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KPF to speak at Save A Sample! Celebration in NYC

3/17/2016

Hurricane Sandy caused devastation in New York City and has spurred new restrictions in where and how we build. But those very restrictions are now sparking incredible creativity, as architecture firm KPF will explain in their presentation "Making Cities and Buildings Resilient to the Effects of Climate Change" during the Save A Sample! Celebration.

SpecSimple.com’s Save A Sample! collects unneeded materials from design firms in eleven US and three Canadian cities and delivers them to local design schools, diverting thousands of pounds of materials from landfill each year. The April Celebration marks the successful culmination of this nation-wide non-profit recycling drive, sponsored by Wilsonart and Arborite (Platinum) and Formica (Gold).

Save A Sample!’s Celebration brings together design firms and schools to award scholarships and prizes, and highlight a new sustainable trend in design. This year’s featured talk, presented by Bruce Fisher, AIA, Director at KPF, in conjunction with his design team, will discuss several projects including Red Hook Housing, Redevelopment of Far Rockaway and Hudson Yards where the very real threat of flooding has necessitated creative responses to the form and use of open space.

“Understanding New York’s sustainable building challenges and finding innovative solutions is a critical factor to making the city livable for future generations,” said Suzanne Swift, Save A Sample!’s founder and President of Spec Simple, Inc. “We are delighted to have Mr. Fisher and the KPF design team share their experiences from the leading edge of sustainable design.”

The Save A Sample! Celebration, hosted by Knoll in their New York showroom, will take place on April 27th, 2016.

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For more information about Save A Sample!, please contact Jenna Maye at 212-352-2002 x31 or email at jenna@specsimple.com.

Save A Sample! goes global

01/25/2016

Calling all designers! Dust off those unused samples, it’s time to recycle! With spring cleaning just around the corner, Save A Sample’s! annual industry recycling drive is coming up fast!

This year’s event, sponsored by SpecSimple.com, Wilsonart (Platinum), Arborite (Platinum), Formica (Gold), and AIA, ASID, IIDA, SMPS and USGBC local chapters, will take place from April 5-7, 2016 in eleven cities around the country. Designers donate their unneeded materials to local design schools giving students a professional set of resources to work with, keeping tons of materials out of landfill.

"Save A Sample! offers our students access to the newest architectural materials and finish products available," says Linda O'Shea, Design Chair at Kean University. "I have seen a great improvement in terms of creativity, innovation, and imagination on student materials and finishes boards since being involved in this wonderful program. It is like Christmas morning in the design studios when the Save A Sample! boxes arrive at our school!"

"Save a Sample cleverly finds desirable dwellings for our unwanted extra finish samples, makes us happily go through and pack up our library clutter while feeling good about providing inspirational material for the next generation of designers. It's a win-win for all!" said Yasaman Hoorazar, a designer from IA.

This year Save A Sample! expands its sustainable mission outside the USA. “We’re going global!”, reveals Suzanne Swift, Save A Sample!'s Founder and President of SpecSimple.com. SpecSimple.com, is the industry's first web portal for design industry information and the home of Virtual Library, a Best of NeoCon GOLD award winner. “This fall, Canadian designers will have the opportunity to donate their materials to design schools and their students.”

Save A Sample! 2016 will take place in eleven (11) design markets: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco, Washington DC. and Wilmington.

Design firm sign up begins February 1, 2016.

In addition to recycling materials, Save A Sample! also raises scholarship money for design schools, hosts the Save A Sample! student hand drawing competition and awards prizes to top design firm participants. To learn more about Save A Sample!, visit http://www.SaveASample.org

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For more information or to bring Save A Sample! to your city, contact Donna Heaney at 212-352-2002 Ext. 11 or email at SaveASample@specsimple.com.

Green Surface Source, Sponsorship announcement

11/05/15

Wilsonart, a leading manufacturer of decorative surfaces, and Canadian-based manufacturer of high pressure laminate, Arborite, announced their combined sponsorship of the Save a Sample! program. The program collects unused brochures, fabrics, finish cards and samples that are then delivered to design schools and students to use in their projects and design work. Arborite and Wilsonart’s combined Platinum sponsorships assist Save a Sample! with its commitment to the environment and to continue to help developing designers as well. The program expanded to Canada in 2014 and this is the first year of sponsorship for Arborite. Wilsonart has supported the program for more than five years. Thousands of pounds of materials have been donated by some of the busiest design firms since the program’s inception. As a result, design students have a more extensive set of resources to choose from as they cultivate their skills.