NEW YORK, NY -- Confindustria Ceramica (the Italian Association of Ceramics) and the Italian Trade Commission are pleased to announce the official call for entries for the 2016 Ceramics of Italy Tile Competition. For the past 22 years, the competition has served as a unique platform to showcase the work of North American architects and designers who utilize the high technical and aesthetic qualities of Italian tile. Each year, an international jury of design experts selects three winning projects as well as honorable mentions in the residential, institutional and commercial/hospitality sectors. Projects displaying the highest level of functionality, creativity, sustainability and aesthetic appeal will be rewarded with valued prizes as well as exposure in the industry.

To qualify for the competition, projects must be designed by North American-based architects and designers, completed in the past five years (January 2011 to January 2016) and feature a significant portion of Italian ceramic or porcelain tile. Domestic and international projects, renovations and new buildings, and all scales and styles will be equally considered in three categories (residential, commercial and institutional). The jury's official criteria includes overall design of the project, aesthetic and technical quality of tile installation, degree to which the tile enhances the setting, and the project's sustainable attributes.

Last year's winners included DKOR Interiors' cohesive home design employing the adaptation of a single tile collection in a variety of different living spaces, RSP Architects'community-fostering design for Target's Minnesota campus featuring a 1,000-foot tiled interior circulation path, and Shinberg.Levinas Architects'culinary school design demonstrating the use of tile for the interiors and exterior façade.

Winners will be notified in March of 2016 and officially announced at the Ceramics of Italy International Press Conference at Coverings, North America's premiere tile and stone tradeshow, which will take place in Chicago, IL, from April 18 to 21, 2016. Travel and accommodations to attend the show to receive the award are only one piece of the prize. Additionally, each category winner will receive a cash prize of $4,000, as well as a five-day trip to Bologna, Italy next fall to attend Cersaie, the world's largest exhibition of ceramic tile and bathroom furnishings, alongside a handpicked delegation of colleagues and design journalists. The trip includes CEU credits and guided tours of the show as well as cultural visits around Italy and an amazing networking opportunity with other industry professionals from across North America.

The competition guidelines, online application and an archive of beautiful winning projects from past years can be found at www.tilecompetition.com. There is no fee to enter and multiple submissions are accepted. The deadline for entries is January 15, 2016.