"flooring"

A complete rework of a postmodern office building (60 London Wall), situated in the heart of the City of London. The project aim was to extensively refurbish, reconfigure, reinvent and reposition the building.Due to the addition of a composite metal deck floor extension and additional steel frame for the top floors, Tarmac’s Toplight C lightweight structural concrete was seen as the perfect solution as it could be pumped and ensured a weight loss of 30% whiel maintaining the necessary structural performance.

This case study focuses on a prestigious project in Fowey, developed and constructed by Bailey Partnership and Brady Construction Services. In these luxury hotel apartments a raised acoustic flooring system, known as SubFloor, was successfully implemented. The project highlights the simplicity, speed of assembly, and flexibility of SubFloor, providing architects and contractors in the construction industry with a practical and efficient solution. Additionally, SubFloor's user-friendly features, such as easy height adjustments, garnered praise from the carpenters, enabling them to work more comfortably and efficiently. By offering a seamless and rapid installation process, superior acoustic performance, and convenient adjustability, the SubFloor system surpassed expectations and contributed to the project's overall success.Products:Wooden Joist 45 x 45 mmSubFloor Screw 300 mmScrew Foot Acoustic Constructions:Joist separation c/c 400 mmBuilding height: 73 – 323 Data:System weight: 3.43 kg/m²Acoustic damping: Up to 28 dB [rating according to ISO 717-2]Point Load 50 x 50 mm (c/c 400 mm):13.96 kN/m² - Next to screw over joist[According to SS-EN 1195:1998] Materials:Pine T0-C24Fibre-reinforced VitamidePolyamide + Rubber Damping Element

Forbo’s Tessera Create Space 1 has been installed throughout Lloyds Register office at Trinity Park. An ideal floor covering for an office environment as Tessera Loop Pile products are designed to maintain their good looks in the most demanding heavy traffic areas such as busy offices.Create Space 1 is an exceptionally flexible range of 18 commercial colourways, styled for today’s interiors and lends itself to single colourway installations, feature area designs and bespoke creative schemes. Lloyds Register at Trinity Park have used Create Space 1 to create feature area designs and brighten their offices as they have used bright colours against contrasting monochrome colours.

We worked firstly with The Manser Practice to develop a floor that was within budget and also Bryden Wood Architects on the specification and subfloors. Henry Construction are the main contractors and we are now working with them to ensure a successful fit out and wood floor installation. Situated in a location close to High Street, Stratford and Three Mills Island, Strand East will feature a variety of new homes and workspaces. Forming a triangle south of High Street, The Strand East will be a landmark development for an industrial heritage.

A popular brewery brand recently expanded its headquarters to support the increase in demand of its craft beer range. John Lord Flooring were approached to specify the resin flooring and Aspen Stainless steel products were utilised for the drainage system. The Uragard-HT62W antimicrobial resin flooring was an ideal solution for the project due to its durability, chemical resistance and anti-slip properties. The floors and drains worked hand in hand to distribute waste water into the central drainage channel within the processing area.Aspen Stainless Davos Plus drain channels were installed to cope with the high level of waste demand within the brewery. The channel profile was carefully designed to provide an easy to clean surface with a self-draining slope feature. The strictest level of hygiene standards are required within food and drink facilities due to the build-up of bacteria and possible cross contamination of liquids.   It's essential the drainage is perfectly compatible with the flooring to ensure a seamless connection and high performance. This partnership with John Lord supports optimum performance compatibility by preventing the elevation of floor plates that can compromise hygienic performance.The drain channels are designed in compliance with EHEDG (European Hygienic Engineering & Design Group) to support safe hygienic engineering in food manufacture. The EHEDG states ‘product contact surfaces must be easy to clean, non-absorbent and not present a toxicological hazard by leaching of substances and foodstuffs’ the cleanability of the drainage is also an important hygiene requirement as stated in the EHEDG ‘Improperly or insufficiently cleaned equipment cannot be effectively disinfected’ A perfectly fitted drainage system will have a positive impact on boosting the hygienic performance of the entire facility. This includes employee health & safety, operational costs as well as consumer safety. The dedicated project managers worked closely with the contractor during the installation process to ensure the highest standards for drainage and protection were achieved. If you have any questions regarding our drainage solutions, please email aspen@canalengineering.co.uk or visit our site and speak to one of our technical advisors for more information. 

