7.25.08 |New York, NY | A New Practices Roundtable is scheduled at the Center for Architecture, 536 LaGuardia Place, NYC, on August 1, 8:30-10:00 am. The mission statement of the AIA| NY New Practices Committee states that it shall serve as a forum for exploring new and evolving models of architecture and design practices. This is the first in a series of roundtable open discussions to develop and broaden that definition; what makes a new and evolving model of architecture and what characterizes a design practice. Other upcoming events for next week include:

• Monday, August 4, 9am-4pm, Summer@theCenter Studio III: Stories from the 'Hood, for elementary school students entering grades 2-4. Participants will learn about the local community of Greenwich Village by researching notable buildings and sites and interviewing people of all ages. 
• Saturday, August 9, 9:45 am-12pm, FamilyDay@theCenter: Explore Governor's Island. Take a ferry ride to Governors Island. Explore the island and take part in a skyline drawing activity.
  

7.25.08 | New York, NY | PWC-NY, (Professional Women in Construction) presents Meet the Architects & Engineers, a networking event with exhibit tables on August 21, 5:30-8:00 pm, at Club 101, 101 Park Avenue at 40th St, NYC. Guests of honor for the event are Sandra L. Daigler, Raymond P. Daddazio, Peter Varsalona, Maria I. Wilpon, and JJ Falk,

7.25.08 | Dalton, GA | Pamela Rainey was promoted to Design Manager for Shaw Hospitality Group. Previously, Ms. Rainey served as Senior Stylist. During her two year tenure, Ms. Rainey received a Best of Show in the IIDA/HD Design Award Competition and a Product Design Award at HD 2008 for two carpet collections. To see Ms. Rainey's designs, visit www.shawhospitalitygroup.com.

7.25.08 | Venice, CA | A.N.T. Gallery, created by Ilan Dei as a forum for discourse between art, nature and technology, announced it's second event: "Green: A business model for Extreme Sports" on Wednesday, August 6, 7:00 pm, 2100 Zeno Place, Venice, CA. Arbor Sports co-founder Chris Jensen will discuss the promotion of environmental awareness through green sustainable products and media, and how to keep the beauty of our environments preserved for future generations. RSVP: info@ilandeistudio.com

7.25.08 | Green Bay, WI | KI's Strive Seating Collection was presented by designer Giancarlo Piretti at Strive in the City events held in Miami Beach and Boca Raton, FL. Mr. Piretti described the collection as the culmination of his 40-year career. The Strive Collection, with its flex back design, offers comfort, style, and affordability to a mass audience. 

7.25.08 | Wellesley, MA | Simon Design Engineering provided design and consulting solutions for AT&T at its new facility in Mt.Laurel, NJ. In order to avoid encroachment into the nearby wetlands, Simon Design Engineering recommended going up instead of out, a solution that required 15% less land than surface lots. www.sde-us.com

7.25.08 | East Greenville, PA | Knoll announced the 2008 scholarship recipients through the Knoll Educational Scholarship Program (KESP). KESP is managed by Scholarship Management Services, part of Scholarship America. Scholarship criteria include academic record, potential to succeed, leadership and participation in school and community activities, honors, work experience, a statement of educational and career goals and an outside appraisal.  Knoll associates are not involved in the award process. For a complete list of recipients, visit: officeinsight.com.

7.25.08 | Denver, CO | Stacey Harris and Mark Truex joined SPACES, a commercial flooring provider in Denver, CO. Ms.Harris, previously with Interceramic, will work with local architects, designers, property managers and general contracts for sales and account management. Mr. Truex, formerly with Tandus, will focus on comprehensive flooring solutions for individual customers.

7.25.08 | Phoenix, AZ | Bill Muster was promoted to Director of Consumer Sales for OmniMount. Mr. Muster rejoined the OmniMount sales team in April as General Manager of Consumer Sales. Mr. Muster has served as the national manager and then the general manager of consumer sales in his six years with the company.

7.25.08 | Colton, CA | Hodgdon Miank Construction, Inc. completed the construction of Heritage Crossing, a multi-tenant retail center with car wash and a Mexican food restaurant in Fontana, CA. 

7.25.08 | Norwalk , CT | EMCOR Group, Inc. announced that its subsidiary, Poole and Kent Company of Florida, was awarded a mechanical construction contract by the University of Miami School of Medicine campus in Miami, FL. Poole and Kent will install a piping system that will provide 17,000 tons of chilled water to various buildings on the University’s School of Medicine campus. 

