Exploring the practical requirements, aesthetics and motivational effects of flooring on students across UK education estates 04 | 2023 Key development areas within the education design and build sector INSIGHT In association with
3 INSIGHT | Welcome to INSIGHT, the education design & build flooring special report. The UK education sector encompasses an exceptionally diverse variety of buildings, each with its own set of design challenges. From tiny village primaries to high-tech purpose-built academies, the requirements vary enormously - and even within an individual school, different classrooms and facilities all require their own flooring solutions. Floor coverings must not only meet the practical requirements, but also contribute to creating a comfortable, inspiring, and motivational setting. At Forbo, we understand how complex it can be to choose floor coverings for education estates, which is why throughout this issue we provide you with everything you need to know. INTRODUCTION INSIGHT Editor: Andrew Pring Design: Sandra Cid Sales: [email protected] Daniel Wetzels Client Account Manager Forbo Flooring Systems from education design & build magazine (edb) Stable Publishing Limited SBC House, Restmor Way, Wallington SM6 7AH T. 020 8288 1080 www.stable-media.co.uk In association with
| INSIGHT 4 Choosing floor coverings poses a number of challenges as each school or university has a range of different types of floor area. The following suggestions will help you arrive at the right solution. flooring design A lesson in education
5 INSIGHT | Over the next few months, schools and universities across the country will begin to shut down for the ever-anticipated summer holiday. This period not only allows staff and pupils to relax and refresh, but it is the perfect opportunity to undertake refurbishment programmes – helping to create inspiring spaces for the next academic year. However, designing or refurbishing educational establishments can be a complex challenge, as all estates have their own unique needs and set of design challenges –especially when it comes to choosing floor coverings. To provide some clarity on this, HM Government’s Education Skills and Funding Agency produced a generic design brief, which contains guidance on the type of floor finishes that should be used in schools. Essentially, the guide states that flooring should be resilient, safe and fit for purpose. In addition to this, there are also other factors that must be considered, such as hygiene, acoustics, durability, slip resistance and most importantly, speed of installation. Indeed, when it comes to having new flooring fitted, the installation must be quick and easy, with minimal disruption and downtime. Fortunately, the continuous development of adhesive free flooring solutions over the years ensures that there is now a ‘fast fit’ solution for most areas of an education estate, which will allow projects to be turned around swiftly. So, what are the solutions available? Corridors Corridors take a pounding from foot traffic, so floor coverings need to be extra tough to withstand the daily onslaught. Durability, slip resistance and sound reduction are the key things to consider when choosing solutions for these noisy, busy spaces. An acoustic vinyl sheet, such as Forbo’s Sarlon, is a hard-wearing option that can offer impact sound reduction from 15 to 19 dB – perfect for mitigating the din caused by rowdy lesson changeovers. Another solution is Forbo’s Modul’up, which is an adhesive-free vinyl that offers excellent dimensional stability and 19 dB impact sound reduction. Installed without the need for adhesives, tackifier or double-sided tape, it is ideal for high traffic applications as it is easy to clean and provides outstanding indentation resistance. Thanks to the double structural stabilisation system, whereby two layers of fibreglass fleece are incorporated within the construction (compared to only one layer in standard vinyl), the sheet vinyl will not curl, ruck or roll once installed. Classrooms Students go to school to learn, and the perfect classroom is an environment where they can feel comfortable, safe and inspired. > Isara Agriculture Engineering School, France: Flotex by Starck
| INSIGHT 6 Colour, light and acoustics are all factors that affect the learning process and as the largest single surface of the interior, it’s important that the floor contributes to the creation of an inspiring atmosphere whilst also promoting concentration. Carpet tiles are often the go-to option for classrooms, thanks to their modular format and natural acoustic properties, which can lower the impact noise in these spaces and avoid disturbances. Achieving impact sound reductions of between 22 and 30 dB, Forbo’s Tessera carpet tiles are renowned for their aesthetic styling, as well as their outstanding performance in the most demanding and heavy traffic environments, such as classrooms. Flotex flocked planks and tiles are also an ideal solution for classrooms as it provides the warmth and comfort of a textile, with the cleanability of a resilient. Both Tessera carpet tiles and Flotex planks & tiles can be installed using tackifier, ensuring a quick, easy installation with the possibility of lifting and replacing damaged tiles. Entrances How many pupils or students slow down or stop to wipe their feet when walking into school or college? Chances are that the answer is not many. With heavy footfall trudging through the doors of a school or university entrance every day, keeping the outside world outside is crucial for the safety of all occupants. Whether it’s the main entrance or a door from a muddy sports field, a wellplanned entrance area with the incorporation of an effective entrance flooring system, such as Forbo’s Coral matting, can drastically reduce the levels of dirt and moisture being tracked into the building, as well as reduce the potential for slips and trips. Kitchens, dining rooms and washrooms As well as at the entrances, safety also needs to be considered in other heavily trafficked or potentially hazardous areas, such as kitchens, Students go to school to learn, and the perfect classroom is an environment where they can feel comfortable, safe and inspired.
