Promotion: the interiors of a pet-friendly office and a wood-fired restaurant are among the five winning projects in this year’s Shaw Contract Design Awards.
The winners of the 19th edition of the award programme, hosted by flooring manufacturer Shaw Contract, feature entries from around the world, also including a minimalist workplace in China to a nature-inspired apartment block in Canada.
The Shaw Contract Design Awards programme takes place annually to “celebrate the optimism of design and its ability to positively impact our communities and our planet”.
It focuses specifically on interiors that make use of Shaw Contract’s products and services, as well as those the brand believes embody its own ethos and sustainability focus.
“These projects showcase the pinnacle of regional design excellence and align with Shaw Contract’s four core People Together Planet Forever ambitions: material health, circular economy, carbon impact, and diversity, equity and inclusion,” said Shaw Contract.
“These criteria reflect our commitment to creating spaces that are not only beautiful and functional, but also sustainable and inclusive.”
This year’s top projects have each been awarded a prize called Best of Globe Winner. They were selected from almost 700 entries from 36 countries, whittled down to a shortlist of 43, each of which was named Best of Region Winners.
The first winning project is the workspace of pet food company Hill’s Pet Nutrition in the US, designed by Perspective Architecture + Design for employees to enjoy with their furry companions.
It was celebrated by Shaw Contract for its “unique pet-first amenities”, including an indoor dog park and snack stations, as well as its range of workspaces designed to cater to the different work styles of its employees.
The office also participated in the Shaw Contract Reclamation programme, which involved removing the building’s existing carpet and sending it to the company for recycling.
Next is Kasian Architecture’s workplace in Calgary for Canadian law firm Stikeman Elliott, designed to encourage its employees back to the office after the pandemic.
It was hailed by Shaw Contract for its “focus on sophistication” but also the use of durable finishes, reflecting a desire to adopt the principles of a circular economy. This included the use of the brand’s flooring ranges, including its carpet tiles.
Another winning project in Canada is Upper West Side Condos, a 14-storey residential building designed by II By IV Design.
Shaw Contract said it was selected for the way it seeks to blend “nature with contemporary luxury”, and for the use of the brand’s Mist carpet, which it described as being “reminiscent of a country lane on a rainy day”.
Bar Kar is a small wood-fired restaurant in Malaysia by Spacemen, awarded for its cave-like interior that is dominated by warm terracotta tones and finished with wooden, metallic and stone details.
In particular, the brand enjoyed a corridor lined with firewood, which the chef uses as storage for the wood that they use to cook inside the kitchen.
“Its a locally natural material which can be replenished and reused at all times, which we have turned into a building material,” said Shaw Contract.
The last project is a small workplace interior in China by Guangzhou Jenmehome Design, selected for its clean-cut minimalist design.
Guangzhou Jenmehome Design was praised for its use of “eco-friendly” materials, which Shaw Contract said included its carpet ranges.
Each Best of Globe Winner is awarded a $2,000 (£1,497) donation in their name to the organisation of their choice in addition to a handmade trophy by Singapore crochet artist Kelly Limerick.
To find out more about Shaw Contract and its design awards, visit its website.
Partnership content
This article was written by Dezeen for Shaw Contract as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.