7.24.08 | Chicago, IL | HOK Chicago designers and architects were recognized with two Best of NeoCon awards for their design of a carpet collection for Lees Carpets and for a flooring collection for Mannington Commercial. For Lees Carpets, designers from HOK's Interiors Practice created the new "Places and Spaces" collection, capturing the essence of four cities across America, Washington, DC, Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Chicago. The second project, which received a Silver Award in the "Flooring: Resilient" category, was for Mannington Commercial's "Create Collection, which employed a broad palette of saturated colors, neutrals, geometric/circular shapes for a fun and imaginative collection. Sustainability was a factor in both collections.

7.24.08 | Newport Beach, CA | Marinita Development Co., announced that the company, in a joint venture with Regency Centers, will commence construction on Jefferson Square, a supermarket/drug anchored shopping center in La Quinta, CA. Phase one will consist of a Fresh & Easy Market and CVS/pharmacy. Regency is seeking LEED core-and-shell certification for its portions of the project. 

7.24.08 | Chicago, IL | The International Casual Furniture & Accessories Market returns to The Merchandise Mart on floors 15,16,& 17, September 15-18, 2008. Temporary exhibitors will be on floors 7 and 8 of Market Suites. Special events include a 15th floor Launch Brunch, Market Welcome Party and Industry Excellence Awards, Annual Market Party, and 49th Annual Apollo Awards + Fashion Show. Also included in the event are industry presentations and round table discussions.

7.24.08 | Canton, GA | Grant Design Collaborative, a company’ that designs business experiences from product to market, debuted a collection for Jaipur Rugs in the July/August issue of Las Vegas Home + Design. Grant Design Collaborative also created a new brand identity for Jaipur, plus showrooms for Jaipur in Las Vegas and High Point. www.grantcollaborative.com/

7.24.08 |Holland, MI | Haworth, Inc. joined the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's SmartWay Transport Program, a nationwide initiative designed to promote cleaner, more fuel-efficient and environmentally responsible transportation options. As a SmartWay Transport Partner, Haworth met a minimum target of 50% of shipments, by weight, carried by SmartWay transport carrier partners. Haworth's SmartWay membership also required an action plan that includes a "no idling" policy for carriers on Haworth property; increasing intermodal (rail/truck) shipments for long distance deliveries; recruiting more carrier partners into the SmartWay program; and incorporating partnership status into the company's new carrier prequalification process. 

7.24.08 | Mt. Olive, NJ | MAiSPACE offers a broad range in colors, styles and configurations in systems furniture, cubicles, private offices, reception areas and conference rooms at price points averaging 40% below those of many of competitors while providing a lifetime warranty and guarantee against obsolescence. Included in the MAiSPACE value package are stackable panels with floor to ceiling capabilities, lay-in plug-and-play voice, data and power cabling, ergonomic seating, tables and freestanding furniture. MAiSPACE integrated interiors typically are completed at an installed price from $12 to $15 per sq. ft. 

7.24.08 | Phoenix, AZ | –OmniMount, a manufacturer of consumer and commercial mounting solutions, announced that the Prism 50 was named the recipient of the Electronic House Product of the Year Award for 2008. The Prism 50 was recognized for its technological innovation, value, and variety of features.  OmniMount will be honored at an awards ceremony held at this year’s Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association Show (CEDIA EXPO) in September, in Denver, Colorado. 

7.24.08 | Atlanta, GA | Interface, Inc. announced results for the second quarter ended June 29, 2008. Sales for the second quarter of 2008 increased 11.3% to $295.0 million and gross profit margin for the 2008 second quarter grew 90 basis points to 35.7%. Operating income for the second quarter of 2008 increased 8.2% to $33.4 million. Net income for the 2008 second quarter was $15.9 million, or $0.26 per diluted share.

