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Seven forward-thinking designs from the 2017 Best of Products Awards

Enter by July 9

Seven forward-thinking designs from the 2017 Best of Products Awards

Seven forward-thinking designs from the 2017 Best of Products Awards.

With the 2018 Best of Products Awards entry deadline just around the corner, we wanted to take a moment to remind you of last year’s winners. Here we highlight only a handful of the most riveting and forward-thinking winning products from seven categories in the 2017 Best of Products Awards. With groupings that span from HVAC to residential furniture, outdoor to textiles, and smart home systems to facades, there are many opportunities for great designs to be acknowledged. You’ll find more information about the various categories and how to enter on the 2018 Best of Products Awards competition page. Good luck and don’t wait too long; the deadline is July 9!

OUTDOOR PUBLIC

(Courtesy KVdR Design)

MANGROVE REEF WALLS
KVdR Design with Jessene Aquino-Thomas

Approximately half the world population lives in urban areas near coastlines, with coastal armoring reducing native habitats and enabling invasive species to thrive. Mangrove Reef Walls are integrally cast within seawalls to recreate tidal habitats along urbanized waterfronts. The digitally developed mangrove and oyster geometry maximizes surface area and texture variety promoting adherence, growth, and hiding areas for numerous species. Ultimately, these eco-friendly seawall panels may be tuned for a variety of local species.

HVAC

(Courtesy Panasonic)

WHISPERRECESSED LED
Panasonic

The WhisperRecessed LED is an 80 CFM exhaust fan that hides abaft an LED Recessed Light and disappears behind the ceiling. It is an attractive way to remove moist, polluted air from the home, and it helps to prevent mold and mildew. The architectural-grade recessed light fixture provides powerful yet quiet ventilation.

OPENINGS

(Courtesy Portapivot)

PORTAPIVOT 6530 XL
Portapivot

With their discreet joinery, these unique room dividers are designed to be mounted on an already finished floor and under a solid or reinforced ceiling surface, without any preinstalled mounting systems. The minimal aluminum frame is designed to be fitted with 6- or 8-millimeter-thick safety glass and is available in three anodized colors: silver, black, and bronze. The axis can be positioned at one-third or in the center, with a configurable swing capacity of 90, 180, or 360 degrees.

TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION

(Courtesy Makerarm)

MAKERARM
Makerarm

A beautifully designed robotic arm that’s infinitely customizable, Makerarm is a factory on a desktop. It offers interchangeable tool heads that easily snap on and off, allowing instant conversion from a 3-D printer to a CNC mill to a laser engraver to a pick-and-place machine, among countless other functions, in a matter of seconds. Makerarm rotates 360 degrees and, at over 700 square inches, its work area is one of the largest of any 3-D printer or fabricator on the consumer market.

BATH

(Courtesy Salvatori + Fantini)

FONTANE BIANCHE
Salvatori + Fantini

A dialogue between circle and square runs through this entire collection from Fantini, created in collaboration with Italian stone company Salvatori. The washbasin is carved from a square marble block, from which a circular hemisphere is extracted. The Fontane Bianche line also includes faucets, showers, and handles.

FACADES

CORSO
Innova Tile

This long-format brick presents a new emphasis on the horizontal lines of fine brick installations with its 19.70-inch unit length. The extended shape, the colors, the variations of textures, and the size and position of mortar joints work together to express the modernity of terra-cotta. The architectural ceramic method of production broadens the range of available colors.

RESIDENTIAL INTERIOR FURNISHINGS

(Courtesy Henge)

MUSHROOM TABLE
Yabu Pushelberg for Henge

Designed as complementary pairs, the Mushroom Tables have an unexpected lightness given their all-metal construction with softened, refined edges and rounded corners. The tables’ differences in height and scale are precisely considered, while the process of sand-casting is reflected in both form and finish, exhibiting a handwrought fluidity. The base of each table is more substantial than its top but is mirrored in its form; slender posts change in profile, from circular to square.

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