Page 14 - School Planning & Management, March 2019

FACILITIES { LEARNING SPACES }
PHOTOS © SCOTT BERMAN
Dover High School, Delaware “Both/And” Snow Hill High School, Maryland Like many things in life,
flooring decisions are not always easy ‘black or white’ decisions.
By Scott Berman
THE MANY FUNCTIONS OF HIGH SCHOOL SPACES call for flooring with diverse yet interrelated qualities
and benefits. Such variety can mean that flooring choices are not, so to speak, “either or” but “both and”. In other words, carpets, resilient flooring, hard surfaces, and other options can be specified in concert within given spaces or across entire
high schools.
Some excellent examples encountered in recent years show, among others, a range of tile, carpet, wood plank, polished con- crete, and vestibule walk-off surfaces functioning well and bearing
crisp, pristine, and attractive finishes.
Whatever the flooring system, what carries through is the
fact that the choice will be conspicuous and important and have long-lasting implications.
Making Decisions
Thus, making well-informed decisions about flooring systems is crucial. Tarkett’s Jonathan Stanley, national vice president, Edu- cation Sales, describes a current research project that is gathering data about such decision making, especially as it pertains to “the
14 SCHOOL PLANNING & MANAGEMENT / MARCH 2019
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