"floor fixings and trims"

The modern Smart Kids Kindergarten in Gdansk, Poland, is inspired by the Finnish teaching method, now recognised as one of the best methods in the world. The Finnish model is geared towards supporting creative activity. The Kindergarten impresses with an inspiring, stylish interior in subdued colours. On the floor Forbo Sphera homogeneous vinyl flooring has been installed.

The requirement for a fast track flooring and durable solution would be well-suited to international flooring specialist Gerflor who would supply their amazing GTI Max flooring. This would prove it’s worth in saving both time and money.

We designed, installed and project managed the installation of 5,344 sq. m. of high-performance RMG600 access flooring system throughout the building’s Grade A workspaces including leisure spaces, a three-storey atrium reception and roof terraces.

Colours inspired by the natural environment, combined with the outstanding performance of Forbo Flooring Systems’ luxury vinyl tile (LVT) and carpet tile solutions, have helped AMH Workspace create an uplifting working environment for Furniture Clinic’s new HQ, which ‘brings the outdoors indoors’.AMH Workspace was brought on board by Furniture Clinic as part of the refurbishment project to create a warm and welcoming new HQ for the company’s 65 employees. With wood being an integral part of the business, it naturally features prominently both on the external façade of the building and internally.A striking feature of the new 50,000 sq ft premises is the atrium area with a cedar slat wall covered with natural moss that catches the eye as soon as you enter the building. Full floor to ceiling height windows and a balcony area with open walkways completes the visual spectacle and have transformed the entrance area into a bright, welcoming and memorable space.“Using Forbo’s Allura Flex LVT flooring in Brown Raw Timber in the ground floor reception area adds warmth to such a vast space,” explained Heather. Available in 34 wood designs, Allura Flex comes in 4 different plank sizes, offering greater design freedom. The matte surface features a natural looking fine wood grain with a true to life embossing, while the tile’s special backing is designed for comfort and improved impact sound reduction. This has helped to control the noise in the expansive reception area.Heather continued: “We chose Allura Flex for its natural looking characteristics. The extra-large 150 x 28 cm planks were perfect for such a large space, while the 5mm thickness and 1mm wear layer offers exceptional performance, making it the ideal solution for this high traffic area.”Forbo’s Tessera Cloudscape carpet tiles in the green hues of Monsoon Cloud and Summer Storm have been used throughout the offices and meeting rooms. In the open office area, Cloudscape has been installed in conjunction with Allura Flex, again in the Brown Raw Timber colourway, to create separate work and meeting/breakout zones. Forbo’s range of Tessera carpet tiles combine well with Allura Flex LVT, as the same adhesive can be used during installation, which means there is no need for transition strips, enabling a seamlessly integrated flooring design.

In a recent refurbishment of their main sports hall the choice of the playing indoor surface underwent a rigorous specification process. The hugely important decision would demand that only the best products be used and the final specification would settle on some 610m2 of Taraflex® vinyl sports flooring in ‘Maple’ from international flooring specialist Gerflor. Anthony Mynett, Director, Carpet Services (Cardiff) Ltd commented, “we are the preferred flooring contractor at the college and chose Gerflor’s Taraflex sports flooring as it conformed perfectly to the college’s requirements.” Adding, “Taraflex Evolution is unique as it covers a Granwood floor surface.”

ROJECT NAME: RENOVATION PRODUCT SUPPLIED SUPPLIED: INSTALLER SELFBUILD CONTRACT FLOORS AEROMIX was chosen for this renovation project thanks to its many benefits of offering warmth, smoothness of finish and speed of install. This project came with a challenging access issue meaning a long pump distance and lots of services in the floor AEROMIX was the perfect solution. This was the perfect product, providing an ideal solution for the insulation for this project. Reducing CO2 due to reduced carbon emissions within the product. The installer who completed this project SELFBUILD CONTRACT FLOORS said AEROMIX was poured as insulated ground baring slab, installed at 250mm deep achieving the required 0.11 u-value, this allowed the customer to clip the UFH pipes directly to it before being topped with a 65mm C20 liquid screed AEROMIX provided the ideal solution for the insulation on this project, compared to the normal concrete floor and other traditional methods, the speed of pumping the insulation coupled with the high thermal properties has contributed in saving the customer both time and money. 

