ASID Grants Material Bank Design Innovation Award

The American Society of Interior Designers kicked off the first day of its annual Spotlight awards ceremony on Monday with a 4-day virtual event highlighting the people and projects that have made a remarkable impact on the profession. The ceremony honored the 2020 ASID National Award Winners, while subsequent programs will honor Ones to Watch Scholars, then induct three designers into ASID’s College of Fellows, including SANDOW’s newest employee, Executive Vice President and Design Futurist, A.J. Paron.

But the SANDOW brand will achieve recognition in more ways than one during this year’s awards ceremony. During Monday’s event, Material Bank was granted the Design Innovation award. As Spotlight host Ed O’Keefe explained, the award acknowledges a person or organization that displays “a commitment to sustainability, health, and wellness,” and “an overall appreciation for design.” Material Bank’s program provides one platform for designers to receive samples overnight, which are delivered and returned in one box to ensure sustainability.

Adam Sandow, founder and CEO of his eponymous brand, received the award on behalf of Material Bank during the virtual ceremony, and he had the opportunity to talk more about the evolution and vision behind the platform. SANDOW discussed how the technology and innovation behind Material Bank allowed the platform to provide a midnight cutoff for sample orders as well as keep the business running smoothly during the pandemic. When asked what the award meant to him, SANDOW recalled the origins of the brand. “To be an outsider back in 2005, a start-up company, and then to get this reward is especially meaningful to me. It’s more than satisfying.”