Add as a preferred source on Google

District Wins Honors Without Hurting Bottom Line

  • 11/01/13
Farbo Flooring 

Forbo flooring helped Kenton County schools save money on both lighting and floor maintenance with durable, brightly colored flooring that worked to accentuate natural light.

The two newest schools in the Kenton County (Ky.) School District are rated among America’s very best in terms of environmental sustainability. This accomplishment is topped by an even more impressive distinction: both were built for the same price as an average school building in their home state of Kentucky.

Bright colored Forbo Marmoleum floor coverings enhance the natural light that floods classroom spaces, helping to minimize lighting costs. The floors also lighten the workload of the district’s maintenance staff, who once spent countless hours on floor maintenance and now have more time to fine tune the schools’ energy systems for maximum savings.

“When I started at Kenton County, we were slaves to the floors,” recalls Rob Haney, the district’s executive director of Support Operations and a key decision maker in the Kenton County building programs. “Our staff was stripping and reapplying seven coats of wax, year in and year out. We were getting practically nothing else done all summer. We even ended up working on the floors during the winter break.” Unlike the VCT (vinyl composition tile) floors that typically occupied Kenton County hallways, the new schools’ Marmoleum flooring was ready for high traffic use the day after it was installed.

The schools’ extensive use of Marmoleum sheet and Marmoleum Composition Tile (MCT) in classrooms and hallways was initially prompted by the designers at PCA Architects. “In education, striving for the healthiest possible environment is a given,” says Andrew Piaskowy, AIA, of PCA. In addition to Marmoleum’s status as a 100 percent BioBased, completely recyclable material, PCA preferred it for its natural antimicrobial properties.

The innovations at Kenton County were successful in delivering the outcome that is every school districts’ bottom line: the satisfaction of the students, teachers and parents who use their schools.

www.forbo-flooring.com

This article originally appeared in the School Planning & Management November 2013 issue of Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • textured paper collage shows a school building on fire as a fire truck sprays water into the flames

    Why a Fire Loss Is More than Flames

    We've all seen what fire damage can do to a property, but the types of damage building owners often encounter after a fire loss can exceed expectations. Having full awareness of the different forms of damage properties can sustain helps owners respond faster, reduce continued damage, and get back on the road to recovery in short order.

  • Kenall Introduces Millenium Flair Series

    In a move aimed at modernizing institutional lighting without compromising on durability or performance, Kenall has launched its new Millenium Flair series, according to the Kenall website.

  • FAU Starts Construction on Holocaust and Jewish Studies Building

    Florida Atlantic University recently began construction on a new academic building for its campus in Boca Raton, Fla., according to university news. The Kurt and Marilyn Wallach Holocaust and Jewish Studies Building will stand two stories, measure in at 22,000 square feet, and play home to the university’s Holocaust education and Jewish studies programs.

  • Brightly Software, XOi Partner for New HVAC Data Solution

    Siemens company Brightly Software recently announced a partnership with data intelligence company XOi to integrate real-time HVAC system data into Brightly’s Asset Essentials CMMS, according to a news release. The integration will allow facilities more insight into HVAC system performance, health, and risk across their operations.

Digital Edition