When charity, Small Steps, secured its new home at the heart of Richmond, it required a warm and welcoming interior environment that would support children living with physical disabilities and their families. Providing the perfect natural canvas, Forbo Flooring Systems' linoleum brand, Marmoleum, was installed throughout the purpose built facility. Spread over three floors of a former office building on Worple Way, the 517 m² site that Small Steps now calls home, was funded through a generous donation. The entire design team – which included JTP Architects, Robert Bird & Partners, MTT Consultants, ISG Ltd, PIP Building Services and P2 Design – worked together, many on a pro bono or reduced fee basis to complete the refurbishment for the charity.

We supplied our partner, Fast Floor Screed Ltd with SMET LiteFlo® Lightweight Flowing Screed for the first floor of a timber frame house. This lightweight screed is ideal for renovation projects where loading is an issue. This is a high quality pumpable, factory-produced, CE marked, self-levelling screed based on calcium sulphate. German-made SMET LiteFlo® is unique because it’s the first pumpable lightweight flowing screed available. Made from specially selected aggregates – means it’s 30% lighter than conventional flowing screeds and can be laid in reduced thicknesses. The screed offers a high yield, 43kg per m2 @ 40mm.Innovative SMET LiteFlo® is particularly suitable for use in timber-frame builds, suspended timber floors, tower blocks, apartments, and high-rise buildings. SMET demonstrates best practice in construction partnerships – providing a superior level of customer service to their Smet Supported Partners during the installation process.Whether your job is – self-build, retro-fit, floor renovation or repair, design floor, commercial or shop, sustainable build, historical renovation, ECO build, Lightweight, or an industrial flooring venture – SMET have a flooring compound or ready to use product suitable for your application.www.smetbuildingproducts.com or www.smet.ie

Cableplan supplied and installed over 20,000 sq. m. of Kingspan raised access floor solutions.This 35,000m2 office facility incorporates 14,000 sq. m. of RMG Simploc (screw down) and 6,350 sq. m. of RHG Simploc (screw down).

