Projects were judged and awarded separately on technical installation and design. One Grand Prize winner for both design and installation in each category (residential and commercial) was chosen.

The grand prize in the residential category was awarded to Phoenix-based installer Alpentile and designer Wendy Lesueur of Mesa, AZ, for a pool and deck in Scottsdale, AZ. The top commercial honors went to installer KEPCO+ of Salt Lake City and designer Ross Nadeau of SWA Group in San Francisco for a massive water feature at City Creek Center, a mall in Salt Lake City. Each of the top honorees won a $1,000 cash grand prize.

Lesueur and Alpentile’s project at a ranch in Scottsdale involved replacing a sun- damaged pool and deck with an all-tile spa, an elegantly shaped swimming pool with a 25-foot-long raised water feature, and an expansive stone deck for entertaining. Materials included hand-textured porcelain tile, glass mosaic tile, and natural stone. The sparkling, iridescent finishes of the pool and spa tiling are brought to life at night with a single LED spotlight positioned so that the undulating surface of the water feature can be viewed from the patio.

Nadeau and KEPCO+ earned the commercial grand prize with the stunning recreation of City Creek, a natural spring-fed stream that was moved underground a century ago to prevent flooding as Salt Lake City grew. The new above-ground, man-made creek bed, which runs through the City Creek Center mall, stretches over 12,000 feet and cascades over three waterfalls, the tallest of which is 18 feet high. Painstaking attention to detail was required for this immense project, as well as careful work to maintain the integrity of the waterproofing system.

High Marks in Residential and Commercial Tile + Stone
Ten other projects were also recognized for exceptional design and installation work from the more than 97 entries received from around the world. The winners were awarded $500 cash prizes from Coverings.
Winner, Residential Tile Design
Project: Bilezijkian Apartment Remodel, Miami Beach, FL
Designer: DEN Architecture

Winner, Residential Stone Design
Project: Dragonflower Vine, Seattle, WA
Designer: Tile Design by Edelstein

Winner, Residential Tile Installation
Project: Schaefer/Graf Residence, Evanston, IL
Installer: Kraftex Floor Corporation

Winner, Residential Stone Installation
Project: Concentric Complexity, San Antonio, TX
Installer: Cox Tile, Inc.

Winner, Commercial Tile Design
Project: Dallas SPCA Jan Reese Jones Animal Care Center, Dallas, TX
Designer: Hinojosa Architecture and Interiors

Winner, Commercial Tile Installation
Project: bestbet, Jacksonville, FL
Installer: Dixie Contract Carpet Inc.

Winner, Commercial Stone Design
Project: 1 World Trade Center/National September 11 Memorial, New York, NY
Designer: Skidmore Owings & Merrill and Michael Arad

Winner, Commercial Stone Installation
Project: Smith Center for Performing Arts, Las Vegas, NV
Installer: Superior Tile & Stone

Winners, International Design
Project: Children Education Center & Children Innovation Center, Paterna, Spain
Designer: Natucer

Project: University Teacher Training College, Granada, Spain
Designer: Ramón Fernández-Alonso y Asociados

The judges also gave special recognition awards to three additional outstanding tile and stone projects:
Award, Community Project
Project: McRae Children’s Fountains, Jackson, Mississippi
Submitted by: Colorco, Ltd

Award, Artistic Use of Tile, Residential
Project: Vista La Grand, Grand Rapids, MI
Installer/Designer: Inspired Installations

Award, Artistic Use of Tile, Commercial
Project : Iowa State Mural: Learning to Fly, Ames, IA
Designer: Artaic

To learn more about the Coverings Installation and Design Award–winning projects visit www.coverings.com.

About Coverings
Coverings is the largest and most important ceramic tile and natural stone trade fair and expo in the United States. It features exhibitors from more than 50 countries and is the stage for introducing some of the most innovative tile and stone products in the world.

The exposition also serves as a valuable resource for continuing education for all segments of the industry, with more than 70 informative, accredited seminars and live demonstration sessions throughout the show, all free of charge.

