The New Heights Academy Charter School in Harlem, New York City was in desperate need of new flooring for both the school’s cafeteria and throughout the hallways, as well as a refurbishment of the restrooms. Because the cafeteria subfloor was rotted beyond repair, the project involved ripping up the entire floor and substrate before a new one could be installed.
The overall design strategy was to use products that represent functionality, performance, and cost. The flooring products eventually chosen fell in line with this concept. RD Weis worked with the school’s Director of Operations, Sylvie Estrella and all design was done in-house with 100% influence on what products to use in each location. A true team effort.
Prior to choosing specific products, we worked with Armstrong to create a digital visualization to see which products and colors the school liked the best. During the decision-making, work on the restroom floors began. NeverStrip Micron coating was applied, the grout colors were changed, and the floors sealed with a satin finish.
The main challenge of the project was the cafeteria substrate, which had to be rebuilt. RD Weis was brought in because of our knowledge of both substrates and underlayment. The old, decaying cafeteria floor was removed and Teknoflor Prime HPD 12” X 24” LVT was installed. A beautiful Buttercream was chosen as the color. The school’s logo was then cut in using a waterjet to create the custom inlaid logo. A multitude of colors were used to match the school logo.
The project’s next phase involved the hallways of the school. Armstrong 18” X 18” parallel LVT tiles were used throughout, four floors in all. Johnsonite wall base was used in the cafeteria and hallways and Mats Inc. runners and walk off systems installed. All debris was removed from the building and the new cafeteria and corridors were up and running.
