When the University of South Wales were looking to expand its on-site chiropractic clinic, Stride Treglown (an architecture and design practice) were appointed to carry out the works.
To achieve the sustainability principles included in the brief, a number of Forbo Flooring Systems’ floor coverings were specified, including its Allura Flex vinyl using the innovative IOBAC MagTab system.
Ranked among the top 50 UK universities in the Guardian University Guide 2026, the University of South Wales (USW) prioritises hands-on learning, with state-of-the-art facilities.
Most recently, this has seen the construction of a new £6m chiropractic clinic, home to the Welsh Institute of Chiropractic (WIOC).
The two-storey building includes 26 treatment rooms, seminar spaces, DXA (bone density) and diagnostic ultrasound facilities, openly accessible for both students and the public.
Marié Nevin, Project Architect at Stride Treglown, spoke on this work, saying: “Our brief involved the design and delivery of the new clinic space, with sustainability at the brief’s core. The university has pledged to achieve Net Zero by 2040 and so the incorporation of environmentally conscious finishes was very important. As well as using a blue green roof and solar panels, the interior finishes also contributed to the creation of an environmentally conscious space.”
Supporting Stride Treglown was Kenton Simons, Interior Designer, tasked with delivering the initial concept design, as he explained: “When approaching any project, I first work to find a narrative and a solid basis to then build the design around. Given the building’s function as a chiropractic clinic, my focus was on flow and movement. Biophilia was another design pillar, reflecting chiropractic care being a holistic medicine that seeks to treat the whole body and not just the origin of pain. I chose to select a combination of natural, muted tones and colours, helping to create a sense of calm. It was important to me that walls and floor surfaces sat back in the overarching scheme, to be present but not overpowering.
“Sustainability was a key part of the brief, with the university wanting the internal space to be fully reconfigurable in the future. In many ways, this flexibility is as just important from a sustainability standpoint as the sourcing of materials, ensuring that the interior can be adapted as the building’s needs change, rather than being thrown away. It was here that the conversation started around raised access flooring.”
After already engaging with Forbo earlier on in the specification process, Stride Treglown reached out to their local Forbo representative, Angharad Pocock, for further support, at which point they were directed towards its Allura Flex heterogeneous luxury vinyl tiles and planks and IOBAC MagTabs.
MagTabs are an innovative solution on the market, being magnetic on one side and dry tack on the other, locking the flooring together. This means that each tile can be easily lifted up without damaging the floor covering itself or contaminating the metal raised access flooring, in the event of it needing replacing or repairing. Allura Flex was the ideal solution to go alongside this system, being one of the best loose lay solutions on the market for demanding applications.
Marié continued: “Allura Flex was also perfect from a design perspective, with its wood aesthetic meeting Kenton’s biophilic design pillar. As well as offering a more natural look and feel, it complemented Kenton’s recommendation for neutral, earthy colours. We installed this product across the treatment and circulation areas in the ‘Dark Serene Oak’, ‘Sage Ash’, ‘Terra Ash’, ‘Light Timber’, ‘Forest Ash’ and ‘Light Twine’ colourways, supporting effective wayfinding and the easy identification of entrances to the treatment rooms. As well as ticking the boxes for design, the whole Allura collection is very durable and long-lasting, able to withstand the busy nature of the clinic.”
Allura is Forbo’s popular range of Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT), a dimensionally stable, heterogeneous solution suitable for a variety of demanding applications. Allura Flex is of particular note due to its ability to be installed adhesive free in spaces up to 150m2, contributing to material circularity with any old or damaged flooring able to be easily recycled, without adhesive residue on the back of the tiles or planks.
In addition to Allura Flex, Forbo’s Coral entrance matting was installed in the ‘Taupe’ design within the lobby area, adding a soft yet durable barrier matting to help prevent dirt and moisture build-up in the entranceway. This also extends the product guarantee on the other interior floor coverings by 50%. Finally, Forbo’s Surestep was installed in both stairwells to prioritise slip resistance between each floor, protecting staff, students and patients. This was specified in the ‘Warm Mortar’ and ‘Grey Terra’ colourways, again fitting in with the wider biophilic design principles.
A representative from the University of South Wales, spoke on the finished clinic, saying: “The University of South Wales are really pleased that the IOBAC MagTab system was brought to our attention. This is addition to the Allura Flex vinyl tile, which looks fantastic, was a very easy installation and is essential for us to maintain a clean environment when carrying out future maintenance - whether it be to the floor itself or to the services that sit beneath.”