Tarkett Intelligent Flooring Creates Brighter Learning at Milton Keynes Academy

Tarkett Intelligent Flooring Creates Brighter Learning at Milton Keynes Academy

As the first of the Government’s Academies Framework schemes to achieve planning permission, the brand new Milton Keynes Academy opened its doors to pupils for the first time in September 2009. Complete with over 6,000m2 of Tarkett iQ flooring products, the £30m state-of-the-art building will accommodate over 1,500 pupils and 200 staff. The ground floor is home to specialist departments such as sciences, music, arts and design and technology, and Tarkett’s iQ Granit was installed throughout these areas.

Nick Perkins of Hi-Tech Flooring was pleased to be working with Tarkett on the project: “Tarkett were very helpful throughout the whole process, from pricing and procurement through to installation. Our fitters really enjoy using their products, as they’re flexible and easy to work with, and they look great when they’re finished too.”

Tarkett’s Granit flooring is part of the iQ range, offering the best life cycle costs on the market together with outstanding quality, performance and design characteristics. Made from high-quality raw materials, Granit features a 3rd generation PUR reinforcement that guarantees no wax or polish will ever be needed. The unique surface restoration means it is possible to fully restore the flooring surface to its original appearance and properties with simple dry buffing, giving extreme longevity and minimising maintenance costs.

Students of the new Academy were consulted throughout the build process and one of their concerns was to make the toilet areas more light and open to prevent incidents of bullying and misbehaviour. In order to ensure they were also safe underfoot, Tarkett’s Granit Multisafe was installed. The dense, impermeable surface and well-rounded studs make Granit Multisafe hygienic and easy to clean. It was also installed in the changing rooms and shower areas where its unique construction gives excellent bare foot slip-resistance in areas subjected to soap and water. As part of the Granit family, Multisafe offers the same great advantages in terms of wear resistance, low maintenance and low life-cycle costs.

The Academy’s three storeys are designed around a central atrium with floor-to-ceiling windows for plenty of natural light. Each floor houses a Learning Village to accommodate a particular year group, taught by teachers who come to them, breaking the traditional timetabling regime. Tarkett’s iQ Granit was used in all circulation areas and stairs, as well as in the restaurant. Within the open areas, patterns were created using different colours of flooring to reflect the various designs of the ceiling bulkheads and voids and to add definition and interest.

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