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The winners of the 36th annual Best of NeoCon Awards were revealed this morning at The Mart in Chicago as part of NeoCon 2026, the commercial interiors event. The competition’s highest distinction — Best of Competition — was presented to KI for Cognetic Technology, which stood out for its intuitive, human-centered design (shown here in KI's Kiaura Collection).
Also winning an Innovation Award and Gold in several categories, KI's patented seating innovation was developed to fundamentally rethink how the body interacts with seating. The gravity-powered, multi-axis motion system continuously responds to subtle natural body movement, supporting posture variability, fluid movement, and effortless balance without requiring constant conscious adjustment. Unlike conventional seating systems built around levers, tilt mechanisms and static positioning, Cognetic Technology creates an intuitive, frictionless, more responsive seated experience.
Additional winners of note include:
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Mirage with SpinFix by Momentum: Gold and Business Impact in Acoustic Solutions category
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Assembled Threads by Mohawk Group: Silver in Carpeting
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Within Walls by Patcraft: Gold in Carpeting
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Hero Rubber made with Nike Grind by Mohawk: Silver in Healthcare Hard-Surface Flooring
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Wanderwood by Patcraft: Silver in Healthcare Hard-Surface Flooring
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Muro by B+N Industries - A Momentum Company: Silver in Architectural Products
- Bloomscape by CF Stinson: Silver and Sustainability in Healthcare Textiles
- Michael Ford x Momentum Textile Collection by Momentum: Gold in Upholstery
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Framery’s smartest office pods now hail from Michigan for reduced tariffs and lead time
The "world’s smartest" office pods just became far easier to bring into an American workplace. With Gradus, Framery — the company that invented the office pod — has launched an all-new range assembled in Michigan, designed to let more organizations enjoy the Framery advantage without the lead times, costs and complications of importing from overseas.
Gradus comprises three models, each engineered to maximize ergonomic interior volume within a minimal footprint and built to read the room: characterized by clean lines and a minimalist silhouette, it can blend seamlessly into the surrounding architecture or stand out as a focal point.
Modular wall panels let specifiers finish pods in warm wood veneers, soft fabrics or acoustic panels, making each unit a canvas for interior design as much as a functional asset. FM teams can add, relocate or reconfigure pods as headcount and work patterns shift.
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Gradus Focus: Optimized for private video calls and individual tasks
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Gradus Work: A one-person private office pod designed for heads-down concentration and video calls
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Gradus Huddle: A 1–4 person room for collaborative small group meetings
Discover the Framery Gradus line at NeoCon 2026 showroom 3-124.
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Timeless natural aesthetics and high performance mark two LVT collections from Mohawk Group
Mohawk Group introduces Assembled Travertine and Assembled Woods, two complementary luxury vinyl tile (LVT) collections that reinterpret the timeless appeal of stone and wood through a contemporary lens. The collections offer designers and FMs versatile flooring solutions that support creative expression while meeting the performance demands of commercial environments.
Assembled Travertine draws inspiration from the enduring beauty of natural stone and the craftsmanship involved in shaping it. The collection includes Angular Layer, an 18″ x 18″ format featuring geometric stone-inspired compositions, and Slabbed, an 18″ x 36″ format that captures the scale and character of large stone surfaces. Available in five soft, organic colorways, both styles create a refined foundation for a wide range of applications.
Assembled Woods reimagines traditional wood visuals through a contemporary geometric approach. Angular Grain features abstracted wood inlays in an 18″ x 18″ format, while Planked offers a classic 6″ x 36″ wood visual with subtle grain movement. Coordinated colorways allow the styles to be used independently or together, providing flexibility for custom layouts and unique floor patterns.
Visit Mohawk Group at THE MART in the NeoCon Collab space #7-7070
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Adaptive reuse has long played a role in the evolution of the built environment — the practice closely associated with preservation. Think reworking historic factories, warehouses and civic buildings to extend their usefulness while maintaining architectural character. This scope has expanded dramatically in recent years, now focusing less on preserving the past and more on responding to present-day realities.
Increasingly, underutilized commercial properties — particularly big-box retail buildings — are being evaluated not for what they once were, but for what they could become. Reusing an existing building can shorten project timelines, reduce permitting hurdles and minimize disruption to surrounding neighborhoods. The demand for data centers has grown at an unprecedented pace, making it an emerging yet challenging market for adaptive reuse. That same reality plays out in office-to-hospitality conversions.