FORBO’S INTEGRATED FLOORING HELPS TO REFURBISH FLEXIBLE WORKSPACE  Forbo Flooring Systems’ contemporary range of floor coverings were specified by Momentum, a leading furniture expert based in Cardiff, to create a warm and vibrant hybrid working space for Newydd Housing Association. Forbo’s Tessera carpet tiles, Allura Luxury Vinyl Tiles, Coral entrance flooring system and Surestep safety flooring were all used.   Founded in 1974, Newydd Housing Association is a charitable housing association that offers 3,000 affordable homes for rent and sale. With properties based around South and mid Wales, Newydd Housing Association seeks to help those with the greatest need to find a home. Momentum worked with the housing association to refurbish their existing office spaces to create an environment that inspired a new hybrid style of working.  Momentum designed the whole refurbishment and specified all the materials used, as Rhian Worgan, Interior Designer at Momentum, explains: “After securing the tender for the design of Newydd’s offices, we were asked to create a space that supported and inspired the new hybrid way of working that many offices have adopted post-Covid. Newydd really wanted to achieve a flexible and adaptable environment, so that any future changes could be made at minimal cost and with little disruption.   “One of the first things they had asked us to do was to remove any designated areas for teams or individuals. This was to encourage the sharing of information between staff in collaborative spaces. We replaced these areas with zones that supported a variety of tasks, like desk work, formal and informal meetings, brainstorming and more. The idea behind the whole design and layout of the office was that the employees would choose the area that supported the task at hand on any given day.”  However, it wasn’t just the zoning of the office that was important, Newydd desired a workspace that was warm, vibrant and welcoming for its employees. With this in mind, Rhian spent a lot of time finding the right way to subtly incorporate the branding that represented Newydd’s ethos and values, as she explains: “For me it was really important we got the colours we used right. We really wanted to make this a space that employees could explore their creativity and problem solving in and not a traditional, bland workspace. For this reason, it was key to find the right colours and materials to convey this feeling.  “This was part of the reason I specified Forbo’s flooring, there’s such a wide range of products, I knew there would be something that would fit what we were looking for.”  Forbo’s Tessera Chroma and Cloudscape carpet tiles made up the majority of the flooring space across the three-floor office building. Rhian talked about this specification, saying: “I really like Forbo’s Tessera carpet tiles, as they have this beautiful naturally inspired palette that complemented our design plan. We used the Tessera Cloudscape in Grey Dawn extensively across all three floors in the circulation areas and for one of the meeting rooms, due to their thick pile height and sound reduction qualities. It also has this beautiful mixture of greys that create a serene feeling to the floor. We used this product alongside Forbo’s Tessera Chroma in the Chanterelle colourway in the main office space, using the Cloudscape tiles to create geometric shapes embedded into the larger flooring scheme.   “We then used Tessera Chroma in the Pasture, Nautical, Blossom and Mineral colourways. These were installed in the different meeting pods and dedicated call rooms where we matched them to the paint scheme on the walls. It just added this pop of colour, which broke up the greys used in the circulation areas and main office space. Chroma was perfect for these areas, due to the sheer number of colourways available to choose from, as well as it’s underfoot comfort.”  Not only this, but Tessera Chroma has a 26 dB sound reduction, making it perfect for the meeting room pods that are connected side-by-side, stopping noise from distracting those outside or next door.   Furthermore, Forbo’s Allura LVT was specified across the refurbishment and was laid in a Herringbone pattern. Rhian continued: “We specified Forbo’s Allura planks to break-up the carpet tiles we had already used quite heavily across the scheme. We needed something that we could install easily and wouldn’t look out of place in the eating areas. We went for the Light Honey Oak colourway as it is very light and has a lovely grain embossing to it.”  Forbo’s Allura LVT was also used in the Mist Texture colourway for the ground floor entranceway.   With the hybrid nature of Newydd’s office they expected to see a lot of footfall, so it was important that an entrance flooring system was installed to protect the interior floor coverings, by preventing dirt and moisture from being brought inside. Rhian said: “We also had Forbo’s Coral entrance flooring system installed in the front entrance in the Shark Grey colourway, which complemented the Allura LVT installed in the foyer nicely. Having an effective entrance flooring system meant the rest of the office would stay looking better for longer, something which is important for an office where people are being encouraged to move around and work in a hybrid fashion.”   With its R10 slip rating, ensuring staff stay safe whilst using the onsite facilities, Forbo’s Surestep safety flooring was also specified for the ground floor bathroom and showers in the Star colourway.  Rhian concluded: “We’re delighted with the way the office space has come together, as are Newydd themselves! I’ve worked with Forbo on many projects in the past and trust the products to do what we need them to. Their portfolio on offer, alongside the customer service and technical support provided, is something that keeps me coming back to Forbo.”  Started towards the end of 2021 and finished in November of 2022, Newydd Housing Associations’ new offices have been received well by staff.  To find out more about Forbo’s offering for offices, visit: https://www.forbo.com/flooring/en-uk/segments/commercial-offices/poitcq#panel_5.  

Harlequin has worked with Michael Nunn and William Trevitt, founders of the BalletBoyz, on a number of projects, providing Harlequin floors for their studios, tours and film productions. The BalletBoyz studios, based in Kingston Upon Thames, have two studios with Harlequin Activity sprung floor and Harlequin Cascade vinyl. The BalletBoyz rehearse for their tours there as well as hosting workshops including Parkinson's CAN Dance. In 2019 Michael and William directed the film Romeo and Juliet: Beyond Words where all performers, featuring dancers from the Royal Ballet, danced on printed Harlequin Cascade vinyl and Harlequin Liberty sprung floor panels. When touring, the BalletBoyz have danced on Harlequin Studio and Harlequin Reversible vinyl. 

London's leading workplace caterer, The Good Eating company, has opened its first commercial Cafe in the city. Requiring an interior design that reflects its core values, the sophisticated charm of Forbo Flooring Systems' Allura Flex Wood luxury vinyl tiles, along with its ease of installation and maintenance, has helped to complement the stylish and relaxing dining environment. Giovanni Insalaco, Managing Director at Nova Design, commented: "The Good Eating Company has a history of over 20 years, and it was important that who they are, what they do and what they represent as a business was reflected in the restaurant. While it's called "Café GEC", it is in fact a restaurant, offering a bistro-style menu in relaxed and stylish dining environment to suit the vibrant area aroung Lower Thames Street. "I chose Forbo's Allura Flex LVT planks in the Grey Autumn Oak shade for its ability to replicate the look and feel of natural wood. By specifically opting for a herringbone installation, this helped to add dimension to the space and bring the floor to life. This has worked really well in contrast with the plain counter and solid coloured furniture in the restaurant. Having never used Forbo's products before, it really has been a game changer both in terms of design and ease of installation. We've had lot's of questions about what the floor is and received plenty of compliments - it's fantastic."

