Los Angeles Celebrates IIDA’s Calibre Design Awards
The 30th annual Calibre Design Awards gala, celebrating the best of Southern California’s commercial design and the teams that made the projects happen, took place on May 18 at the Beverly Hilton. Carlos Posada, IIDA’s immediate past president, played host to a sell-out crowd of 1,000 attendees, who viewed glimpses of the 94 submitted entries. Guests loudly proclaimed their approval of the 10 winners, among them Gensler, AC Martin, OKB, and Studios.
Projects aside, the evening held plenty of other highlights. Interior Design Hall of Fame member Lauren Rottet presented a heartfelt tribute to Aram Arakelian, founder of Environmental Contracting Corporation. Deputy editor Edie Cohen introduced this year’s Circle of Excellence recipients Stanley Felderman and Nancy Keatinge, providing a prologue to their video. Undoubtedly, though, the inimitable Cheryl Durst, IIDA’s executive vice president and CEO and another Hall of Fame member, stole the show. Her design manifesto should be heard by one and all. Stay tuned at NeoCon for a repeat of the proclamation.