The Spirit of Sittingbourne is a town within itself, offering town centre shopping, city living, hotel and a cinema complex.Within the Travelodge on this town centre development Soundis provided Soundis Acoustic Battens overlaid with an 18mm OSB and mineral wool insulation between the battens. This specification is a perfect combination of providing great impact and airborne acoustic performance due to the resilient layer pre-bonded to the battens along with the void created by the battens and the added mass within the build up from the mineral wool insulation.Acoustic solutions for both airborne and impact noises...The cinema specification on this project was a lot more specialised as are all solutions to the required acoustic flooring within cinemas. The system used on this project was the Soundis CineSystem – Ultra (Concrete/Structural Screed), one of two CineSystems which Soundis offer for anti vibration flooring requirements. This system is the natural choice of a floated build-up when there are no constraints in regard to weight, distribution etc. due the additional mass that this system provides and offers the greatest acoustic benefit.

Continuity between indoor spaces and outdoor floors, a balanced interaction that increases aesthetic potential: Atlas Concorde sets the tone in an elegant Belgian residence.Refined, unique, chic: the metropolitan style of Atlas Concorde concrete-effect porcelain tiles decorates the interior and exterior floors of a large, charming private residence in the town of Maasmechelen, Belgium, giving them a strong, unmistakable personality. Furnished in an urban chic style, the residence uses concrete-effect tiles to boost its modern, extremely refined look, which plays on volumes and alternating light and dark tones. Laid both on the floor in the open space living room/kitchen area and outside, the concrete-effect tiles create a visual and functional continuity between the indoor and outdoor spaces. Thanks to a subtle texture on shades of grey, where the warm hues of oxidation and the cooler tones typical of the original material coexist, the concrete-effect porcelain tiles become a decisive element in the interior and exterior designs of the residence. Able to embellish rooms thanks to their versatility, which makes them easy to mix and match with other furnishings, the tile surfaces also project their own style in safety and continuity, extending the design possibilities. Premium large-format 120x120 cm tiles boost the aesthetic and functional potential of spaces, amplifying volumes and giving them the characteristics of safety and reliability, especially critical when designing outdoor solutions. With a variety of effects and nuances, the large format is also able to satisfy the broadest array of stylistic inclinations: its task is to reinterpret all the expressiveness of the original material and transform it into a real living experience.

Undergoing some serious regeneration, Bromley High Street in East London has several building projects underway at the moment with new, affordable flats and houses springing up everywhere.Thomas Sinden was appointed by Poplar HARCA as their contractor to deliver one such project, building 13 new homes, including a large family dwelling in a single residential block.The infill site at 70-76 Bromley High Street, E3 was underused, but will now provide 3 affordable/social rented units and 10 intermediate houses, as well as a private amenity space and a large communal garden.The architect specified GRP Riser Flooring and Thomas Sinden selected Step on Safety to supply the ten risers required over five floors. They were fabricated by Step on Safety staff at the workshop in Brantham and subsequently installed by the Thomas Sinden site teams. We find that, on fast moving projects where time and space are critical, clients prefer to have fabrications supplied in one delivery so they are available as and when needed rather than co-ordinating multiple site teams. It offers a cost saving too.We are finding that GRP solutions are being chosen by the architects at the very beginning of a project far more frequently, rather than it being left to the preference of the contracted builder. Whether panels and profiles are being cut to fit on or offsite, the benefits over steel alternatives – such as weight, strength, ease of cutting and longevity – are now widely recognised.To find out how Step on Safety can help you meet your architect’s requirements with GRP service riser flooring, call 01206 396 446 today.

