Header: Cognetic Technology by KI, photo courtesy of NeoCon.
The winners of the 36th annual Best of NeoCon Awards cover, as in previous years, almost all areas of the design industry, from new workplace products to sustainable materials, lighting, integrated technologies and other solutions for commercial interiors. The awards pay attention to design, performance, innovation and how people use them in real spaces, making the list of winners one of the most awaited compilations in the world of design.
Photo credit: Courtesy of NeoCon
Photo credit: Courtesy of NeoCon
All about NeoCon
NeoCon is one of the main events for the commercial interiors industry, held every year at The Mart in Chicago. Since it launched in 1969, it has become a regular meeting point for manufacturers, dealers, architects, designers, end-users, design organisations and media working in commercial design.
Across three days, the event presents products and services from more than 400 established and emerging companies, giving visitors access to new solutions for the industry. The programme also includes keynote talks and CEU sessions, covering current subjects in commercial design as well as ideas shaping its future.
Photo credit: Courtesy of NeoCon
Photo credit: Courtesy of NeoCon
The Best of NeoCon Awards
The Best of NeoCon Awards have been running since 1990 and recognise products designed for the way people work, learn, heal, connect and use space. This year’s edition received 274 entries from 97 NeoCon exhibitors, with a total of 71 products having been awarded across 42 categories, including new lighting categories introduced with the launch of Illuminate at NeoCon. The awards are divided into Gold, Silver, Innovation, Sustainability and Business Impact, with the highest award, Best of Competition, having been given to KI for Cognetic Technology.
Photo credit: Courtesy of NeoCon
Photo credit: Courtesy of NeoCon
A multidisciplinary jury of around 45 architects, designers, facility managers, end-users and industry decision-makers met on site at The Mart over the weekend to review the submissions across the NeoCon show floors. A separate panel of business journalists and management professionals selected the Business Impact Awards.
“From meaningful advancements in workplace, healthcare, hospitality, education, and lighting, the ingenuity and innovation celebrated by the competition are always exciting to see. In particular, the introduction of Illuminate brought a new layer of energy and brilliance to NeoCon, showcasing how vital lighting is to human wellness and the architectural narrative. Collectively, the winners represent a commitment to creating more responsive, resilient, well-being-driven, and people-first spaces.”
Eileen McMorrow, Director of Best of NeoCon
Photo credit: Courtesy of NeoCon
Photo credit: Courtesy of NeoCon
The best overall: Cognetic Technology by KI
The Best of Competition winner, Cognetic Technology by KI, is a seating technology developed around the body’s natural movement. The patented system uses a gravity-powered, multi-axis motion mechanism that responds continuously to small shifts in posture, allowing for movement, balance and different sitting positions without the user needing to make constant manual adjustments.
Rather than using the usual levers, tilt mechanisms and fixed positions found in many seating systems, Cognetic Technology is designed to move with the person sitting in it. Jurors praised the way it supports natural movement and adapts to the user, saying that it “moves with your body and how you want to move”, creating a more active and comfortable way to sit. “We are very excited to see this technology get specified on projects”, the jury added.
The Best of Competition finalists were HALCON Furniture’s VESPER, Impact Acoustic’s Truchet, Model No.’s Onda, Mohawk Group’s Hero Rubber made with Nike Grind, Andreu World’s Fusion Conference Table and WVH’s ALMA Collection.
The other main awards
Lighting also had a larger role in this year’s competition, with the introduction of Illuminate at NeoCon and the expansion of the lighting categories. The show-within-a-show gives lighting manufacturers more visibility within NeoCon and places more focus on lighting as part of the built environment. Among the manufacturers recognised with Best of NeoCon awards for lighting were Arktura, Axis Lighting, Baresque, BIOS Lighting, BuzziSpace, Focal Point, JLC-Tech, Koncept and RBW. The winning products showed developments in performance, control integration, energy efficiency and visual impact.
Photo credit: Courtesy of NeoCon
Photo credit: Courtesy of NeoCon
Innovation Awards went to manufacturers introducing new technologies, applications and approaches to current design challenges. The recipients included Armstrong World Industries, Bernhardt Design, BIOS Lighting, Boss Design, DARRAN, HALCON Furniture, Haskell Education, KI, Levitask and Prostoria USA.
Sustainability Awards were given to products addressing circular design, responsible material sourcing, manufacturing innovation and environmental stewardship. The awarded companies were Andreu World, Boss Design, CF Stinson, Davis Furniture, Flora Materials, Impact Acoustic, Mohawk Group, Model No. Onda, Okamura and RESEAT.
Photo credit: Courtesy of NeoCon
Photo credit: Courtesy of NeoCon
The Business Impact Awards
Now in its fourth year, the Business Impact Awards recognise products that can support measurable results for organisations, from workflow efficiency and space optimisation to user experience, wellness and cost savings. The awards were judged by a panel of business journalists from The Chicago Sun-Times, Crain’s Chicago Business, Forbes, Inc., Architectural Record, Dezeen and Wirecutter, along with facility management professionals from Northwestern Mutual and State Farm.
Photo credit: Courtesy of NeoCon
Photo credit: Courtesy of NeoCon
The panel reviewed the products through real-world performance and business value. This year, 26 finalists were selected, with ten products receiving Business Impact Awards: AIS’ Reshape; Armstrong World Industries’ Templok Energy Saving Ceilings; BIOS Lighting’s BIOS SkyView Tile; BuzziSpace’s BuzziTent Light; Cisco’s AI Powered Plug-n-Play Rooms, Cisco Spaces, and Workspace Designer; DARRAN’s Limousine; Haskell Education’s Pathmaker Table Series; Haworth’s Haworth Gallerie; Momentum’s Mirage with SpinFix; and Silen’s Silen Space Gen 2.
Photo credit: Courtesy of NeoCon
Photo credit: Courtesy of NeoCon
“The breadth of this year’s nominees demonstrates how dynamically NeoCon exhibitors are designing for the human experience and responding to real-world challenges with solutions that thoughtfully balance aesthetics and performance.”
Eileen McMorrow, Director of Best of NeoCon
