SITUATION
Cape Cod Regional Technical High School (CCT) in Harwich, Massachusetts has a reputation as one of the most renowned and respected secondary schools in the area. Local citizens overwhelmingly voted in favor of a new, 214,000 square foot CCT facility. The building, situated on 67 acres, would feature 22 general classrooms, five small group spaces, six science labs, two art areas, and 17 vocational classrooms.
In envisioning the spaces, the design team established lofty goals to enhance the students’ experience. They sought to integrate features and materials befitting the future-focused curriculum that’s the driving force of the school. The walls of the open, two-story lobby and stairwells proved to be ideal areas to make bold design statements that convey CCT’s renowned reputation and were in line with the future-oriented vision of the project.
SOLUTION
Project specifiers selected Crossville’s gauged porcelain tile panels for the expansive surfaces in the lobby and stairwells. With extremely generous outer dimensions of over 3’ x 9’, these tile panels allowed for the use of minimal grout lines, as thin as 1/16” for a contemporary, seamless look.
To achieve the envisioned aesthetic, ARDEX and Crossville Tile were involved early-on to provide technical recommendations and support to the installers during the planning and bidding process. ARDEX was able to provide a comprehensive SystemOne™ Warranty to back this beautiful project for years to come.
Installation
The light weight of the Crossville porcelain tile panels made the installation a smooth process for the installers. To further assist the crew in this complex installation, they chose ARDEX X 77™ MICROTEC® Fiber Reinforced Tile and Stone Mortar. The true 60-minute open time and MICROTEC® Technology of this product made it the ideal choice. To add more flexibility and bond strength, ARDEX E 90™ Mortar Enhancer was added. For the perfect finish, ARDEX FG-C™ MICROTEC® Unsanded Grout was selected for all the wall tiles. The grout creates strong, full joints with an excellent color consistency and is ready for traffic in just 4 hours.
In addition to the beautiful focal point created in the lobby and hallways, renovations also took place in the large commercial kitchens used to train chefs in the making and in the bathrooms. For those, ARDEX X 5™ Flexible and Versatile Tile and Stone Mortar, ARDEX WA™ Epoxy Grout and Adhesive and the Rapid Waterproofing and Crack Isolation Compount, ARDEX 8+9 were used. The reliability and speed of installation make these products ideal for projects like this.
On working with ARDEX, Gabriel Carvalho, Project Manager at Capital Carpet and Flooring Specialists, says “I have been working with ARDEX for 22 years as an installer and project manager and appreciate the reliability the products deliver as well as the support we get from the ARDEX in-field experts. Our team had been installing with other mortars and grouts, but once they used ARDEX products on this project, they loved the performance, ease of use and time savings. We now use ARDEX products on most all of our tile and stone installations.”
As a new hub of learning with its specialized classrooms and labs, Cape Cod Regional Technical High School will continue to be an integral part of their local community.
Products Used
- ARDEX X 77™ MICROTEC® Fiber Reinforced Tile and Stone Mortar
- ARDEX E 90™ Mortar Enhancer
- ARDEX X 5TM Flexible and Versatile Tile and Stone Mortar
- ARDEX FG-CTM MICROTEC® Unsanded Grout
- ARDEX WATM High Performance, 100% Solids Epoxy Grout and Adhesive
- ARDEX 8+9TM Rapid Waterproofing and Crack Isolation Compound
SITUATION:
The Wirtschaftsschule Alpenland (WISS) college of commerce in Bad Aiblingen is a showpiece educational facility in the Bavarian district of Rosenheim. In the recently completed extension, the aim of the planners commissioned was to bond together the concepts of “commerce” and “learning” in their design; the skills acquired at the college ultimately lay the cornerstone for future career success. Correspondingly, modern working life was to be reflected in the transparency and flexibility of the architecture.
CHALLENGES:
In planning the interior of the new building featuring, among other amenities, six classrooms, a music room and a school hall, the architects attached special importance to high flexibility of use as well as to a sweeping sensation of openness, with bright, light-flooded rooms intended to radiate calm and clarity in the busy everyday life of the college. The architects’ vision is particularly prominent in the new students’ break area linking the original building and the new extension. A split-level design incorporating ramps to ensure unobstructed access for disabled persons and extending across two storeys, it creates an open, light-spangled transparency with its large 270 m2 glass façade. The planners achieved the characteristic expansive overall effect of the foyer by means of a monolithic floor installed with virtually no joints and boasting a luxurious surface appearance as well as a colour concept perfectly matching the specified spatial design. A particularly high-quality material concept was selected, meeting exceptionally well the client’s requirements with regard to elegance, good workability and cost-efficiency even under the exceptional burdens imposed by daily college loads: ARDEX PANDOMO FloorPlus.
