Flooring & Walls
Middlesbrough College – Stair Nosings The Project
Middlesbrough College is the largest college in Teesside. The main college building has won numerous design awards as a landmark project in the regeneration of the area.
GM Contracts was hired as the flooring contractor. This project involved fitting 900 metres of stair nosing, which needed to be durable and reliable, in order to deal with the large amount of foot traffic throughout the campus. The design would also need to fit with the modern architectural style of the college.
The stair nosings had to incorporate slip resistant material to help minimise the possibility of trips and falls. This also meant they needed to fit closely to the gauge of the floorcovering, while contrasting in colour to ensure the step edges were clearly defined.
The Approach
GM Contracts contacted Quantum Flooring, and Q-Range DUO was chosen as the stair nosing for the project. This profile is ideal for specification, as it follows the guidelines in BS8300:2:2018, The Equality Act, and Parts M and K of Building Regulations.
Q-Range DUO measures 55 by 55mm on the tread and riser, which is regarded as best practice for stair nosings. It offers a solid colour over both surfaces, making the step edge highly visible. This is very important in an educational building, where students with impaired vision must be encouraged that they can move freely through their environment.
The Outcome
The stair nosings were fitted with Q-Fix adhesive. This fully bonds stair nosings to most step surfaces, with no need for screws and plugs.
The Q-Range DUO stair nosings look great in Middlesbrough College. They are a specifiers dream, as they adhere to all safety guidelines. Thanks to Quantum and GM Contracts, Middlesbrough College students can navigate the stairways on their campus with confidence.
www.quantumflooring.co.uk
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, 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 was chosen.
Simon Hatcher, Director at Hatcher Prichard the Architects for the projet explains further: “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”.
To find out more about Forbo’s offering for schools, visit:
www.forbo-flooring.co.uk/education
28 Winter 2024 issue 4174
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