Shaw Contract Group Design Contest Deadline Approaching

The Shaw Contract Group Design Is… Award is an award program that recognizes inspirational and visionary design. Seven winning projects chosen from entries submitted by firms from around the world were announced last August. As part of program’s benefits, winning firms each receive $2,000 to donate to a school or organization of their choice. Shaw Contract Group is proud to make donations in the names of the winning firms to support design education and the designers of tomorrow.

In its fourth year, the Design Is… Award seeks entrants to explain their definition of design. Entries are asked to describe the challenges, processes, and results from their projects, and will be judged by a panel of design experts. Because carpet is only a part of the project, the overall design of the space is considered. All design projects completed between February 2007 and February 2009 are eligible.

Entry information is available at www.shawcontractgroup.com/designis. Project entries must be received by February 28, 2009.

“Since its inception, the Design Is… Award program has elevated projects that deserve to be seen by the design community at large,” says John Stephens, vice president of marketing. “Shaw Contract Group is honored to have its carpet products play an integral role in each of these projects. We are proud that our winners have chosen these fine institutions to further support design education.”

Last year’s winners and their donation recipients were:

• Envision Design (Washington, D.C.)—Department of Architecture, Virginia Tech;
• Gensler (Houston, TX)—College of Visual Arts and Design, University of North Texas; School of Architecture, University of Texas;
• MCM Interiors (Vancouver, BC)—The Art Institute of Vancouver;
• Nell Studio & SABArchitects (Seattle, WA)—Department of Interior Design, Washington State University;
• OWP/P (Chicago, IL)—School of Architecture and Urban Planning, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, University of Michigan;
• Partridge Architects (Philadelphia, PA)—Westphal College of Media Arts & Design, Drexel University;
• VOA Associates (Chicago, IL)—Turning Point, an outpatient mental healthcare center that provides care to all patients.