Page 25 - College Planning & Management, February 2018

campus hot spot for change: libraries. In fact, many campus libraries are undergoing changes along various pa-
rameters, such as being transformed into learning commons. For example, officials at San Jacinto College in Texas sought
to infuse two campus libraries with the college’s goals of innovation and student success. Flooring was part of that process. Vivid color and graphic elements of a Mohawk Group carpet tile system reflected those goals by contributing to an attrac- tive, sophisticated environment that draws in students. Further, “changes in pattern and color delineate spaces and assist with wayfinding,” the company adds.
Floors that Perform
Performing arts spaces are another example. In those campus areas, the right flooring system “can exemplify and extend an educational institutions identity/brand by demonstrating the university’s com- mitment to providing their students with top-notch tools to further their education,” says Chrissy Ott, marketing director for Harlequin, which provides sprung and vinyl flooring systems for the performing arts.
Ott explains, “a university known for having exemplary facilities would comple- ment that by having a proper flooring system for dance and performing arts.” She points out that a Harlequin sprung floor system called Liberty panels “can adapt to changing needs, as it is modular—can be used interchangeably in different campus settings—perhaps in a classroom for dance during the day and then on stage
in a multi-use auditorium at night for a musical theatre performance. The system is also quick and easy to install—in the day and age of the ‘microwave’ generation and wanting everything available instanta- neously, the system has that flexibility.”
Various factors were at play when floors were specified for the University of Southern California’s Glorya Kaufman International Dance Center, which opened in 2016. During the center’s construction process, Harlequin supplied a floating, or unaffixed, sprung
floor system that quickly enabled class- rooms to serve as temporary dance studios as well as a permanent system for the new building itself, according to Harlequin.
How an institution responds to the rigors of perpetual, frequently swift change is just one of the many things that can affect an in-
stitution’s reputation. Building interiors are another such thing, and flooring is a highly conspicuous part of those interiors each and every day. That much stays the same. CPM
Scott Berman is a freelance writer with experience in educational topics.
Brains. Beauty.
Choose both. Our Relay technology continuously monitors
fill level and the weight of the container’s contents. It’s valuable data to help you ensure compliance and measure landfill diversion down
to a very granular level. Efficiency is a beautiful thing.
VICTORSTANLEY.COM
FEBRUARY 2018 / COLLEGE PLANNING & MANAGEMENT 25