Forbo Flooring Systems’ Marmoleum was the product of choice for a creative breakout space at investment management firm, Triple Point. With its growing headcount, Triple Point appointed AW Spaces to create an environment that could accommodate the company’s hybrid working strategy, whilst developing a light and warm aesthetic.  Founded in 2004, Triple Point employ 215 people and manage over £2.7 billion of private, institutional and public capital across five distinct investment strategies: Social Housing, Energy, Digital Infrastructure, Private Credit, and Venture. Each of these strategies helps to solve a problem society faces, and each one creates opportunities for investors.  With the company’s increased headcount and the new hybrid working strategy, AW Spaces suggested increasing the size of the breakout area available to employees. The aim was to make this area feel different from the working environment, by incorporating warmer colours with a dynamic flooring design.   Another important aspect for this project was the environmental impact. Lisa McLeod, Design Director at AW Spaces spoke on this, saying: “Sustainability was a big part of Triple Point’s brief. As such, when it came to choosing a floor covering for the space, the sustainability aspect led us to look at products such as Forbo’s Marmoleum. After discussing the sustainable flooring with Triple Point, where I also sent them a concept image of a design, we decided it was the perfect solution.  “Not only did Marmoleum fit the sustainability requirements, but it’s also available in a variety of contemporary designs that match in tone with each other, which allowed us to create a very dynamic space. Additionally, it’s a really nice material to work with, which aided the installation process.”   Forbo’s Marmoleum was specified in Terracotta, Titanium and Vintage Blue from the Marmoleum Walton range, and in Neptune Blue from Marmoleum Piano. Lisa commented on these choices, saying: “We chose these colours as they work beautifully together and coordinated with the joinery so it looked as though those elements rise from the ground. We also really liked the warmth of the Terracotta colourway and the brightness of Neptune Blue, which provided some contrast from eachother without looking disjointed from the joinery they connected to. The choice of colours really helped us to convey the feeling that this space was for relaxation rather than work, with all the colours flowing into one-another nicely.”  This refurbishment wasn’t like a typical installation as there were multiple different colourways which had to be combined in different shapes. As opposed to a typical refurbishment where tiles or sheet flooring is laid; this flooring had to be cut into shape in situ. The finished flooring mixes curved edges with sharp points, with all four colourways meeting towards the middle of the floor then flowing out at different angles around the room.  Lisa continued “The pattern was quite complex, so Forbo recommended an installer called Medifloor to us who could take on this challenge. We had worked with them on a couple of occasions before, so we knew they had the credentials, and they did a fantastic job with pinpoint accuracy!  “We’re absolutely delighted with the finished result and I’d say the breakout space remains my favourite part of the entire project.”  With a unique installation, a specialist approach had to be taken by installers, Medifloor. Jim Gordon, the Director of Medifloor, spoke on this, saying: “AW Spaces gave us this amazing design for Triple Point, which was extremely challenging to create with all the different curvatures. So, to achieve it we actually used computer aided templates which allowed us to cut the perfect curve – something that’s really hard to acheive in flooring.   “Forbo’s Marmoleum Walton was perfect for this, as it’s the only sheet flooring that lends itself to the natural materials used in this project and looks amazing when finished.”  With this method, a creative and dynamic flooring solution was created. With the installation starting in July 2022, Triple Point’s office refurbishment was finished in mid-September 2022 and has been well received by the staff who use it.  Luke Francois, Guest and Employee Experience Manager at Triple Point, concluded: “We asked AW Spaces to create a bright and inviting space, with a focus on using sustainable products and services, and Forbo’s Marmoleum ticked all the boxes for this. We’re happy with the end product delivered by AW, Medifloor and Forbo.” For more information about Forbo’s range of office products, visit: www.forbo-flooring.co.uk/offices  

The project at 83 East Street involved converting an existing office facility into 16 new flats.Soundis was tasked by the main contractor, Innovate Space, to supply an acoustic flooring system in order to provide a comfortable atmosphere for residents to live in and to comply with Approved Document E of Building Regulations.After examining the project, we recommended two different flooring options. The main contractor opted for the option that resulted in a faster installation time.Soundis supplied and our installation partner UK Acoustic Systems installed a Soundis dry screed acoustic flooring which was a high quality, interlocking flooring system using gypsum fibreboard technology, in order to provide a solution for soundproofing difficulties, effectively and efficiently.

Whitbread Plc’s Premier Inn chain is one of the UK’s biggest and fastest growing Hotel companies, with over 700 hotels nationwide.A key part of the Premier Inn brand is the guarantee of a good night’s sleep – something that is impossible without decent sound proofing and acoustic flooring.To make good on that promise of a good night’s sleep, the Soundis high density Dry Screed flooring is a standard specification for Premier Inns. The robust monolithic finish provides a high density floating floor with a remarkably shallow profile. This particular Premier Inn in Lewisham required the fitting of dryscreed boards to all upper floors of the project, over 1,500m2 in total. Installation was carried out by UK Acoustic Systems.

The Audley Stanbridge Earls retirement village is an exclusive residential development of 155 luxury retirement apartments and cottages designed around a Grade II listed Tudor Manor house on a 32 acre site near Romsey, in Hampshire. Underfloor Heating had been specified as part of the design and the large floor areas now needed to be finished with floor screed that could be installed quickly and efficiently within the operating windows provided by the main contractor.TOPFLOW Screed A Thermio + offers a higher thermal conductivity than conventional sand-cement screeds, can be laid thinner and fully encapsulates heating pipes without leaving any voids. This makes it ideal for use with underfloor heating systems where it helps to improve the thermal performance and energy efficiency of buildings. All TOPFLOW Screed A products are made from gypsum and are completely cement free, with a binder made from 98% recycled material. This gives it a lower carbon footprint than a conventional cement-based screeds, saving up to 20.45kg CO2e per m2, making it a more sustainable choice.

