After acquiring new premises in Edinburgh, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) relished the opportunity to be able to put their own creative stamp and branding on the building.
Brought on board to design the interior, Michael Laird Architects specified a range of products from Forbo Flooring Systems and created a floor space that was practical, impactful and complementary to the overall character of both the building and the RICS brand – which helped the project win the 2015 Fly Forbo competition.
Hazel Pearson, Associate at Michael Laird Architects, said: “For this project, RICS needed an efficient layout which could clearly define the public spaces, such as the lecture theatres and meetings rooms, and the private spaces such as the office and management areas. Additionally, we had to represent the institute’s branding and corporate colour in the most impactful way and ensure a modern and fresh first impression.
“In order to do this, we chose a very neutral colour palette for the entire building to act as a backdrop for the striking accents of rich purple – RICS’ brand colour – which were featured in certain key areas. As we chose to paint the majority of the walls white, we really needed floor coverings that would be practical in terms of their colour and footfall, but that would stand out against the white and in turn bring a sense of warmth to the building.”
With an increased focus on working with lighter colours which achieve high Light Reflectance Values (LRV) to cut power costs and to add to the overall feeling of spaciousness, a fusion of Forbo’s Allura Wood in Seagrass Oyster – an earthy grey, Marmoleum Real in Purple and its Tessera Mix carpet tiles in neutral grey were installed throughout the building. Indeed, both of the lighter shades of Allura Wood vinyl and Tessera Mix carpet tiles achieve high LRV ratings, which helps to better reflect natural light within the work place. Ultimately, this means that the employees at RICS will benefit from an improved and healthier working environment.
Hazel continued: “We installed Forbo’s luxury vinyl tile, Allura, in the breakout areas and walkways of the building as not only is it a very practical and durable product – perfect for the daily footfall and wheelchair treads it will encounter - it has an attractive aesthetic. Throughout the main office areas and lecture theatres, we decided to install Forbo’s contemporary Tessera Mix carpet tiles as it has a very inspiring pattern thanks to the soft geometric shapes and angular framework. Along with the Allura floor covering, the carpet tiles encourage a more minimalistic look and bring a welcoming feel to the building.
“For the kitchen zones within the office areas, a floor covering that would be easy to clean and maintain was a necessity. Forbo’s Marmoleum Real was the perfect option as it has excellent performance characteristics and Forbo’s Topshield2 finish – combined with its natural antibacterial properties – it means the floor covering is both hygienic and easier to clean. What’s more we also featured RICS’ brand colour into these areas by installing purple splash backs and thought it would be great to reflect this tone onto the flooring. As such, the Marmoleum Real Purple colourway sat very well next to the branding purple Pantone colour, without it being a direct match.”
With the random lay design of Forbo’s Tessera Mix carpet tiles, the installation costs are kept to a minimum and the modular tile format allows office plans to be easily adapted for future requirements.
Sarah Speirs, Director at RICS Scotland, concluded: “Hazel worked closely with us here at RICS and all of our suppliers, including Forbo, to deliver the successful end result of an inviting and stimulating interior.
“Forbo’s products have really injected some character to the building especially with the intriguing patterns from the carpet tiles and the incorporation of our brand colour within the kitchen areas – which everyone has commented about in a very positive way. I’m sure that everyone that uses our new building will be just as impressed with the design as I was when I first saw it completed.”
