Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Create Visual Interest With Wall Protection

  • By David Bronovicki
  • 09/01/16

Wall protection is often considered a necessity for busy environments, preserving the look of a building and reducing continuous maintenance and repair costs. Explore the many options you have to make your wall protection the feature wall, rather than an eyesore.

Contrast. With the use of so many different materials and finishes in building environments, make wall protection stand out. Don’t try to blend it into the wall; rather, use color to make feature elements more striking. Contrasting colors can help the visually impaired — try bright colors like yellows, blues and greens.

Continuity. Create color continuity by color-coding the wall protection in different areas of your buildings. This will not only make the environment look more inviting, but it will also help with wayfinding.

Simulate. If concrete, brick or natural woods won’t work with the requirements of the facility, wall protection products can simulate woods and metals while still remaining durable. This allows for a classic, upscale design without the concern of scratches or chips. Some materials produce a 3D effect on a 2D surface, creating visual intrigue but maintaining walls that are easy to clean.

Customize. For years, protective wall covering meant single-color sheets. Now there are many different options, combinations or customizations to make your buildings unique. Products that incorporate images and custom designs or patterns create fully protected feature walls full of vibrant imagery and artwork. This is ideal for emphasizing branding while keeping the walls free from damage.

This article originally appeared in the College Planning & Management September 2016 issue of Spaces4Learning.

About the Author

David Bronovicki is senior product marketing manager for interior wall protection, including Acrovyn®, Acrovyn by Design® and the award-winning Acrovyn Wall Panel System, at Construction Specialties. To learn more visit www.c-sgroup.com, call 800/233-8493 or email Dave at [email protected].

Featured

  • Nashville Elementary School Receives LEED Gold Certification

    Goodlettsville Elementary School, part of Metro Nashville Public Schools in Nashville, Tenn., recently achieved LEED Gold Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), according to a news release. The 81,750-square-foot school opened in 2023 and was designed by Goodwyn Mills Cawood (GMC).

  • Agricultural Sciences Complex

    Agricultural Sciences Complex

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. The College of Western Idaho's Agricultural Sciences Complex has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Grand Prize award in the category of New Construction.

  • Spaces4Learning Launches 2026 Facilities and Construction Brief Survey

    Spaces4Learning recently launched the 2026 Facilities and Construction Brief Survey, which collects data on the previous year’s K–12 and higher education construction projects nationwide.

  • Architectural Power for the Modern Campus Landscape

    For generations, an outdoor classroom only required a textbook and a patch of grass. Today, not only has the laptop replaced the printed pages, the rise of agile learning has turned campuses into study halls with students listening to lectures and researching topics from quads, gardens, and plazas. The challenge for architects and facility managers is to provide connectivity without cluttering the landscape with visual eyesores or creating safety hazards with extension cords.