Aintree Racecourse is located in Sefton, Merseyside. The racecourse is best known for hosting the Grand National steeplechase. The grandstand was suffering badly from water ingress to the areas below due to the floor coatings and joint seals which had degraded over years of exposure to the elements. Koster flooring systems were specified to provide a long-term solution to the exposed areas, providing a decorative, slip-resistant finish suitable for UV exposure and the weather conditions faced in the UK. The completed area is the perfect spot to enjoy the worlds’ biggest horse race in 2021 and beyond.

Koster Epoxy flooring systems were installed to the concrete bund of a chemical plant in Wales. There was a need to prevent chemical spillages entering the concrete so they could be cleaned in a safe manner. Koster Aquatecnic worked with the engineers and client to design a system which could be installed and offer the most suitable level of protection. The cleaned surface was prepared with Koster Polysil TG500 and Koster NB1 Grey. Koster SL Premium was used to provide a strong level surface to accept the Koster LF-VL on the floor and Koster EM-VS on the up-stands.

Junckers solid oak Herringbone flooring has been installed at the National Gallery of Ireland as part of extensive refurbishment works. Architects Henegan Peng’s brief to provide a more accessible route through the collections has resulted in an elegant and historically sensitive upgrade for the Gallery. The solid wood parquet floor in the Dargan and Milltown Wings was installed by DJ Kelly & Co Ltd. The new floor in the Milltown Wing replaced an original timber floor and in the Dargan Wing, Junckers created a bespoke wood block to replicate the pattern of the original tiled floor. Herringbone parquet floors, historically found in country estates, castles and mansion houses, have become one of Junckers’ most popular floors. The elegant aesthetic of the geometric pattern coupled with the naturally occurring structural grain pattern found in solid oak has made parquet the flooring of choice for anything from public buildings and offices to homes and apartments. A solid oak floor by Junckers is very durable and can be sanded and refinished several times, ensuring the floor will last a lifetime. 

Rambert School of Ballet called upon Harlequin to provide professional standard dance floors for both additional areas. A high quality floor was essential as the correct dance floor makes an important contribution to the safe performance of dancers, reducing the risk of slips and falls, or longer-term stress injuries. Harlequin Cascade with BioCote Antimicrobial Protection was the perfect solution for both areas as it provided added reassurance in a time when it was most needed. Harlequin Liberty was also installed in the marquee.

Pure Design - Bolidtop 525 and Bolidtop 525 TFColour - S 4005-Y50R1700m2Architect - KSS GroupProject Main Contractor - McLaughlin & HarveyProject Installation Dates - Jan 20/Sept 20  A building designed to “create the future” and materials used to interpret the club’s values and reflect its strength and ambition. Stratum were chosen to install 1700m² of Pure Design - Bolidtop 525 and Bolidtop 525 TF with 150mm integrated skirting throughout, to the new state-of-the-art training facility. The scheme comprised of a foyer entrance, a double height atria space, changing rooms, commercial studio and connecting spaces. The requirements were quality and robust materials, hygiene, ease of cleaning and simplicity in aesthetics.Bolidtop 525 was installed in all spaces with an additional textured finish to the showers for increased slip-resistance. The building featured underfloor heating throughout, covered by a 75mm thick screed. In the showers the resin was neatly dressed into the drains. All floors are entirely seamless and feel comfortable underfoot with sound-attenuating properties, fulfilling the functional requirements of the building. Challenge-      To navigate around the core areas of a busy construction site with sensitive floor finishes, and to maintain the highest quality of finish.-      Coordination with other trades.-      To ensure delivery of materials ran smoothly from the Netherlands during the challenging times of Covid-      To follow the government guidance on Covid safety whilst ensuring we worked to programme Solution-      Despite the challenges of Covid, Stratum worked closely with McLaughlin & Harvey ensuring a successful phased install, navigating around the project whilst maintaining access to adjoining areas for other key trades.-      To arrange delivery of materials in ample time for each phase.  Benefits/Installation-      KSS Group had worked with Stratum and used Bolidt products before, therefore they knew they were getting a resin floor of the highest quality and service to match.Result-      Stratum provided the specialist training facility with an attractive high end functional floor which uniformly flows seamlessly from core areas to changing rooms and wash areas. The floor will be easy to clean and maintain for the onsite management team with a long service life.  “We are very happy with the appearance of the resin flooring, which achieves precisely the clean, simple, high quality aesthetic we were seeking”. Michael McCollum| Associate Director | KSS Group

Swansea Council has transformed the support it delivers to pupils either outside or at risk of leaving mainstream education by building a brand new £9.64M school. When ‘scoping-out’ the project Swansea Council in conjunction with the contractor, would specify over 2000m2 of Gradus carpet tiles for the flooring element of the project. They would ultimately opt for the ‘Streetwise Design and Stratus designs for the school’s classrooms, corridors and communal areas.Cockett (Pupil Referral Unit) PRU school now provides staff and pupils with attractive and functional facilities all on one site.Gradus Carpets is a brand of the Gerflor Group, manufacturing premium quality carpet tiles and planks, broadloom, and impervious backed carpets. Utilising a range of high-performance yarns, Gradus’ extensive range of carpets are suitable for a wide variety of contract applications including commercial office, healthcare, and education environments.

Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust (CNTW) continuously strive to provide better education for the next generation of medical professionals. As such, with help from NTW Solutions they wanted to create a modern learning space for their medical education centre in Gosforth. Forbo Flooring Systems' Flotex, Modul'up and Allura Flex ranges all played a key role in bringing this project together .NTW solutions was established in 2017 by CNTW NHS Foundation Trust to provide a range of important services, across a variety of teams. They work alongside stakeholders such as NHS Foundation Trust to provide high-end project outcomes. Offering a variety of foundation placements, the medical centre will provide young nurses and doctors with a good base level of education to then move forwards in their chosen speciality. To do this there was a variety of factors to review when looking at designs.

Digbeth One 2 is a large development of modern apartments located in Digbeth, a thriving and rapidly developing area close to Birmingham City Centre with a mix of high-rise housing, restaurants, arts and technology businesses.With around 20,000m2 of floor area to finish with screed, a flooring solution was required that could be installed quickly and efficiently in line with the build programme.The fast-drying times and early trafficking characteristics of TOPFLOW Screed A FD liquid anhydrite screed enabled fast installation and allowed other trades to follow on quickly, providing continuity and efficiency within the client’s build programme.

The University of Bath has gained the reputation of being a highly ambitious and successful university when it comes to sport. Alongside students the England Netball team use the sport facilities by making it one of their Intensive Netball Training Centres. They chose a DYNAMIK area elastic sprung floor system finished in Canadian Maple. Named as UK Top University of the Year 2018, the University of Bath has excelled by supporting athletes to Olympic level.

We worked closely with Brown and Carroll, The Architects Make and Lend Lease the main contractor to create a competitively priced high-quality floor. There are two palette colours a “Latte” light board and an “Expresso” dark board. These were prime oak, fumed and then finished with a colour oil for maintenance and repair to create a uniform natural floor. We are supplying a 190mm wide board and a 260mm wide board in a very select clean grade 20mm thick engineered flooring. We also altered the tannins in the top layer to create a unique brushed finish.

The building features 11,660 m2 of PSA Steel Encapsulated raised floor panels. There are additional areas of BGH which are our Heavy grade panels and BEM Edge Banded panels. These are all manufactured by Bathgate Flooring in our UK manufacturing facility.The project is one of the single largest construction projects undertaken by any higher educational institution in the UK.The completed building will provide an environment for the brightest engineers to innovate and offer real benefits to industry and society. The facilities help to put the University at the forefront of engineering globally.Products UsedThe panels were specified to PSA Standards. The BGM600 Steel Encapsulated panel is medium grade PSA panel which suits most applications. This was used extensively in the installation. In addition there were installations of BEM600 edge banded and Vinyl Bonded panels in appropriate areas.Testimonial“It was a pleasure to work with you and your teams at MECD – a prestigious job that has gone extremely well due to the efforts of your teams in delivering your scope safely.It has been a pleasure working with you and the Bathgate teams. You have always been professional in every way and your site team have always delivered the works safely.”Rajeewa de Fonseka – Project ManagerBalfour Beatty

The well known traditional British cheese producer, Long Clawson Dairy, required dairy flooring renovation at their Melton Mowbray site. The refurbishment areas included a number of production areas, including the Cheese Room floor. The client needed a hardwearing, slip-resistant, hygienic flooring to cover areas of approximately 200m².Having previously worked with The National Flooring Company on other projects, the client contacted the Degafloor Approved Installer to ask for advice on the best solution for the upcoming works. As the factory is in constant production, attention to detail was required regarding dust and fumes.Drainage was another consideration for the dairy flooring. The drainage was required to be fully operational after the installation, so for best results the contractors recommended using the Degafloor Quartz Trowelled with Aggregate resin flooring. QTA is a trowel-applied system with a quartz scatter finish that will not run into the drains upon application.Long Clawson Dairy needed a flooring solution that could be installed quickly and deliver long-term performance. Degafloor resin systems are based on ultra fast curing methyl methacrylate technology that enables rapid installation and cures as fast as two hours after application.The dairy flooring project was completed in just 6 days over 2 separate shifts. The fast curing properties of Degafloor MMA resin flooring enabled production to commence just 2 hours after the new floors and coving were installed. The Operations Director of Long Clawson Dairy was extremely happy with the end result.

