Meet the winners of our 2020 Best of Products Awards – The Architect’s Newspaper

The 2020 Best of Products Awards are our most robust yet, and were thrilled to reveal the winners. With more categories than ever31 in allthis years edition spans nearly every building, interior, and outdoor product category imaginable, from acoustics and fabrics to air barriers and timber cladding. Our discerning jurors brought their wide-ranging expertise to every one of these product types, assessing each on multiple bases, including aesthetics, performance, ease of installation, and value. After all was said and done, they had singled out one winner and up to two honorable mentions per category. The Architects Newspaperseditors picks round out the esteemed group.

Unlike in previous years, the 2020 awards do not arrive on the heels of any industry trade show or splashy design week. Perhaps as a result, unifying trends across the hundreds of submissions were slightly less pronounced. Those that did emerge reflected concerns surrounding the ongoing pandemic, such as hygiene and safety. Physical barriers, antigerm hardware, wipeable surfaces, operable apertures, and smart entry systems seek to assuage users anxieties (Should I touch that door handle? Am I maintaining the proper distance from others?) that characterize our current circumstance.

Comfort was another perceptible theme, one connected to the pandemic-induced quarantine of the past few months, when living areas suddenly transformed into full-time workspaces. On this score, new freestanding partitions, sound-minimizing baffles, and desktop dividers were especially appreciated, as were space-delineating solutions like statement-making textiles and easily configurable alcoves. There was no shortage of creative lighting fixtures, to say nothing of the digital skylight systems that promise to bring the mood-edifying effects of daylight inside. Of course, there were plenty of work desks and lots of seating, with much of it sporting plush upholstery and integrated privacy features. Color us envious.

Submissions exhibiting keen attention to enclosures and exterior surfaces reminded us of the world outside, and, browsing the latest in outdoor furnishings, we imagined lingering over a long, shaded lunch with colleagues.

Which isnt to box in any of these exceptional designs and wares. While many are particularly well-suited to the new normal, they certainly arent constrained by it. Nearly all boast flexibility of a kind, a trait welcome in all times and scenarios. Several promote well-being and facilitate interactions; others are simply inobtrusiveno small thing. For these reasons and plenty more besides, we toast this years honorees.

The Best of Products Awards Jury:

Kimberly DowdellPresidentNOMA / HOK

Billie FairclothPartnerKieranTimberlake

Alex GilbertAssociate DirectorFriedman Benda Gallery

Gabrielle GolendaProducts EditorThe Architects Newspaper

Sharon JohnstonFounding PartnerJohnston Marklee

Tom KundigFounding PrincipalOlson Kundig

Samuel MedinaExecutive EditorThe Architects Newspaper

Irwin MillerPrincipalGensler

Jonathan MoodyCEOMoody Nolan

Dr. Adam PolcynVice President of Research and DevelopmentVitro Architectural Glass

Asad SyrkettEditor in ChiefElle Decor

Jejon YeungPrincipalWorrel Yeung

Categories:

Interior Finishes & Surfaces

WinnerNew Flek Palette3form

Honorable MentionsObscura by Suzanne TickSkyline Design

The Coordinates Collection by Cambria,Gensler

Editors PicksDekton Avant-Garde SeriesCosentino

Pietta Donovan CollectionWalker Zanger

AmazoniteFiandre

Decorative Lighting & Electrical

WinnerCoordinatesFLOS

This elegant design delivers well-calibrated light that enhances architectural environments without overwhelming an interior, and invites subtle discovery of its well-resolved, minimal details. Sharon Johnston

Honorable MentionsCoil CollectionLightArt

IllanLuceplan

Editors PicksSkyPablo Designs

Residential Furnishings

WinnerSage by David Rockwell for BenchmarkBenchmark

Honorable MentionsReprise ChairL.Ercolani

Hew Coffee TableDesign Within Reach

Editors PicksPandarine SofaHAY

Textiles

WinnerDawn CollectionDeborah Berke Partners x Warp & Weft

These patterns are so subtle in their gradation and choice of colors, and so sophisticated and unique with their figuration. They will enhance a broad range of furniture ensembles and spaces. Jejon Yeung

