Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Designing Flexible, Inclusive Learning Spaces with Purposeful Flooring

  • 03/12/26

Mannington Commercial leaders Cindy Kaufman and Roby Isaac discuss how their “Crafted with Purpose” design philosophy informs products for education environments from K–12 through higher ed, with an emphasis on domestic manufacturing, sustainability, and performance. They highlight two major priorities in educational design: flexibility to support multiple learning modes (traditional instruction, small-group work, individual focus, and hands-on STEM/STEAM activities) and designing for neurodiversity by enabling learners to control and adapt their space. They explain how flooring contributes through wayfinding and zoning to reduce friction and clarify purpose, as well as through acoustics, using carpet for sound dampening, comfort, and aesthetics. They also describe Mannington’s Design Solutions team, which creates floor plate layouts using modular products to help designers achieve intent, and encourage a holistic approach that includes research on neurodiversity and biophilic design.

00:00 Meet Mannington Leaders
01:11 Crafted with Purpose
01:41 Flexible Learning Modes
02:37 Designing for Neurodiversity
03:22 Flooring for Wayfinding
03:58 Acoustics and Comfort
04:56 Design Solutions Service
06:02 Holistic Design Priorities
07:03 Closing Thoughts

Additional resources:

Sponsored by Mannington Commercial

Featured

  • South Carolina District Starts Construction on $50M Middle School Renovation

    The Aiken County Public School District in North Augusta, S.C., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the $50-million renovation and expansion of North Augusta Middle School, according to a news release. The project’s funding comes from the 2024 renewal of a one-cent sales tax approved by local voters.

  • New Arizona Fine Arts School Reaches Construction Milestone

    Construction of the new Hilltop School for the Arts and Theater in Litchfield Park, Ariz., recently hit a significant milestone, according to a news release. The Agua Fria High School District held a beam-signing ceremony to celebrate the building’s topping out, or the placement of its last structural beam.

  • North Carolina District Completes New Elementary School

    The Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) in Holly Springs, N.C., recently announced that construction on a new elementary school has finished, according to a news release. Rex Road Elementary School measures in at 133,000 square feet and is the fifteenth school that general contractor Balfour Beatty has completed for the district.

  • Round Rock ISD Completes New Early College High School

    Round Rock ISD near Austin, Texas, recently announced that construction is complete on a new, 46,500-square-foot campus for Early College High School, according to a news release. The new facility will allow the school’s students and staff to move from portables into a permanent building and increase its enrollment to 500.