St Cecilia’s Hall, today a part of the University of Edinburgh, has been thoughtfully redeveloped by Page Park Architects to create a more inclusive and user-friendly space. To provide the ancillary facilities needed in a modern-day museum, Page Park Architects created a new, modern entrance with improved and updated walkways and circulation areas. Drawing inspiration from the original dark-coloured flooring in the building, the architects specified Junckers’ 140mm wide Black Oak Harmony as flooring and wall panelling in the new areas. In addition, Junckers’ Dark Coco Rustic Oil was used to restore the rich, brown colour of the original wood flooring in the concert room and gallery spaces. 

Congratulations to Deicke Richards (DR) Architects for their win at this year’s 2020 Learning Environments Australasia Awards for excellence in educational design. The John Paul College (JPC) Kindergarten extension articulates the college’s Reggio Emilia approach to teaching and learning within an Australian context. Reggio Emilia is an early learning education style that values children as capable and resilient and rich with wonder; it emphasises hands-on, discovery learning that allows children to actively engage all their senses, guided by educators rather than directed.The kindy’s program is strongly art and nature-based and focuses on encouraging children to creatively problem solve, engage deeply with personal and group projects, and to experience nature with freedom and wonder.To support this program, Deicke Richards led a collaborative process with a diverse stakeholder team to produce a design framework that fosters engaging experiences with climate; form (external, internal and transitional spaces); light; colour; materials and texture; smell; sound; and taste. Marmoleum flooring was chosen as the main internal floor finish as it fits the design and teaching philosophy.Marmoleum is made from natural raw materials, many of which grow and are renewable. The material is produced CO2 neutral without offsetting and can be sustainably recycled at the end of its useful life. Marmoleum is healthy, containing zero plastics and is asthma and allergy approved by the British Allergy Foundation. Marmoleum thanks to the linseed base is inherently bacteriostatic naturally inhibiting the growth of common bacterial and viral infections creating a better interior for children and staff.The kindy’s new building has a logical layout. Two classrooms are separated by a central amenities block and open onto a generous verandah that flows into the “piazza” or green heart. Each classroom is characterised by an internal “Atelier” form which offers focused respite from other activities – a sunken studio features in ‘The Burrow’ classroom, while a playful house-like structure punctuates ‘The Nest’ classroom. These unique Atelier spaces are dedicated to creative exploration and elevate the children’s art-focused learning experiences.JPC Kindy’s thoughtfully layered learning experiences exemplify how the values of a kindy – or any educational institution – can be meaningfully embedded in its environmental and spatial design.Diecke Richards founded in 1994 is renowned for their collaborative processes and inclusive culture. DR has a commitment to using their skill in design to achieve a social purpose and this is evident in the JPC kindergarten community project.

The main building of the NHL Stenden University in the Netherlands has recently been extended. In addition to a focus on sustainability, the architect wanted to stimulate meetings and bring students and teachers together. In the middle of the central hall you can climb, sit, lie and build with the cube-shaped elements. The long wooden stairs and the walls are partly overgrown with plants and the floor features a beautiful green lawn digitally printed on Flotex Vision.Furthermore, BRTArchitecten has created various meeting places and has given the building it its own landscape. There is an area with a corn field, a tropical rainforest and a delta landscape. These landscapes are all also printed on Flotex Vision and thus form a beautiful focal point in the room. In addition to Flotex Vision,Forbo's Flotex Metro and Marmoleum Real were installed within the University Building.The renovation of the Stenden Hotel Management School was completed in December 2019. A beautiful new campus of 4,500 m2 where Flotex has been chosen thanks to its unique combination of design flexibility, acoustics and ease of cleaning.

