Kennesaw, Ga.—Invista, maker of Antronbrand carpet fiber, recently presented its Antron Touch Awards during the Starnet design award ceremony at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess hotel in Scottsdale, Ariz. The first-place award went to Starnet member Sun Interiors for its Hancock Whitney Center project. Second place was given to Image Flooring LLC for its renovation of One Kansas City Place; and a special recognition award was presented to M. Frank Higgins & Co. for its Yale Neonatal Intensive Care Unit project.
The AntronTouch Award winners are the result of a joint-partnership between Antronand Starnet, recognizing the use of performance-driven carpet choices in commercial applications. Entries are judged on the project’s outcome to meet the clients’ aesthetics, performance and sustainability goals.
First-place winnerHancock Whitney Center, New Orleans, La.
Architect: Mathes Brierre Architects
Starnet member: Sun Interiors, Inc.
Starnet preferred vendor: Mannington Commercial Carpet
Carpet: Fitzgerald, Raffia, Camus, Sahara, Orwell and a custom style all constructed of Antron fiber
The tallest building in the city of New Orleans and the state of Louisiana is now the new home to the Hancock Whitney Center because the bank needed a larger, more modern space to showcase its financial services, products and expertise, and allow for growth. Before moving in, the bank wanted to replace the existing carpet in the building. Even though the carpet had been on the floor since the 1980s, they were extremely impressed with how durable the carpet (made with Antron carpet fiber) was and how well it had been maintained by Sun Interiors. They requested the same carpet fiber for the new carpet specification.
Matthes Brierre Architects, Sun Interiors and the team at Hancock Whitney Center selected and installed more than 18,000 yards and six styles of Mannington Commercial carpet for the space. The flooring needed to align with the aesthetics for the office space but also be durable over time. The main specification considerations included high appearance retention, excellent crush resistance and the ability to stand up to heavy traffic especially in the hallways. In addition, the high-rise building is full of windows that allow natural light into the building so Antron carpet fiber’s fade resistance was an important consideration.
“This project is a true testament to the cleanability and durability of Antron carpet fiber,” said Stacy Dobbs, senior manager, Antron business development & field team lead. “The existing carpet was more than 10 years old, and the client specifically requested Antron carpet fiber for the new carpet because of how well the existing carpet looked and performed over those years.”
Second-place winner One Kansas City Place, Kansas City, Mo.
Starnet member: Image Flooring LLC
Starnet preferred vendor: Masland Contract (Dixie)
Carpet: Reflect and Radiate constructed of Antron Lumena by Masland Contract (The Dixie Group)
Replacing carpet was part of a major refresh for One Kansas City Place. Reflect and Radiate, two carpet styles part of the Masland Contract Avant carpet tile offering were chosen because of the “energy” they convey in a space. The Reflect pattern complements the exposed ceiling structure in the lobby. The dark color of the carpet contrasts with the white trusses and bright natural light coming from the skylights. This pattern also was used in all the conference rooms to give them energy and color contrast. The Radiate pattern was used in the long second floor corridor because of its flowing pattern. With large group meetings with breakfasts and lunches and high traffic, carpet manufactured with Antron carpet fiber was chosen for its cleanability and because of its proven track record to last longer and lower life cycle costs for the client.
Special recognition Yale Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, New Haven, Conn.
Architect: Heery Design
Starnet member: M. Frank Higgins & Co., Inc.
Starnet preferred vendor: Atlas Carpet Mills (The Dixie Group)
Carpet: Saya constructed of Antron Legacy by Atlas Carpet Mills (Dixie)
The judges also honored M. Frank Higgins & Co. Inc. for its project Yale Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in New Haven, Conn. The team selected Saya carpet style from Atlas Carpet Mills because the carpet provides a nice accent in the new NICU, reflecting the symmetry of the fish swimming about at the end of the hall. As one of the most visited hospitals in the country, the team selected carpet with Antron carpet fiber to stand up to the high traffic and make maintenance easy. The carpet design also contributes to a soothing environment to calm families during stressful times.