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Orthopedic gumboots, an elastic chair, a restaurant up a tree, a sheep drencher inspired by a beer bottle, the world’s safest trampoline and a coat stand shaped like a twig were among some of the most colourful high profile winners at the national 2009 BeST Design Awards.

Orthopedic gumboots, an elastic chair, a restaurant up a tree, a sheep drencher inspired by a beer bottle, the world’s safest trampoline and a coat stand shaped like a twig were among some of the most colourful high profile winners at the national 2009 BeST Design Awards.

Organised by the Designers Institute of New Zealand (DINZ), the awards celebrate the very best of New Zealand design across the disciplines of product, spatial (interiors) and graphics.

For the second year running, Lower Hutt based furniture designers, Formway and Ponsonby based ideas company, Alt Group, picked up two of the three Stringer awards (the Supreme award in each discipline), with the third Stringer going to Auckland’s Fearon Hay Architects.

The Product Stringer was presented to Formway for their Be Chair, a flexible chair which bends and moves with its user thanks to an innovative type of plastic that until now was mainly used in car suspension systems.

Fearon Hay took the Spatial Design Stringer for their innovative design of the Wintergarden at Auckland’s Northern Club, while Alt Group, who have had a hugely successful international awards season having picked up over 31 international awards this year alone, took home the Graphic Design Stringer for their Selecon brand book, We Make Light.

In addition to their Stringer win, Alt Group retained their title as the most awarded company at the awards, bringing home a total of 25 prizes at this year’s prestigious design event.

New Zealand’s world famous type font designer, 75 year old Samoan born Joseph Churchward was presented with the John Britten Award, the highest recognition given by DINZ to reward leadership, vision and achievement in the design industry in New Zealand. Joseph Churchward’s hand designed typefaces are seen on optician’s charts around the world and before he retired earlier this year, he had hand crafted more than 600 typefaces – more than any other person in the world - some of which took up to 300 hours to complete.

Well known and respected designer Dave Clark, who has twice been president of DINZ, was presented with the Designers Institute’s Outstanding Achievement Award for his contribution to the New Zealand design industry. 

The awards were presented at a dinner and after party at the Auckland Museum on Friday, October 16.

This year 590 entries were received for the awards, the second highest ever since the awards were established 21 years ago.

Cathy Veninga, CEO of the Designers Institute said that DINZ was extremely encouraged by the number of entries, as this year had been incredibly challenging for both the design industry and its clients. The standard in all disciplines, she said, had been extremely high.

Veninga said a significant number of companies were now using design as a smart business tool.

“These companies recognise that an investment in design is one of the most effective ways to differentiate themselves and their products in what is a very competitive marketplace.

“Design is a critical business factor. Along with good financial management, marketing and good branding, you have to have a design component or you are not delivering at a global standard.”

Other standout winners at this year’s preeminent design awards included:

Quatro Gumboots

Christchurch’s InFact Limited and Skellerup Industries took home silver for the design of the Quatro Gumboot - New Zealand’s first high-performance agribusiness gumboot.

Quatro features an orthopaedic innersole, an antibacterial insulated lining, a shock absorbing inner foot bed, an elasticised soft rim to prevent debris falling inside the boot, and drafted cleats on the outer sole – inspired by a tractor tyre and designed to release mud.

Queenies Lunchroom

Situated on a snug corner site in Auckland’s Freemans Bay, Queenies was awarded a hospitality design gold at this year’s awards.

The interior of Queenies, designed by Paul Brown of Clark Brown Architects, is built around several collected pieces, such as an antique marble butcher’s table, coca-cola boxes and deer antler chandeliers, which are complimented by a green custom-built vinyl and marble counter, a painted checkerboard floor, zinc-topped tables, and a huge paint-by-numbers mural.

The judges of the awards described Queenies as a “fantastical space that takes Kiwiana to the next level.”

Christchurch Bus Exchange Transit Lounge, which opened in February, 2009, is housed in a converted retail space and was designed to ease footpath congestion.

Featuring brightly coloured heated concrete seats and saturated with light thanks to expansive light walls, the judges praised the design of the lounge saying the designers had “powerfully transformed what was a tough environment into a bold yet calming space”.

Retail advertising agency, .99, was awarded gold in the workplace category.

Designed by Richard Naish of RTA studio, the brief was to transform an old warehouse in Grey Lynn into a “non wanky” office, and one that reflected the type of work that the agency is involved in – retail advertising.

Everyday retail materials are used throughout the office - the reception desk is built from a burnished steel plate, with a large wall created from stacked cardboard.

The undulating cardboard wall - a feature in the agency - has a series of shapes cut out of it, such as the .99 logo, and is curved to reflect the curvaceous form of a mannequin.

The “street” or hall of the office with its recycled rubberwood floor tiles, splits enclosed meeting spaces from the open plan studio floors through the use of cold-store rubber strips. Plastic strips, hung in a circle, also form “pods” which are used for creative brainstorming and informal meetings.