Zonca Terrazzo Wins NTMA Honor Award for Clifford Chance HQ project

By AI, Created 4:11 PM UTC, June 02, 2026, /AGP/ – Zonca Terrazzo & Mosaic earned a 2026 Honor Award from the National Terrazzo & Mosaic Association for a terrazzo installation at Clifford Chance’s New York headquarters. The project helped support LEED Platinum, Fitwel 3-Star and WELL Platinum certifications while using locally sourced materials and custom-specified terrazzo.

Why it matters: - The Clifford Chance project shows how terrazzo can support high-end workplace design and demanding sustainability targets at the same time. - The installation helped the New York headquarters reach LEED Platinum, Fitwel 3-Star and WELL Platinum certification. - The project also earned one of the terrazzo industry’s top honors, underscoring craftsmanship as well as performance.

What happened: - Zonca Terrazzo & Mosaic of Armonk, New York, received a 2026 Honor Award from the National Terrazzo & Mosaic Association for work at Clifford Chance’s New York City headquarters. - The award was presented at NTMA’s annual convention on May 13. - Gensler designed the project. - The installation spans multiple levels in a high-rise building in New York City.

The details: - The centerpiece is a sweeping circular stair that connects upper levels and frames views of the Manhattan skyline. - The design carries curved forms throughout, including the stair geometry, a hand-poured asymmetrical terraced platform and an integral bench at the base. - Gensler senior interior designer Ellyn Korn led the project. - Korn said the design was inspired by biophilic ideas and by the city itself. - Sustainability goals shaped material selection from the start and required coordination among the design team, a materials representative and sustainability consultants. - Bethany Fischer, an independent manufacturer’s representative for interior finishes specializing in terrazzo, worked with the Gensler team throughout the project. - The project needed aggregate sourced within 100 miles of the site to satisfy LEED criteria. - The required palette called for a fine micro-blend with specific color characteristics that not every regional quarry could produce. - Fischer worked with quarry partners to identify candidates, evaluate their options at the required granularity and produce samples for review. - The team held multiple rounds of sampling before settling on the final material. - Sustainability consultants also evaluated terrazzo’s embodied carbon against other flooring options. - The consultants used a shorter reference service life than the one reflected in the terrazzo Environmental Product Declaration. - Epoxy terrazzo is a poured-in-place product bonded permanently to the substrate. - The product’s durability and refinishing capability can keep it in service longer than many finish materials. - EPD models cover reference service life scenarios from 20 to 60 years. - Fischer held conference calls with sustainability partners to review the resinous matrix terrazzo flooring EPDs and confirm compliance. - Zonca executed a hand-crafted installation centered on a poured-in-place epoxy terrazzo micro-blend stair platform with an integral bench, paired with a circular precast stair. - Poured-in-place treads, risers, landings and seating create a unified composition across vertical and horizontal elements. - Curved black plastic divider strips guide movement and reinforce the stair’s sculptural look. - The terrazzo uses a neutral micro-blend of glass and marble aggregates that complements the white oak stair. - NTMA judges praised the integration of lighting and surrounding finishes, along with the sophistication of the workplace installation. - Korn said the project showed what terrazzo can do when the full design and specification process is engaged. - Fischer said the project illustrated how terrazzo specification can be tailored through aggregate options and different resin systems. - The final solution used material sourced from New Jersey, within 100 miles of the job site. - The installation was completed in eight weeks.

Between the lines: - The project reflects a broader shift in commercial interiors toward materials that can satisfy design intent, local sourcing rules and lifecycle carbon scrutiny at the same time. - Terrazzo’s flexibility helped the team customize color, aggregate size and finish while staying within certification constraints. - The EPD discussion shows that sustainability outcomes can depend on how a material’s service life is modeled, not just on its composition. - The award suggests that technical problem-solving and environmental documentation are now central to judging premium interior finishes.

What’s next: - NTMA said a full list of this year’s 17 Honor Award recipients is available at ntma.com. - Zonca Terrazzo & Mosaic said it also won a second NTMA Honor Award for an installation in Midtown Manhattan’s Calvary Baptist Church. - NTMA continues to offer design resources, technical guidance and AIA-registered continuing education for project teams. - For more information, visit terrazzo resources or contact Technical Director Gary French at gary@ntma.com.