The American Society of Interior Designers honors five recipients in their annual awards program

WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 16, 2011) | The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) announced today the five recipients of the 2011 ASID Awards. The awards honor the achievements of individuals and companies in the field of interior design.

ASID Designer of Distinction Award: Mariette Himes Gomez, ASID

The highest honor that ASID bestows on one of its members, Himes Gomez is being recognized for her outstanding design work over a 30-year career and her contributions to the field of residential and commercial design. www.gomezassociates.com

Nancy Vincent McClelland Merit Awards (3):

AARP Recession Remodel Room Makeover Contest
Completed in 2010, The AARP Recession Remodel Makeover Contest is a project that incorporated universal design and focused on two homes that were no longer accessible to their aging residents. AARP brought in two ASID designers to create universally designed spaces that maintained the resident’s individual style, successfully bringing light to the importance and accessibility of universal design. Videos and photos are available on the AARP website. http://tinyurl.com/4h8eqtu

Dr. Jacqueline Vischer/Workplace Strategies: Environment As a Tool for Work
Dr. Jacqueline Vischer is a pioneer in the development of an empirical-based methodology to measure the parameters of a building-in-use. She is the author of Workplace Strategies: Environment As a Tool for Work. As a full-time professor and director of the interior design program at the University of Montreal and a professor at the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University, Vischer contributes to the advancement of the profession through education.

ARZU Studio Hope
ARZU is a manufacturer that helps Afghan women and their families break the cycle of poverty by sourcing and selling the rugs they weave. ARZU provides a steady income and access to education and healthcare for impoverished women and their families while representing a trendsetting business model in the interior design industry. ARZU produces products that interior designers can use while improving the value of life for these women. www.arzustudiohope.org

Innovation Award: Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association (BIFMA)/levelTM Sustainability Standard
levelTM certification is a multifaceted approach to sustainability certification. Based on BIFMA standards, levelTM is a third-party verification program that provides manufacturers with valuable resources for evaluating and communicating the environmental and social impacts of their furniture products, company and processes. www.levelcertified.org

ASID Award winners will be recognized at Celebration during ASID@NeoCon, an awards ceremony being held on June 13, 2011 at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago.