Contrarian Micro Textures Honored with Green GOOD DESIGN Award
Contrarian Micro Textures has been Selected as a Recipient of a Green GOOD DESIGN Award for Corporations
The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies and The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design have named the winners for the 2012 Green GOOD DESIGN Awards for corporations. Four companies were honored with the award: Contrarian Micro Textures, Allison Park, PA, USA; Ahrend Cradle to Cradle Co., Royal Ahrend BV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Kimball® Office, Jasper, IN, USA; Adobe Systems, Inc., San Jose, CA, USA.
“We are humbled to be the recipient of this prestigious award,” said Jim Halliday, of Contrarian Micro Textures. “The company was founded in 2001 on the premise of technological and marketplace innovation for the purpose of developing stainless steel and other high quality metals for use in architecture. We produce metals specifically for the project, offering technological support and knowledge to improve the performance and appearance of metals used in architecture,” he explained.
Stainless steel is exceptional for a number of reasons, including its recycled content (75% in the US, over 60% worldwide), it does not emit harmful VOCs into the environment (as painted surfaces can do), requires minimal maintenance and will last the lifetime of the building. The Chrysler Building, built in 1930, has been cleaned only twice since then, yet it gleams with beauty as it welcomes visitors flying over New York City.
Stainless steel is harmless to living beings and is used in medical technology, cookware, utensils and jewelry. However, its friendliness to mankind and living creatures is just the start of how it contributes to the environment. First, it is strong enough that panel systems can make use of lighter gauges, using less material and resources to create it. The thermal reflectance of stainless steel is very useful in controlling energy costs for heating and cooling. Further, the long term savings of maintenance costs should not be underestimated, not to mention the service interruption that repairs and painting require. Once the building is torn down, its stainless components have high scrap value as they are 100% recyclable without limit as to downstream application, assuring the material will live on in the form of new stainless steel products.
Green GOOD DESIGN identifies and emphasizes the world’s most important examples of sustainable design and develops a public awareness program to the international general public about which companies are doing the best job in sustainable design for our world environments.
Architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning projects, products and graphic designs from all over the world are considered for Green GOOD DESIGN awards, honoring the most important manufacturers and design firms that contribute to a sustainable planet.
The original GOOD DESIGN award, founded in Chicago in 1950, remains one of the oldest and most important Awards Programs worldwide.
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