Carpet tiles are considered the best flooring option for offices, providing longevity, cost effectiveness and design potential among many benefits. Innovative work environments such as the new BBC North development and Google’s head office have used these products to make distinctive, modern and stimulating office environments.

Carpet tiles were initially made for office and business environments. Their fundamental qualities of durability and practicality combined with cost effectiveness, provide the warmth of carpet over hard flooring, ideal for high traffic office environments. Carpet tiles can enhance air quality, absorb noise, can easily be cleaned or replaced if stained or damaged and decrease accidents from slips or falls, enhancing their benefits for use in office buildings.

As a result, Carpet Tiles will always be used extensively in office settings. More recent innovations mean that they may be used as a design characteristic, with a wealth of shades and designs available. Imaginative use has ensued in many contemporary forward looking work places.

One particular example is definitely the new BBC North refurbishment at Salford Quays. This contains various leading programmes like Blue Peter, Match of the Day and BBC Breakfast, in addition to stations CBeebies, CBBC and Radio 5 live, amongst a great many others. The BBC occupies three properties within the Salford Quays site. The whole site has been developed for the digital age, with ground breaking technology, 24/7 newsrooms and radio networks, television platforms and purpose built studios all installed. The key aim of this new state-of-the-art media facility is to promote creativity and communication, and this was a key element of the design brief from the beginning.

Because of developments in technology, the way we use office space has changed, and desks are no longer the main feature to consider. BBC North has big areas of versatile open plan spaces with phone cubicles, pods with space for just one or two people to work quietly, and break out zones for team meetings or brainstorming sessions. As such, flooring has been vital to the design, establishing specific zones and pathways, particularly as walls haven't been used to define space. The carpet tile producer Interface worked with the design team on this. And with the history of the BBC in mind, the original test card shades were employed, with variations in various areas to produce different looks and feels. For example neutral tones in general office areas, and warmer colours in collaborative zones.

A further example is Google’s head office. The objective in designing this work place was to work creatively with the workforce to produce fun and stimulating surroundings. The result is a series of mini environments, including sailing boats, ski gondolas, penguins, igloos, telephone booths and an aquarium water lounge. Needlessly to say getting the appropriate flooring to go with these designs was a challenge, one that Interface took on using established products and developing some customised ones to fit in perfectly.

Office carpet tiles continue to be found in innovative office spaces, offering not simply practicality and outstanding value for money, but additionally good design potential.

About the Author

Sharon Fitzhugh Whether it's a compact office space or an entire property, Forbo carpet tiles can provide an outstanding flooring solution, whatever environment you really want to generate.

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