‘Flooring by Henton’ opted for F. Ball products to achieve a high quality LVT floor finish in the company’s own showroom. Firstly, contractors removed old carpet, LVT and wood floorcoverings from the 90m2 floor of the showroom. Contractors next applied Stopgap 1200 Pro levelling compound over the entire subfloor to create a perfectly smooth base for the receipt of floorcoverings. The showroom has a large glass front, therefore, Styccobond F48 PLUS high temperature grade vinyl adhesive was selected to install wood-effect vinyl planks to ensure the floorcoverings would hold firmly in place when exposed to extreme temperatures.

The vast cornucopia of products supplied would consist of Gerflor’s award-winning Taralay Impression Control safety flooring, together with their Tarasafe Ultra and Tarasafe Ultra H2O. The Carrongrange development would also specify Gerflor’s GTI MAX and Mipolam SD products to further complete the huge overall flooring requirement.http://www.gerflor.co.uk/case-studies/case-studies/carrongrange-school.html

When the Regent House office space in Blackburn needed to refurbish the whole of the second floor, they chose Gradus Carpets from Gerflor.The flooring element of the Regent House refurbishment project would require installation of the highest standards to enable the intricate design to fully ‘shine.’Kevin Green. Partner at KG Flooring said, “The flooring, although an intricate pattern, went down in only two days which is rather exceptional.”Jason Judges, Gerflor Regional Sales Manager Northwest & West Midlands commented, “The Regent House refurbishment has been a world class project to work on and I'm proud to have played a valuable role in bringing the clients vision and passion to life.”Kevin Green added, “Gerflor’s products are outstanding, they also offer excellent value for money with a vast range of designs and colours to choose from. We would highly recommend them every time.”Gradus Floorcoverings is a brand of the Gerflor Group and is a UK manufacturer of premium quality carpet tile and plank, broadloom and impervious backed carpets which excel in terms of functionality, aesthetics, and ease of maintenance.

St Mary’s RC Primary School wanted a robust flooring that was suitable for the school activities that take place in the halls like PE and assemblies. In addition, and in contrast to the previous brown floor, a colourful flooring was required. As a result, 300 sqm of Attraction® tiles in Wattaru, a deep and vivid blue.

The ideal choice of sports flooring for the Neyland Community Hub would be provided by international flooring specialist Gerflor who would supply some 725m2 of their world class Taraflex® Performance sports floor in ‘Teal’ for the main hall which sees a number of sports activities including indoor cricket.

The future looks bright for students at Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) thanks to its newly refurbished airy and inviting library space. Using Forbo Flooring Systems' Marmoleum Modular in contrasting colours and designs, a unique yet functional flooring design has been created, which has also led the project to be recognised as the winner of the Highly Commended award in 2016/17 UK Fly Forbo competition.

 Case StudyWAGWORKS, FULHAM, LONDON Architect: Simpson StudioConstruction Company: Fileturn LimitedProject Installation Dates: 2022Flooring Systems Installed: Bolidtop 525 Deco with textureless anti-slip (54720)Colour:  S 4030-G50Y with flake 2/52-3 Stratum were specified to install a hygienic, safe, easy to clean, scratch resistant floor to the first of this brand new up market chain of doggy day care centres in Fulham. Stratum provided the trendy space with an attractive floor to match the other natural materials and colours in the scheme. The resin needed to be installed over a metal panel raised access floor in the main circulation areas. Challenge-      The resin needed to be installed over a metal panel raised access floor in the main circulation areas.-      To select a colour and finish that would sit alongside and compliment a range of different materials chosen for the interior spaces.-      To carefully programme in the work and co-ordinate with the other trades on the project.-      To provide a floor soft enough for doggy paws, yet hardwearing and anti-slip whilst maintaining ease of cleaning.-      To arrange for products to be delivered to a busy street in London with only front access  Solution-      Bolidtop 525 Deco was selected with flake system and textureless anti-slip coating in a shade of green with black flakes. -      Cement boards were laid on top of steel raised access floor.-      To work closely with Fileturn Limited to ensure timing of delivery and programme goes to plan.   Benefits/Installation-      The Stratum system is the most visible floor finish in the main space. It covers a well used pathway, providing a soft flexible floor, with a smooth slip resistant finish.Result-      A perfect floor for heavy footfall (and pawfall) that is easy to clean and ties in beautifully with the modern, natural scheme.