7 INSIGHT | dining areas and washrooms. In these areas, a Health and Safety Executive-compliant safety floor covering should be considered. Forbo’s Surestep Fast Fit has been designed for demanding commercial environments, where a quick turnaround and minimal disruption is required, but where slip resistance is also a priority. The genuine ≥36 safety flooring is installed with no adhesive, which means extensive subfloor surface preparation is minimised or even eliminated, and installation is quick and easy with minimal downtime. In fact, installation times can be reduced by up to 50%! Specialist teaching areas In schools, the national curriculum sees pupils studying a broad range of subjects including arts, science and practical skills, such as food preparation and design technology; and within universities, students may find themselves working within laboratories or healthcare style settings – all of which, again, have their own set of flooring needs. For areas where slip risks need to be minimised, such as within food preparation or science spaces, a safety flooring, such as Surestep Fast Fit, should be considered. With so many different applications within one building, designing flooring installations for schools is a complex matter and while the Government’s design guidelines provide a useful starting point, it can be helpful to seek further advice from a flooring expert to ensure the most appropriate solution, which is quick to install, is chosen for each area. Calderwood Primary School: Marmoleum Leaf | Marmoleum Silver Shadow | Eternal Wood Bleached Timber
| INSIGHT 8 For the refurbishment of Edinburgh College’s busiest campus, its FM team called upon Forbo Flooring Systems’ Modul’up adhesive-free sheet vinyl for its unique ability to be installed quickly and easily, while reducing downtime and disruption to day-to-day college life – as the floor covering could be walked on immediately after installation. Based in the North of Edinburgh, Edinburgh College Granton Campus is the largest of the college’s four campuses. A modern, practical and accessible building packed with stateof-the-art facilities, the building spans over 30,000 sqm of space across three floors and sees 1,800 students and staff come through its doors every day. Dave Keen, Estates Services Manager at Edinburgh College, said: “Our Granton Campus has been open for 14 years and the carpet tiles that were originally laid in the main circulation areas and walkways were becoming increasingly dirty and difficult to clean. As the building is open 50 weeks of the year and seven days a week, we therefore needed to find a flooring solution that was quick and Fourteen years on from installation, the floor surfaces on this large campus were in need of replacement. Here’s how it was successfully done, all while the school’s 1,800 pupils and staff continued their daily routine. Edinburgh College a fast-fit solution for Forbo’s Modul’up provides easy to install while the college was still open. “We have used a lot of Forbo’s floor coverings throughout all of our campuses over the years and we are always keen to look at their new products. We worked closely with the Forbo team, who provided us with lots of samples, information and advice, which allowed us to explore the various options that were available. We soon realised that the new Modul’up adhesive-free sheet vinyl was the perfect solution for us, as it ticked all of the boxes in terms of design, installation, performance and sustainability.” Modul’up - part of Forbo’s Fast Flooring collection - is a unique adhesive-free floor covering that offers excellent dimensional stability and 19 dB impact sound reduction. Installed without the need for adhesives, tackifier or double-sided tape, it is ideal for high traffic applications, as it is easy to clean and provides outstanding indentation
9 INSIGHT | resistance. Thanks to the double structural stabilisation system, whereby two layers of fibreglass fleece are incorporated within the construction (compared to only one layer in standard vinyl), the sheet vinyl will not curl, ruck or roll once installed. Dave continued: “We chose the Medium Grey colourway from the Modul’up Cement range, as the contemporary concrete design provided a fresh, clean and modern look. The team at Gordon and Halliday Flooring completed the work during normal college hours, while students and staff were on site. This was done with minimal disruption to daily operations and the fact that the floor could then be walked on immediately after installation really was a great advantage for us. With there being no adhesives, this eliminated the emission of dust and odours, which was particularly important for the wellbeing of all that use the building. “We are absolutely delighted with the results. The combination of Modul’up and Tessera Inline work really well together and have completely transformed the various spaces. My cleaners are extremely happy with how easy the floors are to clean, too. With the help of Forbo and Gordon and Halliday Flooring, we have designed an interior scheme that will work for Granton Campus now and into the future.” Edinburgh College Granton Campus: Modul'up Cement Medium Grey |Tessera Inline Onyx
