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Toby Maxwell survey projects that set new and exciting standards for flooring

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Words By Toby Maxwell

FOR THE NEW Nottingham base for global midsize contract research organisation Worldwide Clinical Trials, design consultancy Office Innovations was tasked with creating a well-being-focused environment for employees.

Worldwide Clinical Trials saw that the transition to hybrid working had moved the goalposts in terms of what people are looking for in their working environment. It wanted to learn and benefit from the natural diversification of the workspace that occurred when people started working from home. Office Innovations achieved this by varying the types of space available and introducing some of the more residential tones and textures that people had become used to working in.

The company specified a diverse range of furniture with the intention of driving different ways of working. For example, softer sofas and chairs make space for informal collaborative conversations that boost creativity and encourage the social interactions that will keep people coming into the office.

The designers chose Interface’s Woven Gradience collection to soften the transitions between different zones. Cool grey tones gently give way to brighter colours, creating a harmony between the residential and commercial influences without a harsh binary transition. Jordan Andrew, interior designer at Office Innovations, says: ‘With Woven Gradience, the injections of colour don’t seem forced at all. Instead, the flooring sets the tone for each zone. In meeting rooms, for example, a different strip of colour runs through the centre of each one which subtly directs attention to the conversation going on and prevents these rooms from feeling identical.’

For the breakout areas themselves, the design utilises Interface’s Icebreaker. The etched lines and angular strokes of this carpet tile allow it to flow across the floor, and Office Innovations used it to add touches of natural brown to support the other elements of biophilia included to boost employees’ well-being throughout the space.

Elsewhere, the designers chose Interface’s Level Set luxury vinyl tile in Textured Woodgrains for the kitchens and tea points for its powerful noise reduction properties. Being able to confidently specify a product that it knew would do the job was the result of Office Innovations’ strong working relationship with Interface.

Jack Maclennan, account manager at Interface, says: ‘Having a constant dialogue is invaluable on these projects, because designers such as Office Innovations and their clients are making specification decisions based on a huge range of factors. How it performs and how it looks are really important, but so are questions of sustainability and ease of installation. The fact that LVT can be installed without transfer strips helped this project come in on time and on budget.’ www.interface.com