Starnet Design Awards 2023:

By Jennifer Bardoner

Hospitality used to be the primary segment where flooring contractors could really show off their skills through sophisticated designs, says Mark Bischoff, president of the Starnet Worldwide group of commercial flooring contractors. But these days, many sectors offer that opportunity by incorporating bold patterns and multiple flooring materials-as evidenced by this year’s submissions for the Starnet Design Awards. “Every segment is getting more interesting,” he says. “This year, even the most conservative entries had obvious patterns in the carpet or complex layouts of hard surface and resilient modular products.”

The flooring that goes into commercial projects says a lot about the economy, Bischoff notes. “When the economy is good and/or original budgets are strong, you see a lot more pattern, not only in the products’ visuals but also in the layout because there is money there for the installers to do intricate patterns,” he explains. It can take years for commercial projects to go from a concept to completion, so this year’s approximately 100 submissions, completed in 2023, reflect the enthusiasm that accompanied the office boom and low-cost financing prior to the pandemic.

“This year we were pleased to see our Starnet Awards entry count reach levels we saw in 2019, which is impressive,” Bischoff says. “Those years were some of the greatest for commercial interiors that we have ever seen.”

In the time since this year’s entries were specified, the world has changed. The pandemic sent office workers home, and the sector continues to evolve amid today’s hybrid schedules and reduced headcount. In its wake, multifamily became the engine for many commercial flooring contractors. With those projects now slowing as financing gets harder and more expensive to secure, contractors are turning to healthcare, education and senior living, Bischoff reports.

Just as installations across the board get more technical, the skilled workforce has dwindled. With flooring one of the last components of a project to be installed, those contractors are now facing often unrealistic timelines and budgets set years prior, while also straining to execute complex installation designs. And in the flexible open-concept environments favored today, any mistake is glaringly obvious.

“The big open spaces are more technical because you can’t hide things,” says Bischoff. “If you’ve got highs and lows or the pattern is off, you can see it a mile away because the sightlines are longer.”

Bischoff reports that many members say they still have near-record backlogs, adding, “We see good momentum in healthcare, education, laboratories, senior living, hospitality and retail. In addition, several progressive thinkers in our cooperative are expanding into exterior applications with sports surfaces, landscape turf and pavers. We are hopeful these trends will boost the prospects for our growth-oriented members to maintain peak capacity out to 2030.”

GRAND PRIZE WINNER Gold in Corporate MEMBER: Consolidated Flooring PROJECT: CIBC New York Headquarters, New York, New York ARCHITECT/DESIGNER: IA Interior Architects STARNET PREFERRED VENDORS: Ardex, AHF/Armstrong, Bostik, Johnsonite by Tarkett, Mohawk, Roppe

Category Winner-Education MEMBER: Cornerstone Commercial Floorings PROJECT: Magnolia Trace Elementary, Mandeville, Louisiana ARCHITECT/DESIGNER: Greenleaf Lawson Architects, Sydney Taylor STARNET PREFERRED VENDORS: Daltile, Flexco, Mapei, Mannington Commercial

Category Winner-Hospitality/Public Spaces MEMBER: Universal Metro PROJECT: Pendry Hotel, Newport Beach, California ARCHITECT/DESIGNER: WATG, Studio Munge STARNET PREFERRED VENDORS: Ardex, Bostik, C/F Data Systems, EcoSurfaces, RFMS, Spec-ID, Tarkett, Tred-Mor

Category Winner-Healthcare MEMBER: Bonitz PROJECT: Rupert Huse Veteran Center, Greenville, South Carolina ARCHITECT: DP3 Architects STARNET PREFERRED VENDORS: Ardex, Daltile, Johnsonite by Tarkett, Mapei, Milliken Commercial, Protect-All Flooring

Category Winner-Unique Installation MEMBER: DCO Commercial Floors PROJECT: Duke Energy Plaza, Charlotte, North Carolina DESIGNER: Gensler STARNET PREFERRED VENDORS: Ardex, RFMS, Spec-ID

Category Winner-Mixed-Use Development MEMBER: H.J. Martin & Son PROJECT: Ascent Apartments, Milwaukee, Wisconsin ARCHITECT: Korb & Associates Architects STARNET PREFERRED VENDORS: Bostik, Daltile, Eco-Surfaces, Henry Adhesives, Johnsonite by Tarkett, Mapei, Milliken Commercial, RFMS, TEC, Uzin Utz North America

Category Winner-Single-Source Interior Contractor Award MEMBER: Midwest Floor Covering PROJECT: Skutt Student Center at Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska STARNET PREFERRED VENDORS: Ardex, Daltile, Johnsonite by Tarkett, Mapei, Mohawk, Six Degrees, Wagner Meters

Category Winner-Canadian Project of the Year MEMBER: Contemporary Office Interiors PROJECT: John Q Daycares, multiple locations in Manitoba, Canada DESIGNER: Sequence Interior Design STARNET PREFERRED VENDORS: Ardex, Johnsonite by Tarkett, Mapei, Mohawk, Tarkett

Category Winner-Rob Starr People’s Choice Award MEMBER: Universal Metro PROJECT: Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center’s Women & Children’s Center, Pomona, California ARCHITECT: HMC Architects STARNET PREFERRED VENDORS: Ardex, C/F Data Systems, Daltile, Johnsonite by Tarkett, Milliken Commercial, RFMS, Spec-ID, Tarkett