(June 30, 2003 - AUSTIN, Texas): Two Austin businesses -- commercial flooring company Intertech Flooring, and architecture/interior design firm Graeber, Simmons & Cowan -- took top honors in this year's national StarNet Design Awards. The award recognizes their work on the offices of international law firm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, located at 300 W. 6th Street in downtown Austin.

The Akin Gump project was selected as both Grand Prize winner, and winner in the 2003 StarNet Design Awards' Large Corporate category, one of six categories in the competition. Graeber, Simmons & Cowan is donating the $3,000 cash prize to the University of Texas Interior Design program to further expand its materials resource library into a state-of-the-art facility available to University of Texas student architects and interior designers and the Austin design community. "It's always a great honor to be recognized by your peers and industry leaders, and we're especially pleased to be able to share the award with the design community, through this donation to the University of Texas," said Graeber, Simmons & Cowan Principal Lea von Kaenel, IIDA. "The Akin Gump offices' contemporary regional design add yet another dimension to downtown Austin's architectural sophistication."

In its fifth year, the StarNet competition recognizes outstanding creativity in flooring design and the innovative use of floor covering in commercial interiors. Projects are judged on their creative use of flooring, flooring design concept, special challenges and how well the design met client objectives.

In 2002, Akin Gump consolidated their Austin offices to the recently completed CarrAmerica high rise tower in the central business district. Graeber, Simmons & Cowan directed the design of the 90,000 square foot space, and worked closely with Intertech Flooring to select flooring that would complement the offices' classic, understated look. Intertech Flooring installed Classic Plains Collection carpeting by Atlas Carpet Mills Inc., another StarNet cooperative member.

"The firm's partners wanted a timeless, classic look that was both resilient and met the many needs of our lawyers, clients and staff," said Connie Willis, Akin Gump's director of administration. "The architects and their design team successfully accomplished that. We have been extremely pleased with the result."

The architects recommended a design based on a system of building blocks and shifting layers. Intertech selected carpeting of shifting blocks and rectilinear forms in subtle sophisticated colors. The neutral color palette of the overall design successfully diffuses natural light, which is brought into interior spaces through oversized sidelights in the perimeter offices, while the office's conference room maximizes a view of the Texas State Capitol.

"We were delighted to be a part of this project, which is great example of the team approach we take in our work," said Bill Imhoff, Intertech Flooring president. "By working closely with the client, the architect/design firm and the vendor, we were able together to create an award-winning product that met both the design and budget parameters of the client."

Floor Focus - Starnet Design Awards July 03

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Graeber, Simmons & Cowan is an award-winning architectural design firm established in 1978 and headquartered in Austin, Texas. GS&C is a service-oriented firm, and works with more than 500 clients worldwide.