners and jury members, along with representatives of the sponsors and Floor Focus, will celebrate the winning designs at an event in Charleston, South Carolina this September.

Congratulations to all the winners! Floor Focus will begin accepting entries for next year’s awards in January 2017.

To see more on our Grand Prize winner and the other Vision Award winners, see the 2016 Vision Awards in the April issue of Floor Focus Magazine.