FEATURE FOCUS: INTELLIGENT CLASSROOM DESIGN
Where hygiene standards and design demands must be met to create a safe, inspiring learning environment, resin flooring covers all the bases
looking at intelligent classroom design David Hockley, Area Technical Manager at global building products manufacturer, Sika, looks at how a well-appointed flooring system can not only uphold regulation hygiene levels, it can be used to help create the ideal learning environment.
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chools, colleges and universities are to maintain the highest levels of cleanliness
in order to limit infection-spread for the wellbeing of staff, students and the local community. As potential harbingers of dirt and bacterium due to their exposure to heavy footfall, floors are integral to maintaining public health and safety. Practicality, however, need not come at the expense of style. In our second feature
Specification for flooring in a public setting should be based on a solid foundation compromising reliability, functionality and durability. Hygiene is another primary property. Surfaces which are smooth and easy to clean will not only prevent the potential for microbes to fester and multiply – which is of paramount concern in the current climate – they increase the risk of falls and injury. Although a common occurrence in places of education, particularly playgrounds, such accidents can prove costly to the affected student’s education, as well as the establishment’s reputation. Therefore, flooring that is well-fitted and free of breaks and joints is an ideal solution for schools.
Resin: the safer, smarter flooring solution for schools In school and hospital buildings and areas of
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hospitality which must adhere to the strictest cleanliness standards, resin is gaining greater popularity as a seamless, sustainable, hygienic, cost-effective flooring alternative to traditional systems such as carpet, vinyl and timber. Slip- resistant and able to withstand regular and aggressive cleaning regimes, resin systems are also efficiently and easily regenerated with minimal downtime loss of revenue. The systems’ regenerative properties also reduce waste to landfill. Traditional flooring in high-traffic environments
have an average lifespan of 10 years, whilst resin- based solutions, such as those available within Sika‘s Comfortfloor® range, have a 40-year depreciation cycle. Resin also offers a smarter alternative to vinyl and carpeted surfaces. The Comfortfloor® range, for example, has an expansive colour range available. This benefit is particularly pertinent to schools, where colour psychology is found to enhance students learning.
Using colour to set the right tone for students The colour psychology effect in schools and places of higher education should not be underestimated. Research funded by the
February 2021
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