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When Ainsley Gommon Architects were tasked with designing the new sixth form college in Wales, they called


upon Forbo Flooring Systems to ensure the interior design would easily accommodate changes in the curriculum, while clearly defining departments.


Deeside Sixth, a joint development between Coleg Cambria, local schools and Flintshire County Council, is a £14.6m state-of-the-art centre, which provides a learning environment to offer enhanced curriculum options to A Level students.


Richard Beatson, Senior Architectural Technologist at Ainsley Gommon Architects, said: “The brief for this project stated that it required a structured design with clear departmental spatial arrangements. With this in mind, we decided to incorporate a variety of Forbo’s high-quality products within the interior design. The sheer range of colours, textures and patterns available across different floor types catered for the different functional requirements needed across departments, while Forbo’s design team’s capabilities of creating fully integrated design boards helped us to visualise the project’s flooring scheme, and cemented our decision further.


positively affected a pupil's learning progression this included the amount of light they were exposed to, as well as the use of colour. In fact, it stated that warm colours may complement a young pupils' extroverted nature, while cool colours could enhance their ability to concentrate on learning later.


Throughout the main circulation areas, Forbo’s general- purpose vinyl Eternal, in the natural-looking concrete colourway, was chosen. However to distinguish the unsupervised study and break out areas – in the very open plan interior – Ainsley Gommon Architects specified Forbo’s Tessera Create Space 2 carpet tiles. The understated linear nature of this carpet tile provided the study areas with a softer and more comfortable aesthetic, which contrasted well with the solid concrete effect in the walkways.


Richard commented: “Within the classrooms, we opted to use Tessera Teviot carpet tiles to provide a more comfortable feel and to help minimise sound transmitting from one floor to another. In the art studios, we installed Forbo’s Sarlon Code Zero acoustic flooring as it could reduce impact sound by up to 19dB. This was an important factor as the studios were located directly over sensitive spaces and as such, minimising noise was of utmost importance.”


Forbo’s Sarlon Acoustic Vinyl collection also benefits from a PUR finish, which makes it is easier to clean and will ensure that it stays in prime condition, even when subjected to heavy footfall or spillages – ideal for art areas, which can get messy.


“Although we specified an array of different floorcoverings, we kept the colour palette very neutral, creating an integrated flooring design and maximising the amount of light flooding into the building. Indeed some of Forbo’s products offer high light reflectance values, which will allow additional light to reflect off the floor and brighten the space efficiently.”


A recent study by the University of Salford found that out of 10 influencing environmental factors assessed, five of them


28 | PUBLIC SECTOR


Furthermore, in order to prevent soil and moisture from the soles of shoes and wheel treads, being tracked into the building, Forbo’s Coral entrance flooring system was installed to protect the interior floorcoverings.


To conclude, Richard said: “The support we received from Forbo during this project was incomparable; they produced brilliant mood boards and if we ever required samples, they arrived quickly. Overall, this project was a real success and we managed to achieve a BREEAM Excellent rating.”


www.forbo-flooring.co.uk/education www.tomorrowscontractfloors.com


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