Honorable MentionsDesert Lights Carpet and Rug CollectionShawContract Hospitality Group

Silhouettenanimarquina

Editors PicksSunbrella AssureSunbrella

Kitchen Appliances & Plumbing

Winner48 Professional RangeFisher & Paykel

With a hybrid induction and gas range top, this product brings you the best of both worlds. Gabrielle Golenda

Honorable MentionsIKON 33 Apron 1-3/4 Bowl with Low Divide sinkBLANCO

Transitional 30 Combination Wall OvenDacor

Editors PicksPark Avenue Kitchen CabinetsITALKRAFT

Bathroom Appliances & Plumbing

WinnerSensoWash iDuravit

As more and more consumers are seeking out high- functioning toilets, its nice to see a design that doesnt look like one, and is packaged in a beautiful, simple form. Jejon Yeung

Honorable MentionsAcquafitFantini

modularBATHCARVART

Editors PicksEir Intelligent ToiletKohler

StyleDrainCalifornia Faucets

Tiles, Chemical Anchors, & Adhesives

WinnerSPECTRALOCK PRO Premium Translucent GroutLATICRETE

Paint & Coatings

WinnerBrass & BronzePure + FreeForm

Pure + FreeForm impressed us with its environmentally responsible alternative to copper-based metals. Recyclable and, more importantly, containing postconsumer recycled material, the brass- and bronze-coated aluminum sheets give designers a lightweight option with a predictable, consistent aesthetic (even when weathered). Adam Polcyn

Honorable MentionsEmerald Designer Edition Interior LatexSherwin-Williams

Martin Kesselman WhiteMartin Kesselman collaboration with Farrow & Ball

Decorative Hardware

WinnerRiverside Pull Top Knobs

I really like the way the design balances refinement and feeling handmade. Presenting clean outside lines and keeping the inside face softer against your hand is a great, thoughtful touch. Tom Kundig

Honorable MentionsChurchill SuiteSA Baxter Design Studio & Foundry

ICE, PEBBLE, & LUSCIOUS LEVERSZietta Clara

Editors PicksDel Mar HandlesetBaldwin Hardware

Architectural Hardware

WinnerSmartEntry by AccurateAccurate Lock and Hardware

Honorable MentionsUnitized Glass Railing SystemC.R. Laurence

Mortise lock status indicatorASSA ABLOY

Editors Pickse-GeniusTownSteel

Commercial Furnishings

WinnerMax Table by Max Lamb for HemHem Design Studio

Form is everything, said [Italian furniture designer] Enzo Mari. Simple shapes are the most complicated to nail. Max Lambs dedication to traditional mono-material making holds up in this relatively affordable collaboration with Hem. A looooong communal table, just as appropriate for a conference or meal, is a welcome addition to the market. Alex Gilbert

Honorable MentionsPalisades LuxeSpacestor

Division TwelveKeilhauer

Editors PicksPatkau BenchNienkmper

Power BeamKnoll

Architectural & Commercial Lighting & Electrical

WinnerDiversionFLOS Architectural

I was impressed by the simplicity and versatility of this FLOS collection and the way it creates its own architecture. Asad Syrkett

Honorable MentionsBlack LensSenso by Luminii

Purolinear 360SONNEMAN

Editors PicksSpectraCleanHubbell Lighting

Custom Acoustics

WinnerMute Fit PET Felt Acoustic PanelDe Vorm

Honorable MentionsGarden on the WallGarden on the Wall

Felt Baffles & Open Cell ceiling systemsHunter Douglas Ceilings & Walls, exclusively from CertainTeed

Editors PicksThe AVIO CollectionKirei

Acoustic Partitions

WinnerToast Pair

I appreciate the simplicity of the design. The panels seem super versatile and especially relevant right now, given the many different places people find themselves using as workspace. Tom Kundig

Honorable MentionsClikclaxClikclax Pty Ltd.

STACKWALL CollectionCARVART

Editors PicksSoftScreenArktura

Electrical Systems

WinnerAperture SkyCeilingSky Factory, Inc.

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Meet the winners of our 2020 Best of Products Awards - The Architect's Newspaper