Coverings attracts thousands of distributors, retailers, fabricators, contractors, specifiers, architectural and design professionals, builders and real estate developers, as well as journalists and bloggers who cover this vital and dynamic industry.

Sponsors of the show are the Ceramic Tile Distributors Association (CTDA), Tile of Spain/Spanish Ceramic Tile Manufacturer’s Association (ASCER), Ceramics of Italy/Confindustria Ceramica, National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) and the Tile Council of North America (TCNA). The show is managed by National Trade Productions.

Coverings 2013 will be held April 29-May 2, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia. For more information visit www.coverings.com or contact National Trade Productions, Coverings Show Management, 703-706-8257.

Established to recognize outstanding achievements in sustainable design and architecture that use tile and stone as an integral element in attaining green status, the competition is judged on how tile and stone are used in the project; design aesthetics; positive environmental impact; environmental innovation; and the environmental benefits of the particular tile and stone products used. This year the Coverings PROJECT: Green competition is recognizing projects in four categories: Commercial Remodel, Commercial New Construction, Institutional New Construction and Residential New Construction. The following were given the ultimate accolade:

Northridge Fashion Center, Northridge, California: Platinum Project for Commercial Remodel. Following a major earthquake in 1994, the Northridge Fashion Center, a massive shopping mall in Northridge, California, required a thorough renovation. For the project, the owner/developer worked with a single manufacturer, Crossville, Inc., which supplied American-made, Green Squared® certified porcelain tiles containing of a minimum of 20% recycled content to cover nearly all of the 150,000 square feet of common areas inside the mall. Light-colored tiles featuring both polished and unpolished finishes help to reflect light and support energy efficiency. Colors and textures were beautifully incorporated into the design work to create subliminal assistance with traffic routing throughout the mall.

Nature Research Center, Raleigh, North Carolina: Platinum Project for Commercial New Construction. The new Nature Research Center at the Raleigh-based North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, designed by the architectural firm O’Brien/Atkins Associates, incorporates a wide range of green building strategies. Granite was quarried and fabricated locally for the entrances, main lobby and a four-story monumental staircase designed to appear as though the structure floats unsupported toward the higher floors. Other green aspects include extensive use of recycled and regional materials, a green roof with native vegetation, locally quarried granite boulders and photovoltaic panels.

Noble and Greenough School – Castle Project, Dedham, Massachusetts: Platinum Project for Institutional New Construction. This project at the Noble and Greenough School involved the renovation and expansion of the Castle, a landmarked 19th century structure designed by H.H. Richardson and used primarily as a dining facility and faculty residence. Boston-based architectural firm Architerra and stone contractor Kenneth Castellucci & Associates demolished an existing wall, salvaging more than 90% of the exterior stone to reuse for the walls of a new terrace. The interior spaces of the new extension incorporate recycled ceramic tile, while a high performance building envelope and new insulation systems allow the footprint of the Castle to double with no increase in overall campus energy consumption.

Marc Rutenberg Homes’ Zero Energy America Castaway III Model Home, Palm Harbor, Florida: Platinum Project for Residential New Construction. The Castaway III Model home is the first completed residence in a four-house development by Marc Rutenberg Homes in the Tampa Bay area that aims at offering luxurious design combined with net zero electric bills. The house – designed by Marc Thee of Marc Michaels Interior Design – incorporates vein-cut travertine flooring; low-VOC paints, stains and sealers; and a bio-fuel burning fireplace with a split-face marble tile overmantle. The children’s bathroom features fully tiled walls and rather than painted drywall. Tiles and countertops with recycled content were incorporated throughout the home.

Coverings has also selected two Gold Projects for their visionary ideas with regards to sustainability and the use of tile and stone. organicArchitect was cited for a Palm Springs, California condo remodeling that included extensive use of tile and stone to help maintain temperature in a warm climate along with sustainably harvested wood, EnergyStar appliances, and VOC-free finishes and sealants.

HDR Architecture, Inc. was singled out for construction of the new National Institute of Standards & Technology in Boulder, Colorado where 30% of materials consisted of recycled content, and low-energy glass was incorporated. The project achieved LEED Gold certification.

