The primary federal law in the U.S. governing water pollution, the establishment of the Clean Water Act in 1972 was a great step forward in the country’s water conservation movement. Committed to innovation and passionate about water, Hansgrohe is a firm believer in eco-conscious advancements like the CWA. An industry pioneer in sustainability and environmental protection, the company brings more than 30 years of eco-friendly product development to the market and is a longstanding partner in the EPA’s WaterSense program. It has a company goal of reducing its water use in products and manufacturing 10% by 2014. Beyond being a catalyst for creativity, Hansgrohe hopes its “For the Love of Water” contest will serve as a reminder that we must safeguard the precious resource. In addition to the contest, Hansgrohe will show its continued efforts to preserve water by donating $5,000 each to the nonprofit Riverkeeper organizations for the Atlanta region and NYC area. The donations will help protect the environmental, recreational and commercial integrity of the Chattahoochee and Hudson rivers, which are located in the backyards of Hansgrohe’s North American headquarters and its designer brand studio, Axor NYC.

*Demetrio Apolloni has been appointed President, Knoll Europe, effective September 1. Apolloni, who will report to Andrew Cogan, CEO and will be based in Milan, will be responsible for the company’s sales, marketing, distribution and manufacturing for the KnollOffice and KnollStudio brands.

*Jason McNeely has joined Hansgrohe as sales training manager.

*Jay Moore was appointed as Vice President, Dealer Development at Inscape. Moore will be responsible for Inscape’s distribution strategies and execution.

*Brian Kowalchuk, AIA, LEED AP has been named Director of Design for HDR Architecture, Inc.

*Allsteel is progressively building its sales team in the new market segment of moveable walls. Among the first named to join the company in this division are Maria Cox, business development manager, and Anne Helmick-Lyon, manager.

*Kimball Office announces the recent designation of Innovative Office Solutions as its newest Select Dealer. IOS serves the west central Ohio region.

The first 100 water locations will be compiled by Merian/Travel House Media and Hansgrohe, while the remaining 11 will be selected from the competition’s submissions. Those interested in participating should enter a photograph of his/her favorite water location and describe in a single sentence what makes the place so special. High-resolution photographs, 300dpi suitable for print are eligible for submission and can be uploaded to Hansgrohe’s website. Detailed terms and conditions are also available online.

111 Prizes
A panel of expert judges will choose the 11 best motifs, which will be reproduced in the Merian illustrated guidebook. In addition, all submissions qualify for a chance to win one of the 111 fantastic prizes up for grabs. The Grand Prize winner will receive a trip for two to one of the 111 most beautiful water locations, valued at $5,000.

Deadline Approaching
The deadline for entry is June 15, 2012. Entry forms are available here.

Up to five faucet height options are available in each of the new ComfortZone Metris and Focus lines, providing more individual freedom under the faucet. The ComfortZone experience extends into the shower with the Raindance Select Showerpipe. Its Raindance Select 150 handshower boasts the ComfortZone Select function, which switches between three spray modes at the touch of a button.

The new offerings are currently being installed in the New York design studio.

In addition to an attractive overall look, the site will offer even more consumer friendly information, while engaging professionals through the new “Hansgrohe PRO” portal, which caters to the needs of architects, designers and trade. It will also incorporate a wealth of helpful and interactive features such as design and trend ideas, planning programs, a “Water Savings Calculator,” an enhanced “Shopfinder,” as well as easy “point and click” access to the company’s social media pages and feeds.

Much like the hi-tech tablets and smartphones out there, the RainBrain is outfitted with a state-of-the-art electronic touchscreen panel that allows users to select their preferences in an easy visual way. The system can be preset for up to four people and has options for water cascade, hot/cold shower alternation and music selection via a Bluetooth compatible smartphone or media player- all easily accessible via the menu function.

While based in Germany, Hansgrohe’s Alpharetta, Georgia-based manufacturing facility monitors the codes and standards that apply to US construction. Set into effect on January 1, 2011, the CALGreen standards require all new buildings in the state to be more energy-efficient. Under the code, a newly installed shower system equipped with one or more water points must not exceed a combined flow rate of 2.0 GPM. CALGreen also mandates that newly installed kitchen faucets do not exceed a 1.8 GPM flow rate.

To date, nearly 150 of Hansgrohe and Axor’s showerheads, handshowers, and bath and kitchen fixture fittings have been evaluated by IAPMO R&T Inc, North America’s premier third party plumbing product certification agency. The comprehensive program pre-classifies products and determines which various green building codes, IAPMO Green Plumbing & Mechanical Code Supplement – 2010, Cal Green – 2010 or LEED® - 2009, they are in accordance with. In addition, the listing identifies water-efficiency based on the water use reduction when compared to the water use baseline indicated in each specification. Thus far, all the tested Hansgrohe and Axor models received a water use reduction rate of 30% or better.

“Hansgrohe@home” can be downloaded for free via here or the iTunes app store.