Science and Technology Magnet School of Southeastern Connecticut
Tuesday Morning Retail Chain
Science and Technology Magnet School of Southeastern Connecticut
New London, Connecticut
Located in New London, Connecticut, the Science and Technology Magnet School of Southeastern Connecticut was designed to provide its teachers with an educational tool by creating architectural and design elements that teach spatial relationships, physics and other opportunities for lessons. The magnet high school aims to instill values, skills and ethics that will enable its students to enter their chosen profession in science or technology. The design creates its form using three basic mathematical geometries: orthogonal, radial and intersecting plane. The circular, two-story structure sets the radius point for interior spaces and is the axes for the intersecting plane as well as the radius for curved interior walls that sit within an orthogonal shape. Natural light, plenty of seating space and decorative floor designs create inviting common areas at the school.
Why Azrock?
Unlike most high schools the Science and Technology Magnet School of New London, Connecticut, was designed to be more than a facility but as a learning tool for its students. All design elements, the buildings’ structure, lighting, stairwells and common areas are all spaces that were designed to encourage exploration and discovery. The New London High School needed a flooring option that could transition into a variety of environments but that also had tremendous design flexibility in order to provide the stimulating floor designs Friar Associates Inc. invisioned for the space.
Azrock’s Cortina Grande commercial resilient tile offered the design flexibility, aesthetics, maintenance qualities and cost requirements to meet the facility’s needs. With a wide range of color options and superior performance warranty, Azrock’s Cortina Grande provided the right flooring solution.
About Azrock Cortina Grande
Composed primarily of limestone, Cortina Grande commercial resilient tile is a product in the Azrock Achieve solid vinyl tile category. The tile features a non-directional pattern in a homogeneous construction, meaning the pattern distributes through the thickness of each tile. Available in 26 color options, Cortina Grande is a 16” x 16” tile that can be custom-cut into shapes and further customized with grout and a choice of three surface treatments. Azrock's highest rated product line, Achieve Solid Vinyl Tile, offers minimal maintenance with dry buffing, superior performance with 800 PSI, 10-year manufacturer, moisture and wear warranty when installed with Spray Smart adhesive.
About Azrock’s Partnership with Friar Associates Inc.
The Friar Associates architect and design team were pleased with Cortina Grande’s design flexibility, color range and reduced maintenance qualities. The unique designs created with the flooring allowed their flooring design to come to life and help create a cheerful and stimulating work space within the school. The flooring design was integrated with the overall design concept for the building which was designed to provide an ideal blend of inspiration and application. In fact, Azrock, Friar Associates and BKM Floorcovering were recently honored as the grand prize winners of the prestigious StarNet Design Award for the Science and Technology Magnet School of Southeastern Connecticut project.
StarNet Design Awards evaluate creative use of floor coverings, flooring design concepts and how well designs meet client objectives and special challenges. Esteemed judges for the 2007 awards included: Maurie O’Neill, Designer/Partner, O2 Design, former publisher of Floor Focus Magazine, New York; Clara Igonda, Principal, Perkins + Will, Los Angeles; Adel Smith Chapman, Director of Interiors, Architects Delawie Wilkes Rodrigues Barker (DWRB), San Diego.
About Starnet Worldwide Commercial Flooring Partnership
Since 1992, Starnet Worldwide Commercial Flooring Partnership has been a dedicated alliance of commercial flooring contractors throughout North America. Their mission is to provide collective strength, integrity, shared best practices and advocacy of training across the industry. Through strong partnerships with leading flooring manufacturers and related service providers, Starnet members ensure complete customer satisfaction through excellence in project management, installation and service. The membership’s combined efforts create an annual volume of nearly two billion dollars. For more information, call 1-800-787-6381 or visit www.starnetflooring.com.
Friar Associates Inc. Architect and Design Team
David L. Friar, AIA; Michael A. Sorano, RA; Deanna Steeves-Wojtaszek, ASID; Bethany Mauri; Charles Meek and Brian A. Solywoda, AIA
Tuesday Morning Retail Chain
Nationwide
Tuesday Morning is a discount retailer with a unique mission: to specialize in deeply discounted, upscale home accessories and gifts in a simple, no frills environment. Tuesday Morning uses a unique concept of selling on an event basis. Their stores are open ten times per year, coinciding with the retail industry's peak selling seasons. Tuesday Morning’s mission and selling concept have proven successful, partly because of the selection of high-end products chosen for their stores. To meet their flooring needs, Tuesday Morning chose to install Azrock Asset vinyl composition tile (VCT).
Why Azrock?
When Tuesday Morning leases retail space for their new locations, they make an agreement with their landlords to allow them to specify the flooring choice and color choice for the walls. According to Amy Martin, Tuesday Mornings real estate development coordinator, they were researching different brands of commercial resilient flooring and were impressed with Azrock. Tuesday Morning was looking for two things: color and cost. “Our goal was to find a flooring that would keep our rent at a realistic price point, yet provide us with a clean look,” said Martin. Cost was especially important because it helped them keep their rent low, ultimately enabling them to continue delivering their deep discounts to their customers.
The first selection of Azrock’s VCT was Cortina Colors in Dove White. It was installed in one of Tuesday Morning’s new stores in Dallas, Texas in the fall of 2001. “Azrock’s VCT gave Tuesday Morning the no-nonsense clean look they were looking for at a cost that worked for them,” said Dan Grieco, Azrock regional sales representative. Azrock was the answer Tuesday Morning was looking for in a flooring brand for their stores.
About Azrock Asset VCT
Made from more than 80 percent limestone, Azrock’s VCT has a unique chip pattern that distributes color chips throughout the thickness of each tile. This unique chip distribution makes Azrock’s VCT a great choice for high traffic areas. Azrock’s Asset Cortina Colors and Classics offers a large variety of color options. All of Azrock’s tile is FloorScore certified, meeting California’s section 01350 stringent air quality requirements. Azrock commercial tile has stood the test of time. After manufacturing resilient tile for over 75 years, Azrock has perfected its product mix to offer high-quality and high-performance commercial flooring.
About Azrock’s Successful Relationship with Tuesday Morning
Tuesday Morning was so pleased with the flooring installation of their store in Dallas that they have decided to use Azrock as one of their flooring choices for all their stores, according to Grieco. Azrock was able to meet their needs on multiple fronts including cost, maintenance, nationwide distribution and appearance. Tuesday Morning was able to keep the expense of their rent at a range that still allowed them to reach their mission, to offer drastic discounts on name brand luxury home accessories and gifts in an environment with a clean, bright appearance.