To lay over 300 square metres of wood floors complementing the designs and finishes in four separate areas of a luxury London restaurant. Percy & Founders is a stylish and innovative new luxury restaurant and bar in the heart of Fitzrovia meeting the needs of young, affluent executives working in the area. The wood flooring was installed by HS Wood Flooring.

At Yealmpton Primary to the East of Plymouth in South Devon all children are encouraged to be more active during break and lunch times with sports and fitness at the forefront of that focus. When the school implemented a refurbishment programme for their multi-use hall and kitchen servery area, they turned to international flooring specialist Gerflor to supply their world class Taraflex® Multi-Use vinyl sports flooring and their Tarasafe Ultra safety flooring. An Isolsport underlay was also supplied by Gerflor, enabling the installer to lay the Taraflex® Multi Use directly over the existing Granwood floor.

Riverlight is the first building to be completed in the Nine Elms area of Battersea by the power station site. Comprising 813 apartments across six glass towers, the project commands an enviable location on the side of the Thames. Seeking high quality flooring for this development, St James chose The Solid Wood Flooring Company to supply Oak and Walnut. With a growing reputation for high dimensional quality and a high standard of durable finish, The Solid Wood Flooring Company manufactured two new products to add to their range of FSC certificated flooring and these complemented the overall finished apartments.

Corner Block is a high quality and prominent multi-let office asset located in the bustling centre of Manchester. When the design studio, appointed by the developer APAM, required the highest quality flooring for the workspaces within the office areas, they turned to international flooring specialist Gerflor to assist with the much-needed refurbishment. Gradus new Lunar Carpet tile collection in the ‘Moretus’ design was specified, with over 300m2 installed suiting the complex and its users perfectly.

La Roche Limestone floor tiles are used on the ground floor of this large self build project that incorporates many elements from Stoneworld. Bespoke Limestone floor tiles cut in our masonry workshop incorporate a contrast Spanish black marble tile to build a floor design. La Roche limestone floor tiles are used in various formats throughout this flooring project.

Pencoedtre High School is a large new build high school in Barry, Wales. When this busy school required a brand-new world class flooring surface for its main indoor sports hall, they simply wanted only the best! HLM Architects would specify 700m2 of Taraflex® vinyl sports flooring in ‘Maple’, from international flooring specialists Gerflor.

The Glasgow Science Centre’s vision is to empower people through learning and engaging with science. With over 350K unique visitors every year, the centre needed to replace the existing flooring throughout the facility. During a recent refurbishment international flooring specialist Gerflor would supply a mixture of their hardwearing GTI Max, Attraction® and Taralay Premium flooring that would total 1800m2.

A £5m renovation scheme in Warrington has been presented with the “Best Change of Use to Existing Building” regional award by LABC (Local Authority Building Control) and Warrington Borough Council.The scheme required the conversion of a former office building, Kings Court, in Central Warrington, into 32 luxury flats, comprising of a mix of one and two bedroom apartments, arranged over three floors of accommodation. These flats are situated above retail units and restaurants. The renovation included a further two exclusive duplex penthouses for Phase 2.As part of the renovation, Main Contractor Emerald Bay Construction required an acoustic flooring solution to meet Approved Document ‘E’ Building Regulations and therefore provide overall resident comfort, in terms of Sound Insulation between separating floors. As the building structural floor was primarily concrete, Soundis put forward a solution that involved 2,072 m2 of Soundis ChipPanel 28 to help with Impact Noise. This shallow deck floating floor is ideal for concrete floors where Airborne Noise is not an issue but Impact Noise Attenuation needs to exceed the requirements of current Building Regulations.

