DALTON, GA.—J+J Flooring Group recently introduced two new Kinetex products: Put a Cork in It and Tri-Plex. Both feature the human-centered properties for which Kinetex products are known, along with contemporary and appealing designs. This versatility offers unmatched flexibility for designers to create the commercial spaces they envision. Boasting a name that matches its clever and quirky design, Put a Cork in It is an approachable yet distinctive 24” x 24” tile. Multi-tonal cork-like flecks appear through 16 colorways creating a captivating pattern that brings an unexpected level of character and personality. Shifting, mottled specs of jade mix with tawny...

BROOKLYN, N.Y.—SG Blocks, Inc., a premier designer, innovator and fabricator of container-based structures, announced that Brian Adams has been named National Sales Director. In this role, Adams will work directly with Paul Galvin, Chairman and CEO, to develop and oversee the national and international sales strategy and its tactical implementation for SG Blocks. He will be based in Dallas. “As SG Blocks continues its rapid expansion, we are thrilled to welcome Brian, a prominent executive with over 30 years of experience, to the team,” stated Galvin. “His proven history of high level sales management across a variety of industries will...

HOPLAND, CALIF.—Danny Fetzer, owner of the Jeriko Estates Resort and Winery in Hopland, Calif., recently installed two redwood pergolas with Humboldt Redwood’s FSC certified redwood. The large one is outside the main tasting room, while the second is attached to one of the casitas located on the property. The entire property is surrounded by redwood forests, nearby lakes and the Mendocino Coast. Fetzer chose redwood because it’s durable, reliable and attractive; and also because it’s local and sustainable—sourced from the nearby FSC certified redwood forestlands. HRC grows more redwood trees each year than are harvested while protections are in place around...

SAN FRANCISCO—Bamboo and palm interior finishes manufacturer Smith & Fong announced the launch of Simla, a new hybrid panel derived from both coconut and sugar palm, according to company founder and CEO Dan Smith. “The history and culture of India offer wonderful inspiration for new designs and motifs in palm,” Smith said. “Simla is a colonial era hill station in the foothills of the Himalayas that functioned as the summer capital during British rule. It is today still sprinkled with lovely old wooden cottages from this period, and the design we have chosen is reminiscent of some of the weathered siding and...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) headquarters office is the first space in the world to achieve both Platinum Level Certification for the WELL Building Standard (WELL) under WELL v1 and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), under the LEED ID+C rating system—the highest recognition awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI). The office space, designed by Perkins+Will, incorporates the most innovative health and wellness design features, and has sustainability as a central philosophy. “At ASID, we take tremendous pride in being a champion for good design and demonstrating that design...

NORWALK, CONN.—Metroflor Corp. has shared a video series of the panel its Chief Sustainability Officer Rochelle Routman moderated at the Sustainatopia May 2017 conference in San Francisco. Entitled “The Voice of New China”, the discussion features panelists Simon Xia, Metroflor’s Shanghai General Manager and Factory Sustainability Coordinator, and Jin Song, General Manager of Elegant Plastics, a primary factory of Metroflor’s LVT floors. The panel covers a wide array of subjects regarding the manufacturing environment in today’s China including sustainability and transparency, energy and water efficiencies, and the factory workers’ experience, as well as an audience question and answer session. The...

WINDHAM, VERMONT—If a building becomes as one as possible with its surrounding environment, can it be energy self-sufficient? Yes, it certainly can. Just ask Bob Shannon, President of The Fourth Corner Foundation, Inc., the nonprofit that runs A Stone Wall Inn in Windham, Vermont. Shannon, an architect with two degrees from Yale University, first thought about the 10-room inn on 12 acres in 1969. The three-building inn with a post-modernist feel is heated entirely by solar energy and wood stoves. Every aspect and angle of the well-insulated inn was designed to maximize the power of the sun. “We are making...

READING, PA.—Ambius, a global leader in interior landscaping, was honored with 25 awards at the 2017 International Plantscape Awards Celebration at Cultivate ’17. The Awards ceremony was held on Sunday, July 16 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio. The company’s 25 award wins break its own record for wins by a single firm, which it previously set with 17 wins at Cultivate ’16. These awards honor the Ambius team’s commitment to innovative design, client service and professionalism in the interior plantscaping industry. Eighteen separate designers were honored for their work, taking home nearly 40 percent of...

DALTON, GA.—J+J Flooring Group marked continued progress towards its environmental performance goals according to the company’s fifth annual corporate sustainability report. Titled Building Momentum, the report covers the company’s environmental and social responsibility investments and progress during the 2016 fiscal year. Highlights from the report include a 23 percent reduction in the company’s energy consumption since 2010—an achievement that exceeds J+J’s 20 percent reduction goal four years ahead of the company’s 2020 deadline. The milestone follows the company’s 2014 achievement of Zero Waste to Landfill Certification, six years ahead of its 2020 goal. The milestones are part of J+J’s 20/20 Vision,...

VANCOUVER, B.C.—Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) and Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI) have signed an agreement in principle to form a Canadian joint venture called Green Business Certification Inc. Canada (GBCI Canada), with final terms anticipated to be agreed upon this summer. Beginning in early 2018, GBCI Canada will deliver all of the current and future GBCI offerings including certification and professional credentialing services for LEED v4, WELL, SITES, PEER, Parksmart, Zero Waste and GRESB in Canada. The new organization is being established to more effectively support the Canadian market. CaGBC, a not-for-profit, mission-driven organization is dedicated to the transformation of...