The Ceramics of Italy tile competition, sponsored by Confindustria Ceramica and the Italian Trade Commission, selected its 2014 winners. Architects and designers across the North American region competed in three categories – residential, commercial and institutional – and the winners received $4,000 as well as a trip to Bologna, Italy, to attend Cersaie, September 22-26, 2014.
D.I Group + Adeet Madan won in the residential category for their five-bedroom, 5.25-bath private residence in Southern California. The industrial aesthetic and format of the tiles selected from Refin Ceramiche emphasize the expansiveness of the 1,683-sq.-ft., open-plan home. Porcelain tiles are featured in the living, dining and lounge areas, the Japanese style outdoor garden, as well as the bedrooms and bathrooms on the second level.
The Chabra Residence by Narofsky Architecture won a residential honorable mention award. The exterior of the LEED Silver-certified home is wrapped entirely in Lea Ceramiche’s Slimtech Basaltina porcelain tiles. In addition, the interior floors, indoor pool, kitchen backsplash and bathrooms also feature Slimtech for a total of approximately 16,000 square feet of installed porcelain. This particular collection was selected for the project because it could be applied as a rain screen system on the exterior, requires little to no maintenance and can withstand harsh weather conditions.
The second honorable mention award was given to Mario Bolivar Study of Architecture and Design for their project in Cancun, Mexico. The private waterfront residence makes use of Provenza’s “Q-Stone” porcelain tiles that are designed to emulate the look and feel of quartzite. The residence uses the material for the main façade and all of the external areas.