Ingram Micro is one of the largest distributions of IT products and services in the world. The new office in Diegem, Belgium, is a large rectangular space with little daylight. When designing the new office not one wall was allowed to connect straight to another. Everything had to be slanted to enhance this concept, a herringbone design from Allura LVT was chosen for this floor.

MeiraGTx is a company that is committed to the development of novel gene therapies to transform the lives of patients suffering from acquired and inherited disorders. MeiraGTx tasked Rochester-based Clean Room Construction Ltd (CRC) to deliver suitable flooring for their inaugural clean room facility in London which could meet the companies’ rigorous standards in cleanliness and bio control.

CEDARWOOD HOUSE, BATH Customer: ST8 LimitedProject Installation Dates: 2021Flooring Systems Installed: Unique Character – Bolidtop FiftyFiftyColour: HazeArea: 200m2  This high end property developer from Bath knew exactly what to expect from Stratum, being a returning customer. Stratum were a part of this new build design for an eco-friendly modern family home. Since the developer experienced a Stratum resin floor in his previous new build property, he was keen for it to feature across a larger area on this project, with the installation taking place in the kitchen and main living space, hallway, utility room, cinema room and the garage. Challenge-      To select a colour and finish that would sit alongside and compliment a range of different materials chosen for the interior spaces.-      To carefully programme in the work and coordinate with the other trades on the project.-      To achieve the desired level of liveliness in the character of the floor when being mixed and applied. -      To install the floor system alongside a mechanical car lift within the garage Solution-      Bolidtop FiftyFifty was selected for all of the living spaces to create a seamless flow with a bespoke, warm, modern aesthetic. An anti-slip epoxy resin floor was selected to meet the demands of a garage.-      Stratum consistently communicated with the project manager, navigating around the project whilst maintaining access to adjoining areas for other key trades.-      To invite the customer to watch the pour.-      To arrange delivery of materials to site at just the right time. Benefits/Installation-      The developer had experience of working with Stratum and our floor systems which helped with the planning and design stages of the build, e.g substrate, underfloor heating, skirting detail etc.Result-      A beautiful unique floor, for a stunning, environmentally friendly new build home. This floor provides comfort and pleasure with ease of cleaning and will provide many years of use.“This was to be a quality high-end, energy efficient new build family home. We used resin throughout the lower ground floor with under floor heating. The installation was brilliant. We look forward to working with Stratum again.”Nick Sandy | Director at ST8 LIMITED 

The various rooms in the centre benefited from Gerflor’s outstanding Taralay Impression Comfort and Taralay Uni Comfort flooring.

In a world where competition for the workforce has become tougher, Avinode needed an office with a strong identity and a strong attraction element. The company is driven by its curiosity and is at the forefront with new technology and they wanted this to be reflected within the new premises. Marmoleum was chosen from an environmental perspective. Marmoleum is a natural, durable floor covering available now in over 300 beautiful colours.

Donabate Portrane Library, recently refurbished by the Fingal County Council, is now a warm and inviting community library as a result of products chosen from Forbo Flooring Systems. The Marmoleum and Tessera products were chosen for their practicality, cleanliness and variety of interesting designs. And Sarlon Topography from Forbo’s acoustic vinyl collection was a must providing a quiet reading or studying environment.

This project is a collaborative effort of many different parties to enable many facets of the community. It was partly funded by Burnley Football Club and grants from funding bodies including Sport England. DYNAMIK worked alongside Barnfield Construction to create the sports facilities including a four court Sports Hall installed with a DYNAMIK area elastic sprung sports floor finished with Tarkett Veneto Sports Linoleum, an ideal solid synthetic surface for sporting and community use. The Dance Studio was installed with a DYNAMIK sprung sports floor in Oak.

For Honeypark Apartments in Dublin, only the highest quality of Gerflor's Powershock 300 fitness flooring would do for their gym area.