FORBO’S PORTFOLIO COMBINES QUALITY WITH AFFORDABILITY   Alumno, a specialist student accommodation developer, conceived and delivered a sophisticated and welcoming space for Element Bermondsey, a new student accommodation overlooking Bermondsey Spa Gardens. To do this, Forbo Flooring Systems’ Sarlon and Safestep floor coverings were specified, for their technical and aesthetic qualities.   Operated by CRM Students, the UK’s leading independent student accommodation management brand, Element Bermondsey provides 143 students living in Southwark with high-quality, fully serviced and sustainable accommodation. Greenaway Architecture and Tatham Studios worked with Alumno, to create contemporary spaces for the increasing number of students coming into London to study.   Greenaway Architecture and Alumno took the reins when designing Element Bermondsey, as Ron Plunz, Development Director at Alumno explained: “We had agreed a palette with our funding partner during our initial design meetings, which we had presented to them in a CGI format. We then took this vision and fine-tuned it to get a much clearer idea of the direction we wanted to go in.   “When designing student accommodation, we usually opt for a neutral theme as there is a mix of cultures, ages and people living under one roof. By choosing a contemporary yet neutral palette, it provides students with the freedom to make the spaces their own.”  Not only was it important that Alumno created a space that allowed the residents to express themselves, but it was also key that the building met sustainability requirements. Ron explained further: “We really wanted and needed to achieve a BREEAM rating of ‘Excellent’ with this building. As such, one of the factors we wanted to address was noise levels, to create healthy and comfortable spaces for the students. It was for this reason that we specified Forbo’s Sarlon acoustic floor covering; with a 19 dB impact sound reduction it exceeded the requirements needed for this accreditation.”  Forbo’s Sarlon 19 dB was specified in two different colours for this project. Ron explained: “We used Sarlon in Silver Concrete for the hallways and kitchen areas and Anthracite Nairobi in the bedrooms; both are deep greys, which offer an attractive, neutral baseline for the rooms, whilst providing some warmth to the spaces. I like to use products with some natural patterns like stone, concrete or textile weaves as it can serve a dual purpose of forming a pattern, whilst also helping to hide marks, which keeps the room looking smart.  “Forbo’s Sarlon offering fits this perfectly as it is available in a range of natural patterns and a versatile range of colours. We always use Forbo as its product range is just so varied, full of aesthetically pleasing designs that fit the technical requirements we’re looking for.”  Not only this, but the XtremePUR finish ensures Sarlon delivers improved scratch resistance, which is important for student accommodation as it endures heavy use across an academic year. Additionally, Sarlon is phthalate free, minimising the impact it has on the residents’ wellbeing.  Furthermore, Forbo’s Safestep product was used in the ensuite bathrooms, offering a good level of slip resistance. Ron continued: “Obviously resident safety is extremely important for these types of projects. So, for this reason, we needed a floor covering that could satisfy our health and safety requirements, but one that didn’t look industrial. Forbo’s Safestep was the perfect solution, with the contemporary Lava colour, which is a dark grey shade with hints of green running throughout it. It suits the neutral palette of the room, but also provides a good level of slip resistance.  “Forbo has a wide range of options available. In fact, there’s a solution for all applications, which makes our job easier, as we don’t have to use multiple manufacturers. Instead, we can purchase all the floor coverings we need from one company.”  CRM Students welcomed students into this latest scheme at the start of the 2022 academic year and has received positive feedback from the residents and press.  For more information about Forbo’s product range for student accommodation, visit: www.forbo-flooring.co.uk/studentaccommodation  

Project detailsKenwood, a kitchen appliance manufacturer in Hampshire was suffering with dusty floors and wanted to improve the visual appearance of the warehouse area. Kenwood contacted Watco because they had come to trust our products, having used them over many years. We suggested not only the most suitable repair products and floor coatings but a trusted and experienced flooring specialist to apply the products, Aedean Flooring Ltd in Farnborough, Hampshire.Our solution The floor was shot blasted and lightly ground before being repaired with Watco Concrex® Carbon Fibre, an incredibly strong epoxy resin repair mortar and Watco Flowpatch®, a pourable patch repair material for heavily trafficked floors. Aedean suggested the use of colour inside the aisles, which Kenwood thought was a good idea as it would making identifying each aisle easier. Epoxy Gloss Coat in mid grey was used in the main walkways in the warehouse so that the area could be back in use quickly after coating. The colours chosen for the aisles were: Safety Yellow, Signal Red, Royal Blue and Black. Epoxy Gloss Coat is an extremely tough and decorative industrial floor coating which is ideal in situations where durability is important. "We are delighted with the outcome which completely revitalised the appearance of the warehouse, protecting the floor for many years to come."

2-6 Cannon Street is a high-end new build commercial office building located in the City of London. Alfresco Floors were commissioned by Frost Landscape Construction to supply and install the GRAD decking and rail systems, which were supported by the Buzon pedestal system. This was a particularly challenging project as steel planters were strategically located in the middle of the roof terrace so installation had to be carried out around the numerous planters. The finished outdoor space at 2-6 Cannon Street provides office workers with a unique roof top terrace.

Designed by Grafton Architects, Town House is a mixed-use teaching facility at Kingston University. The interior is arranged around a series of interlocking, open plan spaces, where Junckers’ solid hardwood flooring features as part of limited materials palette. Junckers’ 140mm Textured Nordic Oak Classic flooring clads the treads and risers of the imposing staircase in the triple height courtyard, as well as providing a hard-wearing floor surface for seating areas. Junckers’ oak flooring promotes a healthy indoor climate. All-natural, solid hardwood is free of chemical substances which adversely affect indoor air quality. Junckers has completed EPDs for all its floors to aid specification for sustainable and net zero carbon projects. 

