Dynamics of a building

As designers at Forbo we do believe that our products are intrinsically connected with the design and aesthetics of a building.

Our ambition starts with creating better indoor environments.

Therefore we approach design as a collaborative process that is embracing the human experience.

Floorplanner

To create your floor and make up your mind what would fit best in the educational facility you are designing for we have several tools and services. Our floorplanner helps you to place any of our floors in an education environment or even combine them so you can see how this works.

Start playing now in our floorplanner

Leading in environment

We care about you and the environment

● Forbo is a founding member of the World Green Building Council.
● We have received various labels and certification for your products and or production facilities.
● All of our manufacturing sites are ISO certified. Raw materials are used efficiently, waste is recycled whenever possible.
● We are committed to social responsibility, the Forbo sites are certified according to SA8000.
● Forbo Flooring Systems Australia has partnered with Carbon Neutral Charitable Fund (not for profit organisation) to plant native Australian trees and shrubs. Every square metre of Marmoleum installed now contributes to restoring Australian native forests.

creating better environments

Marmoleum, the natural flooring

A natural winner! Our linoleum floor coverings with the Marmoleum brand are natural floors associated with sustainability, durability, high quality and innovative design.

Linoleum flooring is made from natural raw materials and is the most sustainable flooring choice.

● Natural product
● GECA & Red list free certified
● A CO2 neutral product (from cradle to gate)
● Allergy UK approved
● Made to contribute to a healthy indoor environment
● Every m² of Marmoleum installed now contributes to restoring Australian native forests. Read more about our program
● Combination with Furniture linoleum
● Various formats (rolls, planks, tiles, sheet)

Create a lounge atmosphere with Tessera

Carpet tiles are renowned for their aesthetic styling and outstanding performance in the most demanding heavy traffic environments.

- Sound absorption performance
- Slip-resistant surface
- Modularity
- Quick and easy installation
- Variety from simple to luxury and rich textures
- Possible combination with Allura Flex

The first impression counts with Coral/Nuway

Entrance flooring is fundamental for any interior. A well designed entrance flooring system will prevent dirt and moisture from being tracked in and thereby prolongs the life of interior flooring finishes, reduces cleaning & maintenance costs and the potential for slip injuries. Our textile Entrance Systems in our portfolio, we can offer an entrance solution for every situation.

- Stop up to 95% of the walked in dirt and moisture
- Maintain floors appearance
- Reduce maintenance costs
- Slip resistant surface
- Textile Coral: sheet, tiles, click, logo
- Rigid mats for upper range high-intensity foot traffic

Bespoke flooring - you choose what it looks like

Can't find what you are looking for despite our wide product range?

No worries, we have more. Within our Bespoke Design flooring you can design your own unique floor with our digital print techniques in:

- Flotex
- Eternal project vinyl
- Coral entrance flooring
- Aquajet cutting technique for Marmoleum flooring

Improve user engagement using Augmented Reality

Using Augmented Reality accessed through web-based or device based Apps, the story of the artwork can be told to all who visit; this could be done in the local indigenous language or any other language, so that everyone can understand and share the story.

Educators and students can continue with deeper learning activities combining the stories of old with new technologies; using the floor as an additional ‘third teacher’.

Schools Spectacular

We all love a good story, a curious puzzle or an amusing game.

What if a beautiful purposeful flooring design could ‘play’ with those who walk upon it? To tell a story, or to amuse them with puzzles and games?

At this year’s School Spectacular, we will be doing just that. In the forecourt of Qudos Arena will sit a customised Forbo Flotex Digital Print floor design; STAR discovery. At 100m2, it has something for everyone

There are all sorts of ways that we want you to play on this space and to participate in our ongoing research to create flooring for a learning environment that do more than just get under your feet.

Create an engaging & healthy learning experience

We understand the importance of employee & student health and wellbeing. Our product portfolio is designed with these two factors in mind. A high standard of employee + students' comfort and wellbeing means optimised productivity.

How our floor coverings contribute to a healthy learning environment:

● All our floorcoverings are very low in VOC
● Made with 100% renewable electricity
● Marmoleum is CO2 neutral for the cradle to gate life cycle stages of the product.
● All our products are phthalate-free

Interior layout

The interior layout of a classroom can have a significant impact on learning and is often overlooked. A poor layout can cause disorientation and confusion, which can have a negative impact on staff and students.

- Design of walkways, differentiation of different zones and signage affects the staff and student’s ability to navigate or orient themselves within the facility, especially in large universities.

The use of different flooring types, or even signs embedded into the floorcovering for walkways, classrooms, different zones etc… within the facility, can make navigation throughout much easier for the building user.

Acoustic performance

Noise pollution is known to cause a wide array of physical and behavioural symptoms that can negatively impact staff and students. A Study showed students have difficulty understanding nearly 30 percent of classroom speech due to excessive noise and sound reverberation.

Metrics and design considerations commonly used to assess acoustic conditions include:
● Background noise
● Privacy and speech interference

Designers can create improved acoustic conditions for retail environments by using building materials that are designed to create acoustic barriers.

Choosing the type of floor carefully will help to create the right level of acoustic you want to reach.

Indoor air quality

CSRIO estimates the cost of poor indoor air quality in Australia may be as high as 12 billion per year. Science Advisory Board has consistently ranked indoor air pollution among the top five environmental risks to public health.

Numerous experiments carried out demonstrates that learning environments with lower air quality can have a negative effect on children's health and academic performance.

What is indoor air quality? IAQ is defined by the concentrations of various pollutants such as:
● Pollutant concentration
● CO2 concentration
● Mould
● Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
● Dust

Better indoor air quality can be achieved through low or zero VOC furnishing materials such as floors, adhesives used and cleaning products.

Plan for installation

When you are refurbishing your educational facility and you have a short time period to finish during school holidays. With Forbo products, you can do the installation fast and efficient. Talk to us to learn what preparation is needed to do this as smoothly as possible.

Classroom renovation
● Possibility to install on top of existing floor
● Limited subfloor preparation

Do you need more information?

Interested in our products, want to know more about installation, need to get hold of technical data sheets?

Or maybe you want to contact our National Education Segment Manager Andrew Ford who is a phD candidate conducting research on learning environment design.

Andrew welcomes any discussion on different possibilities of design to improve user engagement within all learning spaces.

Please contact Andrew to request a presentation or more information by clicking on one of the links below!

ASSOCIATION FOR LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

Forbo is a proud supporter of Learning Environments Australasia (formerly CEFPI Australasia) is a community of over 900 professionals sharing best practice on the design, planning, building and use of innovative learning environments.

The diversity of our professional membership is the key to our success. No community can build a school in isolation or without the participative work of all stakeholders.

Transformance 2019

At the A4LE conference in Perth in 2019, Forbo Floorcoverings presented a new range of Marmoleum to designers and educators as well as presenting the case for culturally sensitive design to improve user engagement

Marmoleum is one of the healthiest commercial quality resilient flooring in the world with up to 97% natural material content, (no plastics) readily sustainable, lasting 25 years and beyond within heavy-use commercial applications. As well, it is the only CO2 neutral material not requiring offsetting (cradle to gate).

IMPROVE USER ENGAGEMENT USING AUGMENTED REALITY

Using Augmented Reality accessed through web-based or device based Apps, the story of the artwork can be told to all who visit; this could be done in the local indigenous language or any other language, so that everyone can understand and share the story.

Educators and students can continue with deeper learning activities combining the stories of old with new technologies; using the floor as an additional ‘third teacher’.