by Brianna Crandall — November 8, 2017 — The International Interior Design Association (IIDA) and Education Market Association (EDmarket) recently announced the winners of the 2017 EDspaces Innovation Awards.
This competition recognizes manufacturers for excellence in product design for the learning environment. Awards were announced at the EDspaces tradeshow and conference in Kansas City, Missouri, with this year’s Best of Competition honors awarded to CEF-Custom Educational Furnishings for The Edison Table.
With breakthrough solutions packed into every inch, the Edison Table embodies the inventor’s spirit, providing a complete maker experience.
IIDA Executive Vice President and CEO Cheryl S. Durst, Hon. FIIDA, LEED AP, stated:
Design exists to improve the experience of end-users, and this year’s winners exemplify outstanding educational products that are elevating the learning environment. We are so pleased to once again see form, function, and innovation on display at EDspaces.
Products were evaluated by a jury of distinguished designers. On behalf of the jury, Erika Moody, IIDA, principal, Helix Architecture + Design, remarked:
This year’s best of competition, The Edison Table, and all of the winners illustrate the type of versatile, multi-use products that present much-needed solutions in educational environments.
The 2017 EDspaces Innovation Awards winners are as follows:
Flooring (Carpet/Rugs; Hard Flooring/Resilient)
Manufacturer: Milliken & Company
Product: Moraine
Equipment (Playground Equipment, A/V Equipment, Lectern/ Teaching Station)
Manufacturer: Bretford Manufacturing Inc.
Product: TechGuard Connect Charging Lockers
TechGuard Connect paired with Bretford Connect, a cloud-based management software, supports remote locker management from anywhere in the world. IT administrators are able to access real-time locker stats, remotely unlock bays, and provide a full audit trail through data logging.
Furniture (Casegoods; Children’s; Display Cases; Student Desk; Systems; Tables)
Manufacturer: CEF-Custom Educational Furnishings
Product: The Edison Table
Furniture (Casegoods; Children’s; Display Cases; Student Desk; Systems; Tables)
Manufacturer: Viggi Corp.
Product: Vidget 3-in-1 Flexible Seating System
Seating (Classroom; Conference; Fixed; Guest; Lounge; Task)
Manufacturer: Virco Inc.
Product: Virco C2M 4-Leg Chair
Seating (Classroom; Conference; Fixed; Guest; Lounge; Task)
Manufacturer: Howda Designz, LLC
Product: HowdaHUG Seats
All 2017 winning products and manufacturers will be featured on the IIDA and EDmarket Web sites, promoted on IIDA social media networks to more than 300,000 followers, and published in an issue of Learning by Design magazine.