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Restore damaged stair treads with DIY anti-slip filler mixture
The Stair Saver Epoxy Kit is a durable, do-it-yourself stair tread restoration system designed to repair and refill worn or damaged aluminum stair treads. The mixture combines long-lasting epoxy with abrasive aggregate grit to create a slip-resistant surface that helps extend the life of existing stair nosings. Suitable for indoor and outdoor applications, the kit provides an economical alternative to replacing entire stair treads while restoring safety and appearance.
Each Stair Saver Epoxy Kit covers up to 45 linear feet of a 3-inch-wide stair nosing when filled to a depth of 3/16 inch. The simple application process involves cleaning and drying the tread surface, mixing the kit components according to instructions, applying the mixture with a trowel, and allowing it to cure overnight. Once cured, the repaired surface meets or exceeds slip-resistance standards established by OSHA, ADA, ASTM, ANSI and UL-410, helping ensure safe, confident footing on stairs for years to come.
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Design principles help outdoor spaces foster community well-being
Across workplaces, campuses and mixed-use environments, the role of outdoor space is evolving. Once viewed primarily as an amenity or visual relief, the outdoors is increasingly understood as a meaningful extension of the facility itself — a setting where culture is expressed, relationships form and community takes shape. Outdoor environments that successfully foster community tend to share several common design principles:
• Accessibility and inclusivity. Spaces should be universally accessible, offering step-free entry, appropriate clearances and a variety of seating and standing options.
• Consistent comfort. Shade, wind protection and thoughtful lighting extend usability across seasons and times of day.
• Human scale and openness. Structures that provide a sense of enclosure yet maintain clear sightlines tend to feel welcoming and secure.
• Support for informal interaction. Surfaces for working or dining, access to power and flexible site furnishings allow people to gather or collaborate without extensive planning.
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Bronx Museum of the Arts, Lutron, Hyatt, Sandia Labs and Qatar Energy post key FM roles on the FMLink Job Board
Wall Street and economic forecasters are expecting a continued gradual decrease in hiring when May statistics are reported. April defied the odds by adding 115,000 jobs. For May, 85,000 to 96,000 jobs are estimated to have been added. Regardless of the reports, the FMLink Job Board is averaging 1,200 positions daily related to all sectors of facility management, along with roles for environmental health and safety, security, and construction project management. Career options available now:
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Director of Facilities, Bronx Museum of the Arts, Bronx, NY
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Critical Facilities Manager, ATN International, St. Croix, U.S.
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Equipment Support and Facilities Team Lead, ICIMS – Lutron Electronics, Ashland, VA
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Facilities Corporate Management Training Program, Hyatt Hotels Corp., U.S.
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Senior Project Manager (Master Planning), Cumming, Los Angeles, CA
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Senior Facilities Engineering Project Manager, Sandia National Labs, Livermore, CA
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Project Manager (Facility F) Qatar Energy, Doha, Qatar
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Administration & Facilities Coordinator, Marsh & McLennan Companies, Cincinnati, OH
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2026 Best of NeoCon winners reveal design breakthroughs in sustainability, innovation, business impact, lighting
From next-generation workplace solutions and sustainable materials to breakthrough lighting innovations and integrated technologies, the winners of the 36th annual Best of NeoCon Awards reflect a commitment to intentional, human-centered design for commercial interiors. Revealed this morning at The Mart in Chicago as part of NeoCon 2026, the awards recognize products that exemplify excellence in design, performance, innovation and user experience within the built environment. Out of 274 entries from 97 NeoCon exhibitors, more than 70 products earned awards, including lighting classifications introduced with the debut of Illuminate at NeoCon.
Honors were awarded for Gold, Silver, Innovation, Sustainability, and Business Impact, with the competition’s highest distinction — Best of Competition — presented to KI for Cognetic Technology. Best of Competition finalists included HALCON Furniture’s VESPER, Impact Acoustic’s Truchet, Model No.’s Onda, Mohawk Group’s Hero Rubber made with Nike Grind, Andreu World’s Fusion Conference Table, and WVH’s ALMA Collection.
Notably, Davis Furniture won several awards: Gold in Conference Seating for Cerro; Silver in Modular Seating for Faba; Gold in both Stacking Seating and Stools for Tiago; Gold in Occasional Tables for Laken (shown above); and Gold in Task Tables for K90. View the Best of NeoCon 2026 winners here.
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