Edu-leaders

From the moment you step in and to the moment you step out of an institution, its floor runs beneath the feet—creating the first impression. You may waive it aside as trivial issue, but a building’s floor takes the maximum wear and tear. It also forms five to ten percent of the total cost of construction (for example in a Rs 100 million project, the amount spent on flooring could be anywhere between Rs 5 million and 10 million), a substantial amount. A pan-India survey of maintenance would indicate that an institute’s flooring is repaired, or replaced, most often. In academic institutions floors are critical, as a college or a university is constructed with the idea that it will be around for generations. With around 370 universities, 18,000 colleges and over 12 million students, India is one of the largest world markets when it comes to higher education. With new centres springing up everyday and existing ones needing maintenance, construction companies, developers, architects, interior designers, facility managers and construction-product companies all have a stake in this market. Those associated with the task of choosing and implementing flooring solutions are also beneficiaries.

Choose Well
As a rule, floors in institutions take a lot of abuse. So, they need to be hardy. “Our tendency to use the cheapest option has to abandoned,” says Nirbhik Bera, the senior manager of project management group at CB Richard Ellis, a real estate consultancy. “Earlier, plain cement concrete (PCC) flooring was common. With changing times vibrant and resilient finishes are being used,” he adds.

For institutions looking for more choices, there is no dearth of options as new developments in construction and product technologies has flooded the market with a wide variety of materials. Also, institutes are becoming more willing to consider options based on factors (other than cost) such as application, aesthetics, brand-value and energy efficiency.

There will always be those who go for the one-size-fits-all approach. However, most universities or colleges do not function as a homogenous area. Broadly then, some factors have to be kept in mind while choosing a solution:

Type of Institution: For most part, the “type” does not make a difference. Unless, of course, it is specialised, like an oceanography institute. It’s specific areas that need specific floor types. An institute teaching broadcast journalism, for example, would need soundproof studios—and floor coverings that absorb sound, like carpets.

Space Usage: Abrasion-resistance, porosity and sound absorption are factors to consider while making a selection. Also, vulnerability to chemicals, footfall, activity and noise-level (required and actual)—change with areas.

Aesthetics: Projecting an image is important for institutions. Increasingly aesthetics is becoming a criterion. It is believed that traditional material (stone) gives an institution a “traditional” look, while vitrified tiles, wooden flooring and vinyl make it look more “modern”.

Acoustics: Lecture rooms, seminar halls and auditoriums—in these areas sound is important. If the flooring, or indeed even the cladding, is made of hard material, sound is going to bounce off and echo. Softer flooring (vinyl, wood and carpet tiles) works well to enhance acoustics. However, for lecture rooms, architects tend to choose hardiness over acoustical quality. After all, these rooms are frequently used and cleaning becomes an issue.

Geography: This affects selection in two ways—choosing a material suited for a region and availability (and cost) of material. Synthetic and manufactured flooring—vitrified tiles, vinyl and laminate—are available almost everywhere. Kota (or similar flaggy limestone) and marble may be common in north and northwest, but it would be tougher to find in other areas. Similarly, Kadappa (Cuddappah) stone and granite are quarried in south, and, would be cheaper there.

In terms of suitability, architects will tell you that since flooring is mostly a part of the interiors, it is not exposed to elements. However, there are concerns like say floor strength and whether a floor needs to be reinforced before an edifice stands over it.

Depth of the water table in the institution area is also a concern. If an institution is placed in a high-altitude zone, reinforcement and waterproofing of the flooring is essential. If the area is earthquake-prone, anti-earthquake measures need to be taken—Druk White Lotus School (Ladakh) used timber frames and steel connections to offset seismic movements. There is also the India-specific issue of excessive dust for which Indian architects limit the use of soft flooring.

Physical Attributes: At a broad level, there are two criteria to consider while judging a floor—its hardness (abrasionresistance) and porosity. Structural properties (capacity to absorb water) are cardinal as well, especially if the floor is to be placed in a toilet, or near a swimming pool, or outdoors. Technical properties such as planarity need to be considered so that level differences don’t occur. Mechanical properties, such as a floor’s load-bearing capacity, are critical if the material is being used under library bookcases. Resistance to chemicals, thermal shocks, stains and slips needs to be kept in mind in areas used more often. Materials like laminates and rubber flooring can be tweaked to suit the user’s needs. It does add up to the overall cost, but the result is usually worth it. The size of an individual tile also impacts a floor’s strength and design. Smaller tiles can usually take on greater loads, as opposed to larger tiles.

One-Size-Fits-All
There are two schools of thought. One that believes in using the same surface all across (except in specialised areas). And another that believes that this approach is expensive in the long run. Saurabh Gupta, an architect with Vijay Gupta Associates, the firm that designed most Amity colleges and universities, says, “In the case of Amity, we agreed to restrict ourselves to the use of two types of flooring material—granite and Kota. The first benefit was speedier construction. Also, maintenance was easier. In case of vitrified tiles, if one is broken, it becomes difficult to replace it in a running campus. Also, the floor should look new over the years.” Nirbhik, however, says, “Floor finishes must be considered differently. They should respond to design aesthetics and should be easy to maintain. Typically, a one-size-fits-all solution is prevalent, but over the long run, it makes the work of the housekeeping staff difficult.”

International Perspective
In construction, the material you use has to be locally available or manufactured, unless there is a very specific requirement. In the US, for example, using natural stone is often not possible, since natural stone finishes are not available. Instead, synthetically created surfaces find their way into institutions. Considerations such as traffic levels, durability and acoustic properties are same the world over. The debate between using hard versus soft surface is also the same, though definitions might change.

With “green” being embraced the world over, institution flooring can’t be far behind. Buildings today aspire to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) ratings, a system first created by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). Today, the system is accepted in several parts of the world.

In India, too, LEED certification is becoming an important consideration. The rating considers overall factors, specifications for materials and resources; indoor air quality (IAQ); and innovation and design process include flooring.

Some ways in which flooring can be turned green is by using material that can be recycled, reuse of construction waste debris, use of adhesives and sealants manufactured by low-emission processes, use of rapidly renewable material such as bamboo and natural rubber. While deciding the flooring, an architect and an institution’s management play an equal role. If they work together, sustainable ideas can be effectively implemented. In absence of specialised consultants, an architect has to rely on her research and parlay with manufacturers. An institution management, therefore, must be in close touch with the architect when decisions are being taken. In longestablished universities, such as Delhi University, there is a university engineer who oversees projects. In the US, there is a director of building services.

Thus, a little bit of planning can go a long way—especially when an institute’s floor is at stake.