SOLUTION:
This hard-wearing material was a compelling choice not only for reasons of its expansive visual effect resulting from its jointless installation, but also thanks to its multifaceted creative potential for unique individualisation via variegated colour nuances, shades, graining, techniques etc. In the college of commerce, the material was first individually tinted in a light grey hue and then, after adding a 6 to 10 mm deep layer of a special hard-grain sand to increase its pressure and scratch resistance, installed onto a calcium sulphate heating screed on three storeys, largely without joints, covering a total of 850 m2. The surfaces were then sanded and oiled twice. Application to the various ramps between the storeys presented a particular challenge to the craftsmen performing the work due to the consistency of the material. The result? Tranquil, expansive floors striking a pure note and shaping the room’s character with homogenous semi-gloss surfaces. Their unadorned elegance conjures a sense of space exquisite in its intensity.
SITUATION:
In Germany, the current trends in school architecture are light and airy. A school is not only a place of learning, but also a place to spend time, relax and socialise. Studies show, this architectural style may have positive long term effects on learning, student happiness and success. When designing this new secondary school the architect wanted to reflect that style. Other design factors the architect wanted to take into consideration were Passive House Energy Standards and to incorporate the region’s surrounding geological landscape. To achieve this balance, Hascher Jehle Architects of Berlin turned to ARDEX Germany.
CHALLENGES:
- 2,400 m2
- High Traffic area
- Staircase with individually crafted steps
- Passive House Energy Standards
SOLUTION:
PANDOMO® TerrazzoBasic was the perfect solution for this installation. PANDOMO TerrazzoBasic stands apart from a traditional terrazzo floor system by incorporating local aggregates instead of the traditionally more expensive decorative aggregates. PANDOMO TerrazzoBasic is also faster than traditional terrazzo to install, which is important for installation with limited time.
This installation was divided into 55 m2 sections to a depth of five to seven centimetres. Depending on the area’s designed color scheme either white or beige binder was poured with special locally sourced blue or black quartz aggregates. This design was carried up the staircases and required special attention on the central spiral staircase where each step was individually hand crafted. The final effect was an overall homogeneity with an irregular look and distinctive regional character.
PANDOMO TerrazzoBasic helped meet Passive House Energy Standards design with its high mass and thermal retention properties. The school has been awarded the European Union’s “Green Building” Certificate as it meets high standards of energy efficiency.
PARTICIPANTS:
Architect:
- Hascher Jehle Architect – Berlin, Germany
Installer:
- Hascher Jehle Architect – Berlin, Germany
SITUATION:
Sølvgade Kaserne (Silver Street Barracks) has been converted into modern housing for students. Among the many upgrades, new linoleum and vinyl floors have been added with over 100 tonnes of EC1-labeled levelling compound and floor adhesives from ARDEX, which contribute to a healthy indoor climate.
Just in front of the Royal Garden and the National Museum of Art in central Copenhagen, the Sølvgade Kaserne has opened the doors for hundreds of students in August 2015. The building, dating back to 1771, has been building premises for DSB’s headquarters (The Danish State Railways) for almost a hundred years, but has now been transformed into a modern college.
CHALLENGES:
Thomas Morén is the director of the flooring company ATZ Multiservice ApS, who was responsible for the floor work at Sølvgade Kaserne. He talks about the extensive project where the company had a total of 18 men working from June 2015 until August this year:
“The original parquet floors in rooms, hallways and common areas have been coated with linoleum with impact sound reduction, while in all bathrooms we have used vinyl. It has been important to make strong and completely even subfloors that ensured that the new floorings can be used for the next many years.” He continues:
“The buildings are big and old and built after old time of construction traditions. This means that there have been almost not two identical rooms. Every time we started a new room, we had to do things a little bit differently to make sure the details were correct and the result optimal. It is certainly not every day that you have the opportunity to work on such special buildings.”
SOLUTION:
ATZ Multiservice ApS has cooperated closely with the manufacturer ARDEX, which has delivered over 100 tonnes of materials for the construction work, which comprises approx. 25,000 sqm floor space.