All of the top projects will be featured in the PROJECT: Green Display at Coverings Central – Hall C, Booth 6457 at the show – April 29 through May 2. In addition, representatives from the four Platinum Projects will be speaking in the PROJECT: Green Roundtable – Environmental Stewardship Through Tile + Stone conference session on Tuesday, April 30, 3:15 PM – 4:15 PM, Room B407, moderated by Bill Griese of the Tile Council of North America. To learn more about Coverings 2013 PROJECT: Green and the Gold and Platinum Projects, visit www.coverings.com.

About Coverings
Coverings is the largest and most important ceramic tile and natural stone trade fair and expo in the United States. It features exhibitors from more than 50 countries and is the stage for introducing some of the most innovative tile and stone products in the world.

The exposition also serves as a valuable resource for continuing education for all segments of the industry, with more than 70 informative, accredited seminars and live demonstration sessions throughout the show, all free of charge.

Coverings attracts thousands of distributors, retailers, fabricators, contractors, specifiers, architectural and design professionals, builders and real estate developers, as well as journalists and bloggers who cover this vital and dynamic industry.

Sponsors of the show are The Ceramic Tile Distributors Association (CTDA), Tile of Spain/Spanish Ceramic Tile Manufacturer’s Association (ASCER), Ceramics of Italy/Confindustria Ceramica, National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) and The Tile Council of North America (TCNA). The show is managed by National Trade Productions.

Coverings 2013 will be held April 29-May 2, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia. For more information visit www.coverings.com or contact National Trade Productions, Coverings Show Management, 703-706-8257.

When The Ultimate Tile + Stone Experience comes to the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta for the first time, April 29–May 2, 2013, there will be a grand total of 58 AIA/CES approved sessions offered, 31 of which qualify for AIA Health, Safety and Welfare Learning Units. Coverings offers 53 sessions approved for IDCEC credit, and 50 approved for NKBA credit.

This year more than 900 exhibitors will show an unrivalled range of new products, exciting trends, and innovative technologies. But architects and designers often cite the free conference sessions as a major reason for attending the tile and stone super show.

The insightful and inspirational presentation by legendary designer David Rockwell and visionary editor of Interior Design magazine, Cindy Allen, on Wednesday May 1 from 1:45 to 2:45 is just one of many valuable sessions approved for AIA and IDCEC credits.

Encompassing a broad spectrum of interests and applications, other CEU courses include best practices for sustainability in tile and stone work; tips for getting projects published in the new digital age; and sessions on technological advances that have resulted in striking new developments in tile, stone and glass.

Here are details of just a few of the AIA/CES, IDCEC and NKBA approved sessions:

Artistry Meets Innovation: Designing with the Newest Tile, Stone and Glass Artistic Tile’s Joshua Levinson reveals how advancement in technology and production is resulting in tile, stone and glass formats never before available to designers and architects. This session will review some of the newest available products, showcase how they differ, talk about specifying them, feature the looks that can be achieved with them, and provide guidance on their installation and care. Wednesday, May 1, 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM. 1 LU Credit/0.1 IDCEC Credit/0.1 NKBA Credit.

Color Theory and Its Applications Feras Irikat, design director for Oceanside Glasstile and Mandala, examines the impact of light, vision, and texture on color in the design environment. The basics of color theory and psychology will be outlined, followed by a discussion of how wood, textiles, glass and ceramics can be fully integrated to create and define cohesive, beautiful spaces. Tuesday, April 30, 3:15 PM – 4:15 PM. 1 LU Credit/0.1 IDCEC Credit/0.1 NKBA Credit.

Concepts: Where Do I Find My Inspiration? Liset Robinson, professor at Savannah College of Art and Design and winner of the 2012 Interior Design Educator of the Year Inaugural Award from the International Interior Design Association, shows how concept generation and creative thinking are processes that can be learned. The design process begins with analysis, which leads to elaboration, and then moves towards discovery. The process of concept derivation will be discussed, including the exploration of graphic images such as diagrams, which allow designers to look at things differently in order to expand their thinking. Tuesday, April 30, 9:30 AM –10:30 AM. 1 LU Credit/0.1 IDCEC Credit.

