Paul Webb says good vinyl flooring design is not only about the colour and pattern of flooring chosen, but also in considering the psychological needs of people using the space.
HETEROGENEOUS vinyl (multi-layer sheet vinyl) has always been liked because of durability, low-maintenance, and value, but as projects understand how the floor can play a key role in design, we’re also seeing it used to bring elements like brand identity, navigation, and zoning. Jobs such as our recent multi-category installation at Plastribution show this beautifully, using our Optimise 70 collection in different colours to reflect the company’s colourful logo.
Broadly, it is understood that design, pattern, and colour of heterogeneous vinyl flooring can help people to navigate and understand the space. For example, using a different colour at lift lobbies, stair corridors and entrance points to denote a particular level or department is a common tactic in hospitals and schools. These same factors can also influence how a person feels within that space – even helping them to retain concentration or inspire their creativity. But it’s not just the design of the floor that can affect how someone feels.
The acoustics of the floor is the perfect example. Acoustic vinyl flooring is often used as a safety-net to make sure that completed projects meet standards such as Approved Part E of the Building Regulations, but there’s also a point in considering the sound performance of the floor when these standards don’t need to be met, or it’s not really considered a major concern.
We’ve all sat in a restaurant that is too noisy, where you can’t hold a proper conversation, and you tend not to stick around. It’s just a little bit annoying and uncomfortable. But if you must endure those conditions, such as in an office or school, noise can heighten stress and negatively impact concentration and productivity. So, providing a floor finish that can help solve this is not just a practical objective in your project meeting standards, but also a consideration in terms of making people feel comfortable.
Indeed, as wellbeing gathers momentum – it’s fast becoming one of big topics in commercial interior design – we’re likely to see more clients and end users closely consider how people feel within the space. Being able to respond to that with a solution that brings design flexibility, easy maintenance and great value is one strength of acoustic heterogeneous vinyl floors like our Optimise 70 collection. In fact, without compromising any of the performance you would expect from a heavy traffic floor, it makes sense to consider its use anywhere where the comfort of people is a concern, regardless of whether that’s an acoustically sensitive environment or not.
www.ivc-commercial.com
Paul Webb is national sales manager specification, IVC Commercial
