We spend a significant amount of time in education environments from childhood through to young adulthood. Schools, colleges and universities have a lot to consider when determining what flooring they should have. As well as the health and safety of the students and staff, durability, comfort, and function of the space, there’s also the aesthetics to think about when creating an efficient design.
The limitless design capabilities of Karndean enable architects, contractors and designers to create spaces that suit the individual needs of end-users. Gone are the days of dark, monotonous corridors and dull, plain classrooms – education spaces require designs that are exciting and inspire students to want to learn and enjoy doing so. Ideal for this is our creative Kaleidoscope collection, with its six geometric shapes that can be cut in a number of colour combinations across our established wood and stone designs, and arranged in endless patterns.
It’s also possible to zone out areas that have different functions by combining the contrasting colours and textures of our wood and stone to help with wayfinding, while also maintaining a modern style.
Pictured above: Invicta Grammar School
For rooms such as school canteens, science labs and art classrooms, the optimal floors would be straightforward to clean, durable enough to cope with heavy footfall and furniture, and have a high slip resistance rating to avoid accidents. Karndean is easy and inexpensive to clean, enabling the school to uphold the highest standard of hygiene, and all our products come with an R10 slip resistance rating.
In addition, a growing number of educational institutions now need to provide anti-allergen environments for their students. Our products have a low volatile organic compound rating, and our adhesives are free from harmful emissions. Carpet tiles harbour dirt and dust mites which are eventually released into the air, so Karndean is a healthier and more practical alternative.
Unnecessary noise inside or outside the classroom can distract students and negatively impact their education. Our rigid core collection, Korlok, has our highest performing acoustic qualities to date, featuring a pre-attached acoustic foam backing that can reduce noise transfer to rooms below up to 19dB. Not only does this make it ideal for multi-storey schools, but it will also help to quieten the general noise of the footsteps around the classroom.
Pictured above: Korlok Warm Ash
Karndean is a practical and resilient choice for schools, colleges and universities, and it can also help create a safe and inspiring educational environment in which students can flourish. All our floors benefit from our K-Guard+ surface protection system which provides a hygienic and durable finish that will protect the floor for years to come.
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