Trends in Tile: Boundary-Breaking New Looks, New Innovations and New Materials for Indoors & Out Jen Renzi, author of The Art of Tile and a freelance writer for Interior Design, House Beautiful and other publications, will discuss how cutting-edge digital technology and the revival of artisanal processes are transforming the look and application of tile. From super thin to super thick, the formats tile comes in have been pushed to extremes, expanding how and where it can be installed. The industry is a hotbed of innovation, with the brightest design luminaries and new talents teaming with top manufacturers. Renzi will also show how the latest tile trends dovetail with broader cultural shifts, and address how manufacturers are making their products greener than ever before. Tuesday, April 30, 1:45 PM – 2:45 PM. 1 LU Credit/0.1 IDCEC Credit/0.1 NKBA Credit.

Tips, Tricks and Landmines in the Field of Green Holley Henderson, founder of H2 Ecodesign, provides the latest on LEED V4, sustainability at low or no cost, and future trends in the industry. This session includes tips on best practices in sustainability for tile and stone; tricks to understand the new LEED V4 prerequisites; and advice on marketing and positioning products for teams and clients. Tuesday, April 30, 10:45 AM – 11:45 AM. 1 LU/HSW Credit/0.1 IDCEC Credit/0.1 NKBA Credit.

Designers, Build the Buzz: Editors, Bloggers and Social Media Pros Offer Insider Advice on Getting Published A panel of influential editors and bloggers spells out what catches their eye and why, offers guidance on how best to present your work to them, and discusses new ways of showcasing projects on sites like Houzz and Pinterest. Monday, April 29, 3:15 PM – 4:15 PM. 1 LU Credit/0.1 IDCEC Credit/0.1 NKBA Credit.

David Rockwell in Conversation with Cindy Allen, Editor in Chief of Interior Design A unique opportunity to hear two design industry visionaries—David Rockwell, founder and CEO of Rockwell Group, and Cindy Allen, editor in chief of Interior Design magazine—offer enlightenment, inspiration, and motivation to architects and designers looking to create sensational projects. Wednesday, May 1, 1:45 PM – 2:45 PM. 1 LU Credit/0.1 IDCEC Credit.

Demystifying the Design Professional and the Tile Manufacturer Relationship For an innovative product to meet expectations on a project, the designer needs to find the right manufacturer to work with. Michael Johnson of Michael P Johnson Design Studio, and Lira Luis of Atelier Lira Luis (ALLL) examine the best practices related to the designer-manufacturer relationship and how both sides can benefit from the process. Several case-study projects will be presented demonstrating aesthetically pleasing projects resulting from successful designer-manufacturer collaborations. Thursday, May 2, 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM. 1 LU/HSW Credit/0.1 IDCEC Credit/0.1 NKBA Credit.

Specification 2.0: Understanding Ceramics to Use Their Full Potential Ryan Fasan of Professional Attention to Tile Installations explains how, as the industry changes and new production and glazing techniques give rise to new materials, it’s up to sales people and specifiers to take full advantage of every improvement and leap forward. Modern technology like large formats, slim porcelains, ventilated facades, and ceramic screens provide nearly limitless potential to grow our specifications outside kitchens and baths or even floors and walls. Wednesday, May 1, 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM. 1 LU/HSW Credit/0.1 IDCEC Credit/0.1 NKBA Credit.

Be Our Guest: Tile and Stone in Hospitality From restaurants to hotels, architects and designers throughout Atlanta are being recognized for inspiring designs both at home and abroad. Panelists Pierre Josselin of Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA), Patricia Richey ASID of tvsdesign, and Karen Teske Blue of The Johnson Studio share their motivation, the role tile and stone has played in their work, and future hospitality trends. Tuesday, April 30, 10:45 AM – 11:45 AM. 1 LU Credit/0.1 IDCEC Credit/0.1 NKBA Credit.