| INSIGHT 10 Q Q it will positively affect the health and wellbeing of those using the building; how it will enhance the safety of those using the building; and the choice of colours and design to help create an inspiring space. Aside from the speedy installation, what other benefits does adhesive- free (Fast) Flooring provide and why is it the ideal solution for educational buildings? There are many benefits to choosing adhesive-free installations, including the fact that once the floor has been fitted, it is ready for use immediately, whether it is walked on or wheeled over. Furniture can also be put back in its original place and facilities can resume as normal. Adhesive free floor coverings also emit low VOCs (volatile organic compounds) or aromas during refurbishment, which will help to create better indoor environments and contribute to improving the wellbeing of What type of floor should I choose for schools? Specifying floor coverings for education is a careful balance of form and function. From classrooms and corridors, to canteens, libraries, laboratories and sports halls, education buildings have multiple application zones that require a wide variety of specific performance attributes. However, the main factors you should consider are: the durability of the solution; how easy it is to clean and maintain; how Forbo answers some of the questions their specialist teams get asked most regularly by school and university estates managers. Q&A WITH FORBO
11 INSIGHT | Q Q Q There are many benefits to choosing adhesive-free installations, including the fact that once the floor has been fitted, it is ready for use immediately, whether it is walked on or wheeled over. staff, students and visitors. There’s also less dust and mess during installation, as a result of minimal or no subfloor preparation. What’s more, when the time eventually comes to replace an adhesive-free floor, products are easy to uplift and re-use, or remove and recycle, at the end of their service life as there is no adhesive residue left on the back of the material. Subfloors are then left clean and sound ready for a repeat installation. Savings on future renovations can also be made as there will be no costly subfloor preparation required on removal. What should I look out for when choosing a safety flooring? When specifying safety flooring, it is vital that the slip-resistance properties are sustainable throughout the lifecycle of the product. As such, it’s recommended that you look at the safety flooring test results of the chosen solution. The Pendulum Test is recommended by the HSE to assess the slip resistance of floor surfaces. The UK Slip Resistance Group and HSE guidelines demonstrate that a pendulum test value (PTV) of zero to 24 indicates high slip potential, a PTV of 24 to 35 signifies moderate slip potential and a PTV of 36 or higher is classified as low slip risk. How do I ensure the floors in a school remain clean and reduce slips? Starting at the front door, entrance flooring systems can stop up to 95% of dirt and moisture being walked into a school, which can dramatically reduce the potential for slipping and as well as aiding cleaning and maintenance. In fact, with each m2 of Forbo’s Coral matting removing up to 5kg of soil or 6 litres of water, time spent cleaning the building’s other interior floor coverings can reduced by up to 65%. What is the best ‘easy to clean’ flooring available on the market? Forbo’s Flotex flocked flooring is the only available product in the flooring market that brings together the appeal of a textile floor covering with the hygienic practical advantages of a resilient one. Whether it’s water-soluble stains such as coffee, ketchup, coca cola, etc. or greasy stains like butter or permanent marker, they all can be removed easily from Flotex. In fact, Flotex can save you time and cut your cleaning costs as it’s easy to clean, quick-drying and typically needs less water/chemicals than other textile floor coverings.
creating better environments • New and improved Modul’up adhesive free collection • 94 colourways across 23 designs • All designs available in acoustic 19 dB & 15 dB • R10 XtremPUR™ lacquer for superior stain, scu and scratch resistance • Anti-bacterial and phthalate free • Diverse design and enhanced functionality all in one sample book The NEW acoustic collection offers you superior acoustic properties with the added benefit of an adhesive free solution. The Modul’up adhesive free sheet vinyl collection (part of Forbo’s Fast Fit collection) has been completely re-imagined and now offers superior design possibilities with the tried and proven benefits of quick installation (saving up to 50% on installation time). To request your sample folder today visit: www.forbo-flooring.co.uk/acousticcollection Modul’up 19 dB 9307 UP4319 | pastel kubik + 877 UP4319 | dark blue uni Acoustics. Design. Speed. s Up to 19 dB
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjQ0NzM=