Will Leonard, an animator with Green Grass Studios in Dallas, was awarded first place and $1,000 for his video, “Church of Christ the Light” in Tarkett's national video contest, “Looking Back, Stepping Forward.”

The competition challenged participants to reflect on buildings and interior spaces that inspire them and address, in a two-minute video, the impact the building or space has had on their creativity and given the chance, how they might renovate or refresh it for the future. Through the contest, Tarkett hoped to encourage architects and designers to further think about how their work helps shape the lives of people  – past and present – and how the materials used in the space play a role in the effect of the building. 

The competition jury was comprised of industry media and architecture and design professionals. Jurors evaluated submissions for their creativity, originality and production as well as how responses resonated with the audience. The winning submissions included:

Will Leonard, architectural animator with Green Grass Studios, Dallas, “Church of Christ the Light” – First Place 

Leonard said, “I’ve always been enthralled with how architecture can shape the lives of its inhabitants, [and] enjoy jumping at an opportunity to share thoughts and passions with people equally interested in them. The floor is the element and material that we have the most contact with.  It is the point of iteration between occupant and architecture.  Specifically, in the case of the Cathedral, the flooring served to give a strong earthen stance grounding the structure in a secular treatment whereas the walls rise up like masts in a divine expression, thereby creating a dialogue between earth and the heavens.” 

One juror commented, “The form and presentation of this video were true to the subject matter of the project. The music aligned completely with the intent of the project, which used a tried-and-true inspirational method of the church; sheer awe for what can be created in the name of a greater being.” 

Bridget Adams, NCIDQ Interior Designer at David Sommers and Associates, Kent, Ohio, “J. Paul Getty Museum” – Second Place

“I thought it was a creative prompt for a contest. Immediately after reading the prompt I had an idea for a space, so when an idea comes that easily, I felt like I should pursue it,” said Adams. “Since the flooring material at the museum is also used on the walls as well as the exterior, I think the material is integral to the overall experience of the museum. [Flooring] deeply impacts the user’s experience of the space…their comfort, their experience of sound and light and the overall impression of the space. I think flooring supports the true function of the space, which ultimately impacts the user in ways that might not even be measurable (inspiration, wonder, creativity, learning).” 

When speaking of Adams’ video, one contest judge said, “It almost felt as though I were watching a hipster indie film spliced with a documentary. I liked the attention the video paid to the importance of the flooring in the space.”

Richard Duryea, freelance filmmaker, Burbank, Calif., “Overlook Hotel” – Third Place

In speaking about the role the flooring played in the lives of the people at the Overlook Hotel, Duryea said, “The flooring works as a sort of kick in the pants to all the artists that live there and also as a blank canvas. The rooms are small so as a result that gets them out of the room and onto the Santa Monica Pier where they can experience life and hone their own artistic craft.” 

Judges for the competition noted how personal Duryea’s film felt, with one saying, “This video did well to get a personal touch to show how the project affects those living in the hotel.”

Winning entries can be viewed at www.tarkettna.com/videocontest or at http://bit.ly/1bE0u5j. To learn more about Tarkett and its Johnsonite commercial flooring, visit www.tarkettna.com.