INNOVATIVE OFFICE INSTALL CREATES STYLISH AND SUSTAINABLE SPACE
Forbo Flooring Systemsâ Allura Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT) range was specified by design and fit out company, Oktra, to transform an office building into a stylish and modern workspace. It was also installed adhesive free using IOBAC MagTabsÂŽ, to help achieve Akoyaâs sustainability requirements.
Oktra were recruited by Akoya and Brunswick Property Partners (now part of Feldberg Capital), to repurpose an office building to create a vibrant and attractive space for young professionals and entrepreneurs to work in. Formally known as Knollys and Stephenson House, the building will be rebranded as Mosaic East, a comprehensive refurbishment of one of East Croydonâs most iconic office developments.
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THE DESIGN
Typically, carpet tiles or exposed raised access flooring are the go-to solution in these scenarios, however with a premium design required, Oktra opted for something different, as Danielle La Porte, Designer at Oktra explains:
âAkoya wanted to create a range of category A office suites that would be memorable to tenants, while also meeting sustainability requirements.
With this brief in mind, we specified Forboâs Allura Flex LVT, which is available in range of elegant colourways and wood effect designs â perfect for this project!”
âWe wanted to add some brand identity within the category A suites, so we decorated some of them in a light pink colour with linear LED lighting, and other suites in a light sage green colour.
To complement the colour palettes, we chose Allura Flex LVT in the Light Honey Oak shade.
We then asked the flooring contractors, The Commercial Flooring Company, to install the planks in a beautiful herringbone pattern to really enhance the aesthetics of the space.â
SUSTAINABILITY
However, appearance wasnât the only area of concern, with Akoya also conscious of the sustainability requirements. Danielle addressed this, saying:
âThe aesthetics of the flooring werenât the only thing we had to keep in mind, we also had to ensure that whatever floor covering we specified would meet Akoyaâs sustainability aims.
It was for this reason that we specified Forboâs Allura Flex, as it can be easily installed adhesive free, using IOBAC MagTabs.â
IOBACâs innovative MagTabs provide a two-dimensional hold, with one side being magnetic and the other a dry-tack adhesive.
This means they can be easily magnetised onto metal raised access flooring, like those at Mosaic East, and the chosen flooring simply placed on top, negating the need for traditional adhesives.
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THE BENEFITS â ASSET PROTECTION
Ian Spreadborough, Founder and Director at IOBAC explains further:
âOur MagTabs essentially allow flooring contractors to quickly place floor coverings down onto raised access flooring, without damaging the substrate or the flooring itself. The phrase we use is âhard to shift, easy to liftâ.
The idea is that the flooring is securely fitted but can then be lifted back up to be reused elsewhere, or simply be replaced by another floor covering further down the line.”
âOktra approached us as they had used our MagTabs on a previous project and had been extremely impressed by their performance, so were keen to use the product again.
Additionally, Forboâs LVT and carpet tiles are approved for use with the MagTabs, making it the logical choice.
On top of this, Brunswick, who own the raised access flooring itself, were keen to maintain the condition of its asset, so, the tabs served a double purpose, protecting both a heavy carbon embodied asset, in the raised access flooring, and Forboâs floor coverings.â
Jon Cochrane, Director – Asset Management & Sustainability at Brunswick Property Partners, commented on the use of IOBACâs MagTabs, saying:
âCleaning adhesive residue off sub-floors in between leases is often messy, expensive and time-consuming.
In some cases, the raised access floor panels are so badly contaminated that they must be completely replaced, something which isnât sustainable, environmentally or financially.”
“However, using IOBAC MagTabs to install floor coverings removes this issue completely.
This means that our asset, in this case the raised access flooring, is protected and kept damage-free for longer-term usage.â
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THE BENEFITS â SPEED OF INSTALLATION
It wasnât just the sustainability benefits that drew Oktra towards MagTabs, with the installation benefits of the tabs also a deciding factor.
Daniel Hassan, Operations Manager at The Commercial Flooring Company, commented on this, saying:
âThanks to IOBACâs MagTabs, it took a team of three fitters around five days to install 900m2 of flooring in a herringbone pattern, which is challenging to install and would have taken much longer to do through traditional methods.
This provided a great time saving and allowed the other trades to work around us whilst we fitted the flooring.â
The time saved during the installation stage meant the project as a whole was able to be completed in just 10 weeks, a quick turnaround for such a large job.
Danielle concluded:
âWeâre really happy with the finished project, as are Akoya; the flooring looks amazing and weâre delighted to have been able to get it fitted so quickly, as well as meet Akoyaâs important sustainability aims.â
To find out more about Forboâs offering for office spaces, please visit:Â www.forbo-flooring.co.uk/offices