Over 1,600m2 of Harlequin Activity™ sprung floor system and Harlequin Cascade vinyl was used to create four stunning performance spaces at the new £145 million Central Saint Martin’s College of Arts and Design at the King’s Cross Campus in London.

Hush Acoustics provided an acoustic solution for the Aviation Academy in Norwich as part of its project to transform the building through the creation of an innovative learning environment. Based within a World War 2 aircraft hangar, home to a museum, cafe and now classrooms, catering for pupils and youth organisations as well as holding events and conferences, this academy accommodates a wide variety of uses and needs. Hanson Barron and Smith Architects worked on the design of the custom facility, with the aim to create a mezzanine floor within the atrium on which classrooms would be created.The atrium itself holds conferences that can accommodate over 300 people, so in order to ensure the acoustics within the building were fit for purpose, a site visit was conducted to assess how the required acoustic standards could be achieved.On visiting the site, an acoustic concern within the building was the footfall noise being created from the mezzanine floor.The solution proposed after calculating the requirements of the areas was 1500m2 of Hush Panel 17, which would be fitted over the structural plywood deck.Hush Panel 17 is a thin overlay board which minimises floor build-up without compromising performance. By reducing impact sound transmission through the separating floors, it achieves excellent results, with the upper layer of moisture resistant MDF providing a consistently smooth surface for application of floor finishes.Working with Robert Goss from Hanson Barron and Smith and RG Carter who were the main contractors on site, over 2000 sheets of Hush Panel 17 were supplied and fitted to the area.

Chelmer Waterside near Chelmsford in Essex, is a residential-led riverside quarter, delivering new homes and public spaces south-east of the city centre. The site of a former gas works, the land is being regenerated to offer high quality affordable housing on the River Chelmer peninsula.SURFACING REQUIREMENTAddagrip approved contractor The TP Group was appointed by Taylor Wimpey to assist with various aspects of the project, including Landscaping, Painting, and Fire Protection. They were also pleased to help with a very demanding first floor level crescent and second floor walkway within the heart of the ongoing development.Many logistical challenges of surfacing the podium decks were managed and overcome, alongside time restraints and weather conditions. The original plans of using pedestal paving were shelved due to time restraints and material availability. Following discussions, an Addagrip Terrabase Classic Resin Bound no-dig gravel system with a Stonebound finish was selected as the surfacing product due to speed of installation, aesthetics and availability.The TP Group installed a 365mm deep substrate, consisting of various materials, for the podium balconies on the first and second floor level ready for Addagrip’s Terrabase Classic resin bound system. A Stonebound 6mm bespoke blend was selected as the Terrabase Classic resin bound finish with 297m2 being installed on the first floor level crescent and 66m2 on the second floor walkway.The new paving offers a decorative, low maintenance surface with excellent slip resistance.The installation was completed in January 2021.

Rawson Carpet Solutions Felkirk Polypropylene carpet tiles have been installed at the Idsall school Independent Academy in Shropshire, a thriving and highly successful school that believes every student can reach their potential. J Daniel Flooring have installed carefully chosen carpet tile colours to match with the school logo and branding which has provided a great new aesthetic to the refurbished rooms, including the library, corridors, sixth form centre and various teaching rooms.Rawson Carpet solutions provide a broad range of designer and durable contract carpet tiles to suit any design or budget aspiration. Felkirk Carpet Tiles in colours ‘Blackout’ with random Tiles in ‘Turf’ complement the schools branding colours. The entrance matting is Rawson’s primary entrance solution, ‘Dominator’ entrance tiles in colour ‘Anthracite’.Felkirk Carpet Tiles by Rawson Carpet Solutions are a popular choice nationally for Education Carpet solutions as there is a proven durability and reliability in the product after so many years of successful historical use. The Tiles, specifically engineered for the workplace and learning sectors, have class 33 heavy contract rating and offer castor chair suitability.

The project comprised of a large scale installation of Square GRC concrete floor tiles in two contrasting colours. Large Hazelnut tiles with Anti-slip Sandblast finish were laid around the main reception are. The remaining floor areas we resurfaced with Silver and Hazelnut tiles in Silk finish to emphasise the predominantly neutral colour palette of the interiors and the existing concrete structures which were left exposed.The tiles were manufactured using our special GRC BTX concrete, which is lighter and stronger than traditional concrete. We used our unique eco concrete mix technology with a hydrophobic agent to limit moisture absorption and staining. The challenges for this project were working with such large tiles that were pre-cut and only allowed for minor adjustments on site but the project was completed to a high spec for the client.