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Accentuating Areas with Colour
The heart of the building is the large, sunny hall. It encloses two nursery areas and four group rooms that open to the exterior through floor-to-ceiling windows. Together with the surrounding galleries, it serves the children as a play room with expanded action areas. The dining area can also be opened to the play area to create one large room. “Children need a building that doesn’t prescribe what they have to do but rather leaves plenty of opportunities open and nevertheless demonstrates a certain logic and clarity,” the architects believe. “We chose noraplan sentica because the rubber flooring was not only sustainable and contributes to good health but also fit our interior design concept perfectly thanks to the broad range of colours,” says Christian Schüssler, Project Lead at arus. Thanks to the modest design of noraplan sentica, the floor appears to be nearly one colour, making it both inviting and soothingly calm. At the same time, the harmonious interspersal of granulates effectively masks dirt. “The homogeneous look of the flooring was a critical point for us, because the floor was supposed to create a uniform overall look with the walls and the ceiling,” emphasizes Schüssler.
Simple, Affordable Cleaning
The architects chose a decent gray for the the central hall and the corridors but a strong green and a bright yellow for the stairs and the access areas. “The owner was skeptical at first whether the light yellow would be overly susceptible for a day care center,” reports the project lead. “As it came out, the floor is easy to clean and therefore always looks neat.” Because of its extremely thick surface, the rubber flooring is extraordinarily resistant to wear and tear, abrasion and dirt. On top of that, it isn’t necessary to add any sealants that are typical for other types of flooring. This adds to the appeal of the rubber flooring in terms of maintenance and lifecycle costs.
Comfortable and Healthful
In day care centers, the comfort and ergonomic properties of the flooring are also quite significant. The robust nora flooring provides a warm, non-slippery surface under foot that minimizes noise through its high degree of footfall sound insulation. Consequently, the four-millimeter- thick noraplan sentica acoustic on the stairs and surrounding galleries at the day care center in Völklinger ensures that the building doesn’t get too loud despite the volume of stomping little feet. And if one of the little ones should trip and fall, the durable elastic flooring means it won’t hurt right away. The low-energy construction of the day care center places special demands on the construction material and furnishings used. The shell of the building is free of gaps and the windows are triple-glazed, which prevents any loss of heat. The controlled ventilation, which recaptures heat, additionally lowers energy consumption and provides the rooms with sufficient fresh air. “The better sealed the building shell, the more important it is to have a sufficient exchange of fresh air and to use healthful materials,” points out Schüssler. nora flooring is low-emission, contains no plasticizers (phthalates) or halogens, and helps to keep the air inside the room healthful. In addition to the Blaue Engel seal of approval, it has been granted every other environmental certificate of international significance. That’s why many who plan children’s day care centers believe that sustainability begins with the floor.