7.24.08 | Dublin, Ireland | The European Centre for Architecture, Art, Design, and Urban Studies announced that the 2009 submissions deadline for the "Europe 40 under 40" program is Sept. 1. The program is open to all young architects, landscape architects, interior architects, and urban planners who are under the age of 40 as of Dec. 31, 2008, working independently, or in a firm or on a specific project where they are the lead designer.  Application forms are available at www.europeanarch.eu

7.24.08 | Minneapolis, MN | InformeDesign released a  study, Promoting Walking and Biking to School. The study examined the impact of distance and urban form (e.g., presence of major roads, route directness) on choice of transportation to and from schools in Bend and Springfield, OR. The study concluded:

• Since the 1960's, the number of students who walk or bike to school has decreased and may contribute to childhhood obesity.
• Smaller, centralized schools are giving way to larger facilities located on the urban periphery where street connectivity is limited and housing density is low, and may contribute to reduced walking and biking to school. 

7.24.08 | Boonton, NJ | Vera Whitmore was hired by Dauphin North America as a Product Support Specialists for its New York showroom, where she will focus on the dealer market. Ms. Whitmore's background includes 17 years working in the New York City Police Department, selling custom interiors for commercial and residential clients, and most recently marketing consumer goods representing companies such as Kodak, Disney, Philips Electronics, and Toshiba.

7.24.08 | Aspen, CO | Shigeru Ban Architects (SBA) were selected to design the new Aspen Art Museum. The entire cost of designing, building, and operating the new Aspen Art Museum facility will be 100% supported by private funds from AAM museum donors. SBA was selected for its sensitivity in creating spaces that interrelate with environs and the environment itself and its choices and uses of materials. Mr. Ban is widely known for structures that incorporate paper, and for his singular development of paper tube technology.

7.24.080 | Grand Rapids, MI |  Steelcase negotiated a  business alliance agreement with Lab Crafters Inc., a 30-year-old company in Ronkonkoma, NY, that designs and manufactures fume hoods, casegoods, and other integrated solutions for laboratory environments. The alliance will provide Steelcase new capabilities to meet customers' needs for product solutions in a wide range of laboratory settings. www.steelcase.com  www.lab-crafters.com

7.23.08 | Jasper, IN | National Office Furniture will introduce a new environmentally-friendly, high-performance finish called ­IntegraClear™ in August. IntegraClear is made using National's ultraviolet finishing process that increases durability and enhances the depth and clarity of the wood grain. 

7.23.08 | Kennesaw, GA | Tracy Cook joined The Mohawk Group as Director of Brand Strategy, to lead the communication strategies for Karastan Contract, Lees Carpets, Bigelow Commercial and Durkan and help to differentiate the individual brands. Most recently, Ms. Cook served as the vice president of marketing for InterfaceFLOR. 

7.23.08 | Cypress, CA |— SitOnIt Seating was presented with the OFDA Dealers Choice Manufacturer of the Year Silver Award. This is the second time that SitOnIt Seating has been recognized by this organization, bringing home the bronze title in 2003. The winning manufacturers were determined by the results of the Association's sixth annual OFDA Dealer Manufacturer Satisfaction Index Survey which asks dealers to evaluate manufacturing business partners in training, product lines, service and support, sales and marketing, management, and technology. 

7.23.08 | Winston-Salem, NC | Beaufurn's Loua-33 pulls together unique curves and bold upholstery to create a design that is both enticing and inviting. This modern Italian lounge chair boasts an oak wood veneer available in bleached natural or espresso finish. It can be upholstered in any of Beaufurn's fabrics or COM for a truly custom look. www.beaufurn.com

7.23.08 | Plainview, NY | Emcor subsidiary, Welsbach Electric Corp. of L.I. received contracts for upgrades and maintenance of traffic signals and traffic control devices throughout Nassau County, NY. The contracts include:

• Countywide Maintenance and Repair of 1,800 traffic signal control devices
• Signal Replacements along historic Peninsula Boulevard
• Central System Upgrades of traffic controllers and cabinets to the 2070 technology

7.23.08 | Carson, CA | Lonseal, Inc. received three  international certifications for its flooring products and are now certified according to ISO (International Organization for Standardization) 9001:2000 and 14001:2004, as well as the AS9100:2004 from the Aerospace Quality Group (IAQG).

7.23.08 | Green Bay, WI | Debbie Breunig, Vice President of Healthcare for KI, was appointed to Bellin College of Nursing Board of Trustees. In addition to her nursing background, Ms. Breunig is also an alumna of Bellin College and will provide insight of the college from a student's perspective. In her position at KI, Ms. Breunig is responsible for the development and execution of business and marketing plans and has directed the launch of several award-winning products.