Installation Design Showcase Deconstructed Meet with the Atlanta-area designers and NTCA Five Star Contractors of the Installation Design Showcase and learn what it takes to pull together these annual vignettes in just five days. You will tour the four unique spaces of the showcase—a bar/lounge, hotel lobby, inpatient room in a birthing center, and a master bedroom—and learn from the participants every detail from the types of tiles chosen and why, to the thought-process behind the designs, to the exceptional installation technique. Wednesday, May 1, 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM. 1 LU/HSW Credit/0.1 IDCEC Credit/0.1 NKBA Credit.

Other programs offering AIA and IDCEC course credits include:

• Thin Tile Project: From Design to Completion Tuesday, April 30, 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM. 1 LU/HSW Credit/0.1 IDCEC Credit/0.1 NKBA Credit.
• Ceramic Tile: An Eco-Logical Choice Tuesday, April 30, 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM. 1 LU/HSW Credit/0.1 IDCEC Credit/0.1 NKBA Credit.
• A US Case Study in Ventilated Facade: First Bank and Trust of Skokie Wednesday, May 1, 9:30 AM –10:30 AM. 1 LU/HSW Credit/0.1 IDCEC Credit/0.1 NKBA Credit.
• Promoting with Pinterest Wednesday, May 1, 10:45 AM – 11:45 AM. 1 LU Credit/0.1 IDCEC Credit.
• Advanced SketchUp Thursday, May 2, 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM. 1.5 LU Credits/ 0.1 IDCEC Credit/0.2 NKBA Credit.

For the complete list of the more than 50 AIA/CES and IDCEC approved sessions go to www.coverings.com/education.

About Coverings
Coverings is the largest and most important ceramic tile and natural stone trade fair and expo in the United States. It features exhibitors from more than 50 countries and is the stage for introducing some of the most innovative tile and stone products in the world.

The exposition also serves as a valuable resource for continuing education for all segments of the industry, with more than 70 informative, accredited seminars and live demonstration sessions throughout the show, all free of charge.

Coverings attracts thousands of distributors, retailers, fabricators, contractors, specifiers, architectural and design professionals, builders and real estate developers, as well as journalists and bloggers who cover this vital and dynamic industry.

Sponsors of the show are The Ceramic Tile Distributors Association (CTDA), Tile of Spain/Spanish Ceramic Tile Manufacturer’s Association (ASCER), Ceramics of Italy/Confindustria Ceramica, National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) and The Tile Council of North America (TCNA). The show is managed by National Trade Productions.

Coverings 2013 will be held April 29-May 2, at Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, Georgia. For more information visit www.coverings.com or contact National Trade Productions, Coverings Show Management, 703-706-8257.

We all have something to offer (and to gain) with regard to “green” in our world. In late 2012, I released the book Becoming a Green Building Professional. This opportunity allowed me to interview over 300 people across the building industry for how their careers have evolved, as well as, tools and resources supporting their eco-path. This insight led to a unique perspective for Coverings 2013, with many voices contributing to tips and tricks to share.

In order to cast a vision for your company and your personal green career our discussion will look at where the commercial building market is headed. We’ll discuss the trends from the Living Building Challenge to the rapid international adoption of LEED. Then we will take a deeper dive into the new version of LEED V4 with a focus on the Materials & Resource category. We will look at relatively new concepts (to some) such as life cycle assessment (LCA), environmental product declarations (EPD), sourcing and disclosure of material ingredients. I’ve been fortunate to serve on the National USGBC Market Committee leadership enabling me to see the behind the scenes “reality TV” of the making of the new version of LEED. As market transformative as LEED has historically been, this discussion may inform your future plans.

I am excited to share many resources and best practices during the Coverings 2013 session “Tips, Tricks & Landmines in the Field of Green” including a free bonus e-chapter from the book Becoming a Green Building Professional not found in the hard copy version. See ya’ll soon in my hometown, Atlanta – land of Coke & peaches!

Register today to attend Coverings for free!

——

Beyond speaking and consulting, Holley Henderson supports her eco-mission with leadership, development and education by serving as an advocate and volunteer for numerous groups.

