The new dining hall at King Edward's

New spaces for King Edward's

Case study: BBA Architects build new library, dining hall and multi-purpose space at King Edward's School in Bath

Posted by Stephanie Broad | December 21, 2015 | Facilities & buildings

• #king-edwards-school-bath
• #amtico
• #flooring
• #library
• #dining-hall
• #school-buildings
• #bba-architects

The project

King Edward’s School, a co-educational day school founded in 1552, sits in beautiful leafy surroundings close to the University of Bath. To replace the school’s small and outdated dining hall and relocate the library, BBA Architects incorporated a three-storey building housing the library at ground level, dining room at upper ground level and a multi-purpose space for events and performances on the top floor, which offers spectacular views over Bath.

The AMTICO solution

To create a stunning building that mixed traditional Bath stone materials with a contemporary edge, the team at BBA Architects focused on delivering stylish flooring options that would contrast attractively with the contemporary white walls and ceilings. Signature, Amtico’s flagship LVT collection, with its choice of 188 products and 31 laying patterns and Amtico Assura’s modified wear layer offering enhanced slip resistance were the products selected.

For the ground floor area incorporating the library, Cadence Delta from the Amtico Assura collection was chosen for its dynamic look delivered through a combination of darker grey detail on a stone grey finish.

A cool, contemporary and organic look was achieved in the upper ground floor dining hall using the Amtico Signature Fresh Oak wood design, and the dark, rich and decadent Brazilian Rosewood, also from Amtico Signature, was selected to achieve stunning contrast with the light and airy multi-purpose top floor area that opens out onto a terrace.

Helping to keep these stylish new floors looking good for years to come is Amtico Signature’s thick 1.0mm wear layer. Backed by the company ethos of combining highest levels of quality with creativity and innovation, this British designed and made flooring collection does not mark or scuff easily and comes with a commercial warranty of 20 years against wear-out.

Feedback

Commenting on the overall finish, Sally Hewins, Associate Director at BBA Architects, said: “The flooring specified was installed without any problems on site. With the minimalist design and white walls and ceilings, the floors really are the star of the finishes. The flooring really was, as we expected it to be, classy and beautiful.”

Highlighting one of the reasons for choosing Amtico, Jonathan Webster, King Edward’s School bursar, said: “The school explored floor options in detail, but the reference received from the University of Bath supporting the quality and durability made the decision easy. Since the opening in June 2015, we have been delighted with this well thought through and visually stunning building.”