To create an encouraging and inspirational learning environment, the college required a modern and vibrant interior. It was also crucial to opt for an easy-maintenance flooring solution which would be durable and long lasting under heavy traffic.

The college had planned for each storey to be differentiated by a distinct colour in line with its new identity and this played a key role in selecting the accent shades for the floor tiles. With its diverse range of innovative and colourful modular flooring that delivers sustainability as standard, Interface was the natural choice of flooring partner to complete the design.

The company supplied carpet tiles for the communal areas, as well as all the teaching rooms on each floor, covering a total of 6,000 square metres.

“The internal design of the building needed to reflect the college’s corporate colours, which include orange, lime and blue,” explained Manong. “I chose to work with Interface because, as well as offering the balance of high design and durability we required, the products were available in the exact shades we needed.”

Manong selected two products from Interface’s extensive environmentally responsible collection — Chenille Warp and Transformation — to achieve the desired effect.

Available in 13 colourways, Chenille Warp provided an ideal solution for incorporating the college’s colours into the floor design. It is a tufted patterned level tip sheared pile carpet tile with Graphlex® backing. The dominant design aesthetic is stripes, meaning the tiles can be installed in a variety of ways to provide an unconventional appearance.

Transformation is a highly textured patterned loop pile carpet tile. Graphlex®-backed, the pile material is made from recycled solution dyed nylon and is available in 24 complementary colours. Inspired by Biomimicry — based on nature’s designs and colours — Transformation has a random design, making it ideal for non-directional installation. This helps to minimise waste, increase flexibility and simplify maintenance. It also has Cool Carpet® properties and is manufactured using 100 per cent renewable electricity.

Manong concluded: “Prior to this project, I hadn’t used products from Interface but I certainly will in the future; its carpet tiles are flexible enough to use across myriad sectors. The company has a fantastic range and this really helped us to achieve the stylish and modern finish we wanted for South Thames College.”

For more information on Interface commercial flooring products, please telephone 08705 30 40 30 or email us.