EDUCATION INTERFACE AT WORK ACADIA UNIVERSITY

EDUCATION INTERFACE AT WORK ACADIA UNIVERSITY

Assignment: Location: Architect: Product: Provide high performance floorcovering for high traffic education and residence facilities Wolfville, Nova Scotia Harvey & MacKenzie Architects Halifax, Nova Scotia RAM Stern Architects New York, New York Entropy, Chenille Warp II, Carribean, Safari, Landscape, Route 66, Tonal, Rain Forest, and Friction Product: Friction Colorway: Abrasion Friction's dense construction offers superior performance in high traffic areas without sacrificing aesthetics.

Founded in 1838, Acadia University offers a liberal arts education to a primarily undergraduate student body. With over 3,800 full-time students, more than 1,700 of whom live in the university s 12 residence halls, the campus spans 250 acres in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. A long time user of broadloom and hard surface flooring, Acadia was initially hesitant to try modular carpet. They were concerned about the possibility of visible seams and moisture permeability, as well as overall performance. A trial installation alleviated these concerns and demonstrated the easier maintenance and improved indoor air quality that Interface modular provides. In addition, the university noted a marked reduction in noise in areas that had previously used hard surface flooring. Product: Chenille Warp II Colorway: Remembrance Chenille Warp's linear design and the rich, earthy tones of this colorway create a warm, inviting atmosphere. Product: Chenille Warp II Colorway: Repetitions Structured backing keeps spills and soil on the surface for easier, more effective cleaning. The university noted a marked reduction in noise in areas that had previously used hard surface flooring.

Acadia first used Interface modular carpet in large areas like academic buildings and after initial success there, they began considering its use in residence halls. Nova Scotia sees harsh winters, making carpeted residence halls an inviting alternative to cold, hard floors. Furthermore, the sand and salt used to battle snow and ice caused significant damage to hard floors when not immediately addressed. While University staff provides routine maintenance to all facilities, it s up to the students to proactively prevent this kind of damage. Would the students take better care of the carpet than they had the hard flooring? The answer was yes. Drew Peck, manager of building services, says, Students don t take care of hard surfaces as well. Vacuuming is easier and they re more likely to do it. We like that it is manufactured in Canada and that Interface is seriously committed to lessening its environmental impact. The ReEntry program helps the University achieve its green initiatives. Drew Peck, Manager, Building Services Product: Chenille Warp II Colorway: Repetitions Because it captures dust and other allergens, Interface modular carpet can reduce airborne particulates more than 50% when compared to hard surface floors.

One successful product that Acadia has used in the dorms is Entropy, Interface s best selling non- directional product. Entropy has proven itself to be exceptionally capable of hiding soil and traffic. In addition to the everyday traffic and dirt, the residence hall in which Entropy was installed has flooded three times. Acadia s maintenance staff merely removed the carpet to dry and reinstalled it. The carpet has since been moved to another building for reuse. With consistent maintenance, Interface modular carpet will look good for many years. In fact, Acadia is still using the first Interface carpet it bought seven years ago and they are successfully reusing other Interface floorcoverings in various buildings. Environmental initiatives and purchasing from a Canadian company are very important to Acadia and Nova Scotia as a whole. Sustainability is a community effort and finding a local supplier who shared these goals was important to the university. Interface Canada in Belleville, Ontario manufactures a variety of environmentally-responsible products that include antimicrobial protection and certification for low VOCs in both the carpet and adhesives. In addition, through Interface's ReEntry program, Acadia can ensure that its used floorcovering does not end up in a landfill. Interface will reclaim any manufacturer's carpeting for recycling, reuse, or as an energy source. Product: Entropy Colorway: Transitions With mergeable dye lots and non directional installation, Entropy tiles can be selectively replaced without any visible signs. Product: Route 66 Colorway: Flagstaff Modular carpet absorbs sound to create a quieter, more comfortable environment for study and work. Entropy s varying pattern and color make it excellent at hiding soil and wear. We ve been able to reuse it in a different building, even after a few instances of flooding. We re very impressed with how well it has stood up. Drew Peck, Manager, Building Services

CHALLENGES Need a long lasting floorcovering that resists soil and water damage Promote consistently healthy Indoor Air Quality Partnering with a company that shares Acadia s commitment to environmental stewardship Create a warm, comfortable environment for students Diverse applications require a flexible product with long-term value and superior performance Ensure that replaced carpeting does not end up in a landfill Purchase from a Canadian manufacturer SOLUTIONS The structured backing of Interface modular carpet keeps spills and stains on the surface where they can be easily and effectively removed. In addition, all Interface products are enhanced with Protekt 2, providing a barrier against permanent soiling or staining. Intersept, an EPA-registered antimicrobial permanently incorporated into the backing system of all Interface products and adhesives, protects the product against a broad spectrum of molds, mildew and bacterial growth. All Interface floorcovering products meet the CRI Green Label Plus and State of Washington Protocol for low VOC emissions. All Interface adhesive products are water based, contain zero calculated VOC s and are compliant with the Southern Coast Air Quality Management specification (SCAQMD Rule #1168). All Interface products manufactured in Canada are EcoLogo certified by third party TerraChoice Environmental Services, Inc. and all of them are listed annually in the EcoBuyer Catalogue. Modular carpet offers aesthetic, tactile and performance characteristics that provide warmth, comfort and long-term appearance retention. Our dense construction of premium branded, solution dyed nylon and stable, structured backings provide exceptional dimensional stability, superior performance retention, ease of maintenance and the flexibility to change with the environment. Interface will reclaim carpeting from any manufacturer for reuse, recycling or energy through the ReEntry carpet reclamation program and guarantee that it will not end up in a landfill. Interface Canada operates a full-scale manufacturing facility in Belleville, Canada. For more information about Interface Flooring Systems products and services, contact us at 1.800.336.0225, ext. 6511 or visit us on the web at www.interfaceflooring.com. For Canada please call 1.800.267.2149, ext. 2128. Reclaim your used carpet tiles through Interface s ReEntry Reclamation Program. Call 1.888.733.6873 in the U.S. or 1.800.267.2149 in Canada.