Spain’s Top Honor Celebrates Designer Innovation
Barcelona-based designer and HBF collaborator Mario Ruiz has been awarded the prestigious Premio Nacional de Diseño in celebration of his dedication to innovative, forward thinking design. The award, granted on behalf of the Spanish government and King Felipe VI, recognizes designers whose work embodies the innovative spirit of Spanish design. Ruiz’s distinguished portfolio of products stays true to this enduring narrative, with his many works touching on the versatility and creativity found at the heart of this design paradigm.
HBF President Dan Chong comments, “Mario’s capacity for creating works that push the boundaries of form and function underscores not only his design expertise, but his ability to connect with our brand ethos. We are incredibly proud to work with such a talent, and congratulate him on this monumental achievement.”
Ruiz is no stranger to awards; top publications and design programs have honored many of his collections for HBF. Awards of note include a Metropolis Likes for Ruiz’s November series and multiple Best of NeoCon Silver Awards for his Linea Conference series; each style mirrors the adaptable aesthetic Ruiz has honed from his time at the Elisava School of Design to now, as a design professional.
Ruiz’s collections for HBF include:
Costa: To address the needs of the constantly changing multi-purpose conference area, Ruiz crafted the Costa series of tables to provide reconfigurable modularity and flexibility of use. The simple, intuitive design enables the user to manage efficiently the everyday demands of setting up and reconfiguring a meeting room; the nesting feature and tilt-top option provide a quick transition to storage and minimization of space.
Duna: A sophisticated lounge series, Duna offers a sculpted contemporary aesthetic equally adaptable for contract, residential, or hospitability areas. The sofa and lounge chairs work beautifully together while appropriate as stand-alone seating units. With simplicity of line and purity of form, Duna possesses visual warmth and style combined with quality craftsmanship and attention to detail. The Duna lounge chair and sofa are anchored by bases featuring cylindrical vertical supports and rectangular horizontal sled bases. The twisted, sculptural arm provides comfort for the user while emphasizing the exquisite contours of the lounge chair when viewed from any angle.
Linea: The Linea conference series provides a modern and sophisticated aesthetic for a variety of conference environments. Rendering a unique combination of design details, the diverse palette of materials: wood veneer, painted finishes, glass, metal, solid surface, and laminate; provide for countless specification options. Multiple sizes and shapes, innovative base and edge details, power/data connectivity, a variety of content for credenza pedestals, work surface options, carts and lecterns – all speak to the superior craftsmanship and timeless design Linea uniquely offers for today’s changing conferencing arena.
November: Sculpted for exceptional seated comfort, November has an intrinsic appeal that derives from its ample proportions, tailored upholstery, and unifying chamfer detail. The November seating collection exemplifies Ruiz’s philosophy that function “is fundamental,” a product’s “reason for being.” The aesthetic qualities of the design flow from proper function, and it can easily adapt to any environment.
About HBF
HBF reveals the intentionality of design in everything we make through attention to detail and impeccable service. Our expertise comes from understanding how furniture creates relationships between people, environments, and objects — a holistic perspective for living and working. Part of a two-hundred year legacy of furniture manufacturing within North Carolina, HBF produces many of our products locally in Hickory N.C. HBF is recognized for its innovative design and craftsmanship; we collaborate with leading designers to produce furniture with an emphasis on craft, comfort and sustainability. For more information visit: www.hbf.com.
About Mario Ruiz
A graduate in Industrial Design from the Elisava School of Design in Barcelona, Mario Ruiz started his independent professional career in 1995 focusing primarily on the fields of technology and office furniture design.
Working from his studio in Barcelona, his portfolio includes products for internationally renowned firms in the sectors of technological products, domestic furniture, lighting, furniture, office equipment, and applied graphics. Through his skill and multidisciplinary experience in so many fields, he has won the confidence of some of the largest companies in each sector, from HBF to Siemens. For some of these companies, he undertakes not only product design but also acts as creative director defining their product catalogs, brand, and graphic identity and showrooms. His work has been recognized with more than 40 prestigious honors. in Europe in the US, including the red dot, IF, Design Plus, Wallpaper, and Best of NeoCon awards.