FORBO’S FLOORING ELEVATES THE SUSTAINABILITY ETHOS IN NEW ECO-FRIENDLY PRIMARY SCHOOL  Two Rivers primary school in Keynsham, Somerset, is only the second school in the country to achieve Passivhaus Plus accreditation. To achieve this impressive milestone, architects Hatcher Prichard had to make conscious choices when it came to choosing materials for this project. With outstanding sustainability credentials and a wide portfolio of solutions suitable for the education sector, Hatcher Prichard specified a variety of Forbo Flooring Systems’ contemporary floor coverings, including its Tessera carpet tiles, Sphera and Eternal vinyl floor coverings, as well as both its Surestep and Safestep safety flooring. A new build primary school for 420 pupils, Two Rivers Primary School was designed to add the much-needed provision for primary education to children in the Keynsham area, whilst also following sustainable building practices. With the requirement to achieve Passivhaus Plus accreditation, which meant the building had to produce as much energy as the occupants use, Hatcher Prichard had to carefully consider the materials used in the construction of this building.  Simon Hatcher, Director at Hatcher Prichard explains further: “Two Rivers achieved Passivhaus Plus accreditation in February 2023 and is only the second school in the country to do so. It is also the first to be built using standard building materials, including a steel frame with concrete floor slabs. When it came to specifying materials for the building, we looked for manufacturers that had strong sustainability credentials. With Forbo’s environmental goals so aligned with our own, and that of the building as a whole, it meant they were the perfect fit! In fact, Forbo’s sustainability credentials and flooring solutions were key to finishing this wonderful building.” However, as well as the sustainability objectives that Simon had to keep in mind, he also had to meet the design requirements. Simon commented on this, saying: “We were supplied with a document by the Department for Education on the Employer’s Requirements, which includes a section on floor coverings and the factors to consider when specifying materials for schools. The main area of consideration though was the functionality of the flooring; it had to withstand the heavy foot traffic we would expect to see in a school, whilst also being easy to clean and maintain.  “Additionally, the floor coverings needed to be installed seamlessly alongside each other to keep the joints between them flush, as well as provide some slip resistance. The chosen floor coverings also had to be suitable for the usage of each room, with the colourways used also needing to be appropriate for the age of the children using the space. The Forbo account managers really helped with this, thanks to their understanding of how specific products from Forbo’s portfolio met the individual requirements of each room in the school.” With the suitability of colours in mind, Simon looked to incorporate elements of the local environment into the design, as well as take inspiration from the school name too. He explained: “The design of the school draws from its location at the heart of Hygge Park, Keynsham. The surrounding area has a calm, Scandinavian palette of colours and materials, with the local houses made from light buff brickwork with white render above. We opted to use matching buff brick and white render externally, with complimentary blues, greys and whites for the walls and other surfaces inside. All the floor finishes were supplied using the contemporary and durable range of Forbo products required for each individual space. For example, Forbo’s Eternal vinyl was specified in the Washed Beech wood décor for the hall, hall store, studio and servery areas, which provided a natural contrast to the white paint on the walls, without being too distracting. “We also specified Forbo’s Sphera homogenous vinyl in a clear blue colourway, to represent the ‘two rivers’ of the school’s name, which runs along the ground floor corridor and extends back up along the first floor. We also used Forbo’s Eternal vinyl in the Smoke colourway for all the ground floor classrooms, which created a calm and neutral feeling.” What’s more, a selection of Forbo’s Tessera carpet tiles were chosen in a muted blue colourway for the first-floor classrooms, which helped to make them feel bright and spacious. Speaking on this decision, Simon said: “With the first-floor classrooms designed for the older students, we felt it would be more appropriate to use a textile flooring, as opposed to the vinyl flooring used in the Key Stage 1 classrooms. As such, Forbo’s Tessera Teviot carpet tiles were installed in the Mid Blue and Blue Moon colourways, both of which fit the colour theme running throughout the school. Additionally, the Tessera carpet tiles are really easy to clean, another requirement set out in the brief, so it ticked all the boxes.”  In addition to the above, Forbo’s Surestep and Safestep safety flooring were used across the project to ensure the safety of students throughout the building. Specified in the Smoke and Silver Grey colourways to match the colour scheme, the safety floors were installed in the wet rooms on both floors, as well as in the DT classroom on the first floor.  Simon concluded: “We’re really happy with the finished project, as are the school and students’ parents. The school held an open evening in mid-January where the Head and Deputy Head showed visitors around the building; both were delighted with every aspect, especially the hardwearing finishes throughout.” With the initial design stage beginning in August 2020, the school was completed in December 2022 and opened for students shortly afterwards in the new year. To find out more about Forbo’s offering for schools, visit: www.forbo-flooring.co.uk/education