Thus, all the worn parquet floors have been levelled with two layers of 3 mm ARDEX K 22 F fiber-reinforced gypsum compound, which is self-leveling and thus optimized the flooring process. For the floor covering, ATZ Multiservice ApS used the ARDEX AF 145 floor adhesive with long assembly time and high final strength, which helped to reinforce the overall floor structure.
Both materials are also solvent-free, low-emission and labeled with EMICODE EC1. Thus, they contribute to a healthy indoor climate at the new college.
“On a project of this size it is crucial that you as a contractor use products that ensure high momentum in the construction process and provide the right quality to the finished result. Here, the ARDEX materials primarily have the advantage to reduce waiting times for hardening and drying and you can use time more efficiently, “Thomas Morén emphasizes.
The refurbishment was projected by Above the City Architects in collaboration with the Cultural Board, the City of Copenhagen and the Real Estate Company Norden.
PARTICIPANTS:
ATZ Multiservice
SITUATION:
The newly refurbished Faculty of Engineering and IT at University of Technology, Sydney, has featured Ardex panDOMO heavily throughout the multi-million dollar project. panDOMO is a range of advanced cement finishes suitable for the floor, wall and ceiling from Ardex Australia which give a stylish and robust design and can be used to open up a wealth of exclusive design options.
Over 5000 sqm of Ardex panDOMO FloorPlus was installed to fourteen levels of lift lobbies as well as promenades and walkways throughout the Faculty at Broadway giving a truly unique finish to the campus.
CHALLENGES:
The overall project which was led by Lend Lease and designed by Denton Corker Marshall cost $200M and took more than three years to complete. The panDOMO installation took six months and is one of the largest projects in Australia to date.
“Due to significant irregularities in the structural concrete substrate, this job proved to be quite challenging,” explained Fabian Morgan, Sales and Marketing Director, Ardex Australia. “We firstly had to correct all the floor heights and spent two months shaving high spots in concrete and filling up to 40mm of Ardex K 80 in the low areas.”
SOLUTION:
The UTS refurbishment was the first installation in Australia where a continuous pump was used to install panDOMO. “Importing a specialised pump from Germany made it possible to install 500 sqm of panDOMO in two hours and ensured that Honestone, the projector contractor could meet the very tight schedule for this project,” added Morgan. “Honestone has vast experience and unsurpassed quality in commercial flooring making them the natural choice for this project.
“Ardex Australia was pleased to be part of this project and help create an iconic, pedestrian friendly university,” said Morgan. “The overall finish of this project is second to none and will stand the test of time for generations of academics to come.”
Whether seeking a classic, refined, homogenous or entirely unique style, panDOMO floor toppings and wall finishes offer the perfect, cost effective solution for any project.
PARTICIPANTS:
INSTALLER: Honestone
BUILDER: Lend Lease
ARCHITECT: Denton Corker Marshall
SITUATION:
Germany has many old school buildings that do not meet the current building standards therefore many require renovations. Studies show schools are an important living space for students as well as a place of learning and may have a beneficial positive atmosphere.
The Theodor-Heuss School project was constructed in two phases. The first one was completed in 2011 and the second started in winter 2012. The goal of the renovation was to install a durable, high-quality floor. The architect and client were interested in classic terrazzo, but were bound by a limited installation schedule. Traditional terrazzo floors take months to complete.
CHALLENGES:
- Fast-track installation
- Design must meet new building standards
- High traffic area
- 700 m2 installation area
SOLUTION:
ARDEX Germany offered PANDOMO by ARDEX to meet the requirements of the installation schedule. PANDOMO TerrazzoBasic white and locally sourced aggregates were selected by the client and the architect. PANDOMO TerrazzoBasic requires only days for installation instead of the months required for classic terrazzo and is also highly durable, so it was the perfect choice to meet the requirements of the architect.
In the first three days, PANDOMO TerrazzoBasic white was installed to a depth of 70mm. The product cured in 48 hours and the grinding process commenced. For the finishing touches any pores were filled and the floor was sealed.
The combination of the new PANDOMO TerrazzoBasic floor’s reflectivity and the large deep windows resulted in maximum daylight in the rooms. The simple terrazzo style floor seemed to make the areas look very spacious and open. The new areas have become meeting points for the school.
PARTICIPANTS:
Installer/Applicator: Kessler GmbH – Schliengen, Germany
Architect: hotz + architekten – Freiburg, Germany