The Showcase matches four outstanding Atlanta-based design firms with four of the nation’s finest installation teams. The National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA), a Coverings co-sponsor that helped originate the Showcase four years ago, initiated these designer-installer match-ups. To participate, installers must have NTCA Five Star Recognition, the association’s highest ranking, and be certified by the Ceramic Tile Education Foundation. This year’s collaborative pairings will produce four installations—a bar/lounge, a hotel lobby, an in-patient room in a women’s birthing center, and a master bathroom—each of which will highlight a different design aesthetic centered on tile and stone.

Bar/Lounge Design talents Michael Neiswander and Margaret Nysewander of Atlanta’s ASD Inc., have conjured a spectacular bar—“a conceptual art piece, really” says Nysewander—that will feature all-red tiles from different Ceramics of Italy manufacturers, applied in a faceted manner. “We wanted to challenge ourselves and the installer with something complex. The different textures will showcase the installer’s methods,” Nysewander continues. “The design calls for a lot of intricate cuts,” agrees Ryan Smith, director of Rimrock Design, the Lake City, Florida-based installer assigned to realize the demanding project. “It’s the contractor’s job to bring it to life.” The walls will be clad in simple gray large-format tiles that, like those on the bar, will be applied using MAPEI installation products.

Hotel Lobby Hospitality-design veterans Foreman Rogers and Allison Isaacs of Atlanta’s tvsdesign are accustomed to working on large hotel lobbies. “The challenge here is to evoke a huge space while working on a rather small scale,” says Isaacs. The team has specified Plane, 5-foot by 10-foot engineered porcelain ceramic wall panels from StonePeak Ceramics, for the task of bringing grandeur to their vignette. “It resembles Calacatta Borghini marble,” says Isaacs. “It’s thin, lightweight, impervious to staining, large, clean, and monolithic—perfect for what we do.” The installer, Rod Owen of C.C. Owen Tile Company, Inc., in Jonesboro, Georgia, is excited to be working with the new material. “Before, the largest panels were 4-foot by 4-foot,” he says. “This big new size really combines slab and tile installation methods.” But Owen will get to use his more conventional skills, too, installing various glass and mirror tiles from Traditions in Tile employing TEC installation materials provided by H.B. Fuller Construction Products Inc. throughout.

In-patient Room in a Women’s Birthing Center “The whole concept of the room is serenity and relaxation,” says Mary Porter who along with Craig Anderchak—both of Atlanta’s VeenendaalCave Healthcare—designed the calming space. Their first move was to select Italian tile that looked like light-color fabric, “as if it were soft to the touch,” she says. “For the floor, we are using wood-look porcelain tile from Italy, which will work well with the texture of the walls.” The opportunity to work with Strata Mat, a new coupling membrane manufactured by LATICRETE, intrigues installer Chad Love of David Allen Company in Birmingham, Alabama. “The product goes under the tile,” he says, “and has crack isolation properties so that there’s a barrier between tile and concrete,” an important consideration in a healthcare facility.

Master Bathroom “Many bathrooms are feminine,” says Mark Williams of Atlanta’s Mark Williams Design Associates. “I’m doing a more masculine version—1920s Gatsby modernized with Deco undertones.” To achieve the look, he has specified Noble Company products and TOTO and Poggenpohl fixtures along with Crossville tile throughout, including porcelain wall tile in chestnut brown for a neutral background; bright blue glass tile for subtly applied accents; and oblong 4-inch by 24-inch porcelain floor tile that will be laid in a herringbone pattern. “For the first time we will be working with Crossville’s new Laminam very thin wall tile, which will be interesting,” says installer Buck Collins of Collins Tile and Stone in Aldie, Virginia. “It’s an opportunity for us to spotlight a new skill.” All of the tile will be applied using MAPEI installation materials.

“These rooms are not all settings in which you would necessarily expect to see tile,” says Bart Bettiga, executive director at National Tile Contractors Association. “But one of the Installation Design Showcase’s purposes is to demonstrate tile and stone applications that may be unusual or surprising but that turn out to be appropriate and wonderful. Above all the Showcase highlights just how important the ongoing designer/installer partnership is to a successful project. It offers attendees the chance to witness the industry’s best practices first hand and to interact directly with designers and installers during the build-out right there on the show floor. Bringing the field to life in this way is another example of what makes Coverings a unique and valuable experience.”

