Will receive award on March 17

WASHINGTON — Barbara Barry, who has created signature collections for a number of brands, including furniture by Henredon and Baker, has been named the Designer of Distinction for 2012 by the American Society of Interior Designers.

She was among a number of 2012 design award honorees chosen by an ASID jury.

The organization will honor its Design for Humanity winner at a luncheon March 17, during Interiors 06: The ASID Conference on Design. Other winners will be honored at the ASID Design Awards at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel in Nashville, Tenn., March 18.

Patricia Moore is the Design for Humanity honoree. A founder of the universal design methodology, she is president of Moore Design Associates and also is a speaker, author and adjunct professor of industrial design at Arizona State University.

 Moore will deliver the Interiors 06 opening keynote talk, “Design Revolution,” on March 17.

 The Rural Studio at Auburn University’s School of Architecture in Auburn, Ala. has been honored with the Educator of Distinction award. According to the ASID, Rural Studio not only has provided training to hundreds of Auburn architecture students and raised the students’ collective social conscience, it has improved the quality of life of thousands of needy people.

Edward A. Feiner is the recipient of the Patron’s Prize. Formerly chief architect with the Public Building Service, U.S. General Services Administration, Feiner will be honored for his work. He masterminded the Design Excellence Program, which the ASID said has changed the form and function of government buildings.

The Product Prize honorees are Humanscale Corp. (corporate) and Suzanne Tick (individual). The category honors individuals, organizations or manufacturers that have contributed a significant and lasting body of work relating to interior design products.

 Humanscale’s ergonomic products are designed to improve the health, efficiency and quality of work life. Tick, a textile designer and artist, is the design director of Tandus and previously was the creative director of KnollTextiles.

The ASID jury also gave a special citation to Christopher Alexander, author of “A Pattern Language,” a book on humanizing the designed environment and one of the most important architects of the 20th century. He is a professor in the graduate school and emeritus professor of architecture at the University of California at Berkeley.

Members of the 2012 ASID Awards Jury were Nila Leiserowitz, chair; H. Don Bowden, David Michael Miller and Susan Szenasy.

 Tickets for the Nashville event are $150. In addition to the awards program, the ticket price includes hors d’oeuvres, cocktails, dinner, dessert and entertainment. To order online or for more information, visit www.asid.org/events.