Page 42 - spaces4learning, Fall 2020

Photo © Scott Berman
The process of choosing flooring in the first place must weigh the intertwined factors of life-cycle cost and with du- rability and ease of maintenance; as well as intended and con- ceivable use of the space, including acoustics and resilience; in- door air quality; recycled content;
by bringing exterior light deep inside, which is particularly helpful with double-loaded corridors. The natural light can work in concert with wall mirrors to bounce and enhance that light. Furthermore, such transparency helps with supervision of
slip resistance and aesthetics. Solutions appear in great di- versity within schools, perhaps in a greater range than ever before. Among many other possibilities, there are classroom flooring sys- tems of various types that meet acoustical standards, broadloom carpet in auditoriums, carpet tile in libraries and offices, rubber tile in fitness rooms, epoxy flooring in back-of-the-house cafeteria kitch- en spaces, polished concrete in labs, hallways or other areas. Of
CEILING CLOUDS, WORKING IN CONCERT WITH FLOORING DESIGNS, CAN HELP DEFINE SPACES WHILE HOUSING LIGHTING AND PROVIDING ACOUSTIC BENEFITS.
youngsters. Creating more natural light into hallways seems more rel- evant than ever, given among other things the evolving use of widened corridors for transit as well as break- away study or lounge areas.
Floor-to-ceiling white board surfacing on moveable wall systems provide a flexibility double wham- my, so to speak, that potentially removes a staid front of the class- room for instruction while offering the option of combining or divid- ing classrooms, as at Portage High School in Indiana.
course, VCT, luxury vinyl tile and carpet tile are prevalent.
Walls
Window-bearing interior walls can create efficiency and options
Corridor and other walls are subjected to varying amounts of damage that can differ by material, of course, as well as grade level and the amount of supervision in each space. Officials at the New Jersey vo-tech, for example, kept things simple, spec-
36 FALL 2020
Photo © Wayne Zitt
Photo © Scott Berman