About Coverings
Coverings is the largest and most important ceramic tile and natural stone trade fair and expo in the United States. It features exhibitors from more than 50 countries and is the stage for introducing some of the most innovative tile and stone products in the world.

The exposition also serves as a valuable resource for continuing education for all segments of the industry, with more than 70 informative, accredited seminars and live demonstration sessions throughout the show, all free of charge.

Coverings attracts thousands of distributors, retailers, fabricators, contractors, specifiers, architectural and design professionals, builders and real estate developers, as well as journalists and bloggers who cover this vital and dynamic industry.

Sponsors of the show are The Ceramic Tile Distributors Association (CTDA), Tile of Spain/Spanish Ceramic Tile Manufacturer’s Association (ASCER), Ceramics of Italy/Confindustria Ceramica, National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) and The Tile Council of North America (TCNA). The show is managed by National Trade Productions.

Coverings 2013 will be held April 29-May 2, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia. For more information visit www.coverings.com or contact National Trade Productions, Coverings Show Management, 703-706-8257. Attending Coverings is free and you can register here.

Flexible Architecture by Ceramica Sant’Agostino

From April 29 to May 2, these bold and beautiful tile and stone collections – including Sant’ Agostino’s latest line by Philippe Starck – will take over North America’s largest surfacing trade fair, Coverings, the Ultimate Tile + Stone Experience.

1 Sequoie by Coem

This earthy porcelain stone for floors and walls comes in five sizes and four veiny colors, including white, grey and black. It’s also LEED-certified and made with 20 per cent recycled material.

2 Virtue by Crossville

In this porcelain tile, Crossville captures the subtly veined quality of Carrara, Calacatta and Statuario, replicating the look and finish of these high-end marble products. The tile contains four per cent pre-consumer recycled content, comes in satin and unpolished finishes and can be used on floors, walls, countertops and exterior walls.

3 Cable Floor System by Nuheat

Sure, it’s neither tile nor stone, but Nuheat’s latest floor heating system warms up these surfaces, as well as laminate and engineered wood floors. Configurable for angles and curves, a thin cable is installed above the substrate and heats up the top layer. It also works in wet environments, such as showers and steam rooms.

4 Old Wood by Fioranese

Imitating the look of petrified wood, this porcelain stoneware is smooth to the touch. It comes in three sizes up to 22.5 by 90 centimeters and five neutral palettes including white ash, cherry brown and walnut moka.

5 Perseo by Marazzi

Thanks to digital printing, Marazzi’s highly polished porcelain takes cues from the natural veining found in the facades of historic buildings. Sustainable, with 45 per cent recycled content and zero VOC emissions, Perseo comes in a 0.6-by-0.6-meter format and five luxurious colors.

6 Flexible Architecture by Ceramica Sant ’Agostino

Philippe Starck’s 30-by-30-centimeter tiles come in matte and glossy finishes that can be combined to produce endless configurations. In eight vibrant shades such as green, blue and orange, the collection includes an optional matching grout to create a seamless finish.

7 Pins and Needles exhibited by Avente Tile

The Dominican Republic’s Jorge Aguayo draws inspiration from lace and textured fabrics for these hand-painted tiles, the latest additions to the Wholesale Tiles line. They are made of cast cement and marble dust, and come in many colours of Aguayo’s signature palette.

8 Dolceamaro by Viva

With its giant flower sketch, this glossy yellow wall covering is one of eight patterns (among the others: hexagons, stripes and waves) that comprise the Dolceamaro collection. In a mostly neutral palette with hits of tangerine and lime green, the ceramic tiles can be mixed and matched for a strikingly vibrant wall or floor.

Editor’s note: This article appeared originally in Azure, an award-winning magazine with a focus on contemporary architecture and design. Since its launch in 1985, it has earned a global reputation for excellence. Its international perspective and multidisciplinary coverage – which puts architecture, interiors, products, landscapes and urbanism together in a real-world scenario – make it distinct from any other publication available on newsstands. Follow this link back to see Azure for yourself and follow this link to register for Coverings. Remember, it’s all free!