University College London (UCL) has been expanding its presence in East London, with new accommodation as well as new academic, retail, community and public engagement spaces at One Pool Street, just a short distance from Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
Construction company Vinci is leading the build, with Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands (LDS) appointed to lead on the design. When it came to sourcing durable flooring solutions for the development, LDS turned to commercial flooring manufacturer Interface. The space will become home to 500 students with round-the-clock high footfall throughout the academic, retail and community spaces, so it was crucial that the space was designed with durability and performance as a priority. To meet this demand, Interface’s nora rubber flooring was specified for the areas that will see the most action underfoot, such as corridors and breakout areas. Nora products are highly resilient and are designed to last, with maximum wear resistance and low indentation behaviour. Interface also provided robust nora rubber flooring with increased slip resistance for the kitchens and stairways.
Infused with granite, noraplan ultragrip is designed specifically for these spaces, with slip resistance to R10 standard. The covering offers significant protection in areas where slips and falls pose serious risks. Noise was another key consideration as the space will be used for a mix of work and socialising, and ultragrip’s 6-7 dB footfall sound absorption helps to reduce sound impact between different areas of the space. Fire resistance was another fundamental requirement for LDS when specifying flooring for the project. nora floor coverings are highly flame-retardant according to European standard EN 13 501 and the decomposition effluents are non-toxic. Interface’s entire product portfolio, including carpet tile, LVT and nora rubber, are carbon neutral across their full lifecycle. In September 2022, the company was third party certified as a Carbon Neutral Enterprise. Speaking about the project at UCL, Jason Cadman, Account Manager at Interface, said: “We were seriously impressed by this project, and were really proud when LDS approached Interface to provide flooring solutions.
We’re pleased that nora rubber flooring was able to meet the extensive functional requirements for the space and it was refreshing to work with developers and architects who share our commitment to reducing the environmental impact of our work.” norament 975 loose-lay floor covering was used throughout the raised access areas in the accommodation to meet the functionality and sustainability expectations for this space. Made with 30 per cent recycled material and PVC-free, the covering is easily fitted and immediately ready for use, with no coatings or welding necessary; this was crucial to having the accommodation ready for students in September. Its impact on indoor air quality is minimal, having received an A+ rating, an important consideration for the sustainability credentials of the building as a whole and the wellbeing of occupants.
Thanks to its resilient properties, nora rubber ensures good acoustics and underfoot comfort. Equally, a floor that is fast to clean and easy to maintain is essential in a multi-purpose space like this. A product lifecycle of more than 25 years means that maintenance and replacement costs are kept to a minimum, including chemical-free cleaning which leads to reduced costs and lower environmental impact from the reduction of water use and wastewater.
