Architectural Record's annual contest spotlights the top new contract, residential, indoor, and outdoor furnishings. [Back to Record Products 2017]
Words from the Judges:
DB Kim
Record Products 2017: Best Furnishings
Allsteel Retreat
A high back, low armrests, and relatively upright recline differentiate this working wingback from its residential counterparts. The streamlined wings atop the 46" tall back help screen out visual and aural distractions in open workspaces. The tapered base facilitates easy entry and exit. Retreat is available with glides and a swivel rotation that can be 360º or return to the center.
Seating Stones Lounge Chairs
These triangular chairs (33" high x 63" wide x 33" deep) are one version of the brightly designed Seating Stones collection by Ben van Berkel. Available with Teflon glides for use on stone and carpeting, and felt glides for wood floors, the Lounge Chairs can also be ganged together using floor stoppers for a modern, geometric sectional. Three more chair designs, a pouf, and a table round out the collection.
BuzziPleat
Suspended from the ceiling or mounted on a wall, the two configurations of this acoustic fixture maximize its surface area, which, in turn, increases its sound-absorption. BuzziPleat uses folding techniques—hand pleating and smocking—to create a sculptural form. Ripple comes in two diameters, 39" and 59", in an array of neutral and bright colors. Its soundabsorbing P.E.T. felt is made of 100% upcycled plastic bottles.
Entrada
While this hanging panel appears to be wool felt, it is actually made of a polyester fabric that passes stringent fire codes. Installed over windows, Entrada (Carnegie’s new acoustic panel) uses its 3-D structure of laser-cut woven fabric to create an interplay of light and shade. As a hanging divider, the 47" x 118" panel has NRC ratings of 0.45 when draped flat and 0.65 if draped at 100% fullness.
Halo Credenza
The modular nature and residential details of this credenza can accommodate a range of storage conditions and settings. Part of the Halo system of conference-room solutions, Halo Credenza, designed in partnership with Gensler, comes in three standard depths (18", 21", 24") and is loaded with organizational components including a lift-top compartment, drawers, shelving, and inserts. The casegood, which can be mixed and matched with Halo benches and tables, also ranges in height from 23½" to 40".
Pendleton by Sunbrella Collection
Rendered in sunlight- and chemical-resistant acrylic fabric, this portfolio of Native American–influenced designs merges commercial-grade durability and the Pendleton brand’s reputation for craftsmanship. Five patterns form the basis for this collection of 53 outdoor fabrics.
Palma
With no visible mechanical parts, this 88½"-tall umbrella automatically opens and closes. The base conceals a quick-release mechanism, and the coated-aluminum shaft encloses a gas strut. A gentle tug on one arm holding up the 118"-diameter acrylic canopy operates it.
Apace
Special construction techniques make this nylon carpet look like wool. Weaving solution-dyed, six-ply nylon warp yarns (composed of four-ply bulk fiber wrapped in a thin, tightly twisted two-ply fiber) creates a commercial-grade broadloom floor covering with the appearance and texture of a Berber carpet. Available in 13 colors.
Vicinity Lounge
Part of AllSteel’s Gather collection, this lithe lounge chair is built to be easily moved around collaborative workspaces and to hold up to 300 pounds. Measuring 27¾" high x 31¼" wide x 28⅞" deep, the chair has a tubular steel base engineered to stay balanced on uneven floors. Designed by Mitch Bakker, Vicinity can be specified with an upholstered or plywood back in six veneers. The base comes in seven finishes.
DB Kim
