Tocco Collection by Pba Awarded The Best of Neocon
Design consultant for the TOCCO collection, Kay Sargent of HOK, recognized with a HIP for Greater Good Designer award by Interior Design Magazine
JUNE 10, 2024, Cartersville, GA – Aquafil announced today that the TOCCO Collection by pba made with ECONYL® regenerated nylon has won Best of NeoCon Gold in the Architectural Products category and the Innovation award. The thoughtful and beautiful hardware collection was submitted for the award jointly by pba, and Aquafil, the makers of ECONYL® regenerated nylon. The TOCCO collection is featured in the Aquafil showroom at TheMART #11-107 on the 11th floor.
The Best of NeoCon Awards presented a total of 126 awards for products in 50 categories for Gold, Silver, Sustainability, Innovation, and Business Impact. The winners were selected by a distinguished group of 53 architects, designers, specifiers, enterprise clients, facility managers, and top business media who judged the products on-site at THE MART.
Pba is an Italian firm renowned globally for manufacturing door hardware and bathroom accessories, focused on designing sustainable, inclusive solutions. Inclusive design considers how people interact with the environment and their sensitivity to various stimulants, like light, sounds, smell and texture. It provides flexible solutions to benefit everyone, empowering individuals with options to support their needs. Sustainable design considers design’s impact on the living world. Together, these ideas form the basis for a push toward responsible design—creating spaces that are more functional for people and less impactful on the planet.
The TOCCO Collection by pba is the first door hardware collection specifically designed to address sensory sensitivity. Considering the neurodiverse population by creating inclusive designs, the TOCCO pulls and levers are offered in an infinite range of colors and two different handle grips – smooth and textured – to meet the tactile preference of all users. The grip of the TOCCO Collection is made of ECONYL® nylon, a soft material with a temperature similar to that of the environment, minimizing thermal stimulation. All TOCCO hardware is made with ECONYL® nylon and stainless steel and is constructed to be easily dismantled and recycled at end of life.
The TOCCO collection is ADA compliant, Declare Label Red List Free and contributes to LEED credits for integrative process, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality and innovation.
“When we design spaces, we must think about the way people perceive and interact with the environment. We must also think about how the things we create can impact the planet, from how materials are sourced, to where they end up at the end of their service life,” says Erica Anesi, CEO of pba.
Pba worked in collaboration with RainlightSTUDIO and Kay Sargent, a cognitive and sensory wellbeing design consultant, to create a hardware collection designed to address sensory sensitivities. Sargent is a recognized expert on neurodiversity and workplace inclusion and an award-winning designer. She is a principal and the director of thought leadership in HOK’s Interiors group, leading project teams to solve clients’ business and organizational challenges related to real estate business process, strategic planning, workplace strategy and change management. Sargent was also recognized at NeoCon with the HIP for Greater Good Designer award by Interior Design Magazine. This recognition celebrates a designer whose work has made a positive contribution to the societal and environmental well-being.
“We are very proud to partner with innovative companies like pba to create architectural solutions that make life better for people and the planet,” says Maria Giovanna, chief communications officer for Aquafil. “The design community has truly embraced ECONYL® regenerated nylon to be part of their innovation strategy and it is exciting to see these solutions come to market and be recognized by the industry.”
Read more about inclusive and sustainable design perspectives from pba, Sargent, and ECONYL®: https://www.econyl.com/blog/architecture-design/open-doors-to-inclusivity-a-conversation-on-design-with-pba/
About Aquafil
Aquafil is a pioneer in the circular economy also thanks to the ECONYL® regeneration system, an innovative and sustainable process able to create new products from waste and give life to an endless cycle. The nylon waste is collected in locations all over the world and includes industrial waste but also products – such as fishing nets and rugs – that have reached the end of their useful life. Such waste is processed to obtain a raw material – caprolactam – with the same chemical and performance characteristics as those from fossil sources. The polymers produced from ECONYL® caprolactam are distributed to the Group’s production plants, where they are transformed into yarn for rugs, carpet flooring, and for clothing. Founded in 1965, Aquafil is one of the main producers of nylon in Italy and worldwide. The Group is present in seven countries and in three different continents, with over 2,800 employees at 19 production sites located in Italy, Slovenia, United States, China, Croatia, Scotland, Thailand and Japan. For more information, visit: aquafil.com/ or @Aquafil Group.
About ECONYL® Regenerated Nylon
ECONYL® is a brand of regenerated nylon that is made from recycled waste instead of oil and is also regenerable an infinite number of times without any compromise in quality. ECONYL® yarn helps divert global waste streams that would otherwise pollute the Earth such as fishnets, carpet and industrial plastic. Designers use ECONYL® to produce a wide range of textile products such as sportswear, swimwear, bags, eyewear and carpets. For more information, visit econyl.aquafil.com or @ECONYL.
