These are the winners of Design Competition Award 2006
RESIDENTIAL WINNER: THE LINE HOUSE
The Line House, located in Springfield, Missouri, utilizes over 3,000 square feet of Italian ceramic tile on its interior and exterior floors. The home is divided into three parts –the main house, the library, and the workshop – with elegant, versatile Italian tiles from Casalgrande Padana’s Granitogres series installed throughout the different sections. Tile selection was key for Matthew Hufft, principal architect of hufft:projects llc. ''I choose Italian ceramic tile for its beauty, durability and its capability to be used both outdoors and indoors; which allowed me to connect the various pieces of the residence with a uniform material,'' states Hufft. Sustainability also factored into the design of the project. The tiles and masonry act as solar collector during winter – providing solar warmth to the house. The materials also offer a nice contrast to the recycled and scrap wood used for cabinetry. Additionally the orientation of the home provides natural light all year long and the natural cross ventilation reduces air conditioner use.
INSTITUTIONAL WINNER: SAN DIEGO COUNTY REGIONAL AIRPORT AUTHORITY
The San Diego International Airport floor restoration presented a unique challenge to architect Bob Bolton of the Facility Development department at the airport. Gensler Architects was responsible for the original terminal design completed in 1998. Shortly after opening, the new terminal of the nation’s busiest commercial single runway airport required 100,000 square feet of floor replacement. The airport serves over 16 million travelers a year and due to high foot traffic, the recently installed limestone floor was failing. Italian tile manufacturer Ceramiche Caesar was just the solution. Bolton and Architectural Alliance, a team of Minneapolis-based architectural consultants, worked together to find a solution and turned to Caesar and their US distributor Specs Ceramics in Anaheim, CA to produce a custom color tile. 18''x18'' tiles from Caesar’s Tecnolito collection were selected for the flooring with a custom-made color created to fit the exact specifications of the project. According to Bolton, ''It really was a tremendous team effort to put it all together and Caesar provided exactly what we wanted with the porcelain tile, which matches the limestone on the wall so closely it’s hard to tell them apart.''
COMMERCIAL WINNER: RUSCIO STUDIO INC.
The jury was particularly impressed with the number of different Italian tile manufacturers used in the renovation of ''The Bay'' section of the Place Fleur De Lys Shopping Centre, located in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. A total of five Italian tile manufacturers were selected by Ruscio Studio Inc to complete the expansion of the mall corridor. ''The Bay'' section was divided into two mall corridors of 20+ feet wide. The renovation called for one single corridor of 40+ feet in width. The previous installation had a 3-foot border of Pastorelli’s ''Technostone Karnark'' tile starting from the tenant’s lease line. Ruscio Studio decided to replicate this design and use the same tile on the new side. ''Temblum'' beige 12''x18'' and 6''x18'' from Pastorelli were installed in the sections adjacent to the centre pattern. Different shades from Refin’s ''Avant Garde'' collection decorate the floor beneath the seating areas. The 16 foot wide middle portion is composed of a variety of formats and collections from Piemmegres, and Imola, forming an 8’ by 8’6'' pattern. ''We started with one tile – then added different sizes, then different manufacturers to give the design a cobblestone look,'' stated Robert Ruscio principal of Ruscio Studio Inc. ''Durability and quality were important factors to consider when choosing the tile. The Italians are leaders in the production of porcelain tile plus Italy is the fashion capital of the world – making Italian tile the perfect choice for a shopping mall,'' added Ruscio.
SPECIAL RECOGNITION FOR MOSAIC EXCELLENCE: RENE GONZALEZ ARCHITECT, INC
This year, the jury awarded a special recognition to Rene Gonzalez Architect for their stunning design of the Cisneros Fontanals Art Foundation in Miami, Florida. Using over 1 million Bisazza tiles, the firm created a 125’x35’ image of a jungle on the façade of the building. Rene Gonzalez Architect designed the image then Bisazza used their software to match each individual color pixel from the design to one of their 20x20mm tiles. One hundred and seven colors from three different series: Le Gemme, Smalto and Vetricolor were used in the facade. Bisazza donated over one million tiles and devised a new exterior paneling system to bring the project to life. The façade was produced by hand in 12''x12'' sections which were then applied and grouted onto 4’x4’ aluminum panels. The panels were then anchored to an aluminum structure attached to the original exterior of the warehouse. According to the firm’s principal, Rene Gonzalez, ''The design of the façade is a contradiction to the expected white and concrete clad exteriors of most art institutions. The gallery space and garden below are meant to foster exchanges between the Miami and global art community.''
HONORABLE MENTION COMMERCIAL: PAPPAS DESIGN STUDIO
Pappas Design Studio, based in Montreal, Canada mixed four different colors and three formats from Mirage’s ''Pentranova'' collection to design the BCC/Bramalea City Center. According to firm Principal, Bess Pappas, ''We were looking for something with a stone feel, but cleaner. Mirage offered the contemporary look, size range and colors we had in mind. We love to work with Italian tile for many reasons – the quality is consistently good; the uniformity in size; and the design is more progressive than other areas''.
HONORABLE MENTION RESIDENTIAL: RICHARD D. FAIRBOURN ARCHITECT, LTD.
The extensive renovation and addition to a 1913 home in Central Phoenix, Arizona earned Richard D. Fairbourn Architect an honorable mention in the residential category. The jury was especially impressed by the use of tile - 16''x16'' floor tiles by Cooperativa Ceramica d’Imola were installed throughout the interior and exterior entranceway - as well as architecture and modern design of the remodeled home, which is owned by Richard Fairbourn and his wife.
The Design Competition was started 13 years ago, to recognize outstanding achievement by North American architects or interior designers using Italian ceramic tile in commercial, institutional or residential installations. The criteria used by the jury included: Overall Design of the Project, Innovative Use of Tile, Tile Design, Quality of Installation and Degree that Tile Enhanced the Setting. Previous award recipients include: Michael P. Johnson Design Studio ’05; TMP Associates ’05; Bernard Tschumi Architects ’04; Gillies Stransky Brems Smith PC ’04; Jones Studio, Inc. ’04; Ralph Appelbaum Associates ’04; Swanke Hayden Connell ’03; Richard Fleishman + Partners, Inc ’03; Waddell + Associate ’02; KA, Inc ’02; Michael P. Johnson ’01; Mojo Stumer ’01; Anthony Belluschi Architects ’00; One Dream Design ’99; TVS & Associates ’98; Hirsch-Bedner ’97; Arquitectonica ’96; Stanley Tigerman ’95 and Barbara Lazaroff ’94.
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The Line House
The Line House
San Diego Airport
San Diego Airport
The Bay - Place Fleur De Lys
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