Every student has a bright future ahead of them, so why should your school’s design settle for any less?
Experts at the University of Salford have found that classroom design contributes to 16% of students’ learning rates. Therefore, it may be time for you to inject some more colour into your classrooms. What better way to do this than to invest in new fibre bonded carpet designs?
1. Creating Zones and Breakout Rooms
Implementing certain colour schemes throughout schools can influence students’ mood and mindset in positive ways. It may also be worth creating certain zones and breakout rooms with different carpet colours.
For younger children who have carpeted learning, different colours can be used to signify dedicated reading, play and learning zones. Use blue tones in areas that require focus, green to motivate and pink to associate fun in the play zones.
In secondary schools, the same concept can be used but with breakout rooms for students to relax in, work together or study independently. Not only does this create an inspirational space for students, but it will also help to add a pop of colour into their day to boost morale.
2. Use Shapes and Patterns
Using shapes and prints on carpets can help to encourage creativity, especially with early years. Shapes such as stars can be added to carpet tiles, to make going to school even more fun.
It may also be beneficial to add numbers or letters onto carpet tiles, to help younger children learn and improve their memory recall when learning the alphabet and mathematics. In the same way, numbers can advise on classroom numbers without additional signage.
When you opt for our Fusion range, we can brand any logo, shape or print into our carpet tiles. Available in a range of colours, it has never been easier to personalise your space.
3. Make a Lasting First Impression
Every school is different and has its own unique logo and branding. Why not show this off by building your logo into entrance halls and welcome mats? As well as adding a splash of colour to grab attention, it will also help give a professional and welcoming feel to prospective students and parents.
4. Use Carpet Planks
Carpet planks offer places of education the chance to create a completely unique look, with a wider variety of design options. Using rectangular planks rather than squares can offer a different kind of aesthetic and look particularly pleasant in secondary schools.
Use monochrome planks in black and grey to create a herringbone pattern across the floor. The contrasting colours will inspire creativity among students as well as looking striking and stylish to guests.
5. Creative Walkway Solutions
Walkways are arguably one of the most important areas within a school. They are essential to ensure students can get between lessons and breaks both easily and safely. Naturally, these walkways might be one of the first places that are forgotten about in the sea of students travelling around the school. Imagine how nice it would be to brighten these up with some colour, and put an efficient system in place?
Different coloured carpet tiles or arrows can be used throughout walkways to create a handy system so that students don’t bump into each other during changeover times.
Our fibre bonded Array and Broadrib carpet tiles are perfect for creating walkway borders, and are super reliable to use in areas like corridors, where there is heavy footfall.
Get in touch with us today to discuss any bespoke requirements for your school or classrooms.
It’s that time of year again when teachers are ready for a well-deserved break and are counting down the days until the Easter holidays hit.
While many teachers might pop into school during the holidays to get ahead, studies have shown that students actually benefit from a teacher who has taken the time to relax and is more refreshed. And, it might not be the only thing students benefit from when refreshed.
The Easter holidays are a great time for the decor in schools, colleges and universities to be revived – especially the carpet. Taking the time to update the carpet in classrooms and communal areas can have a positive impact on both students and staff when they return for the new term as it can exercise their creativity.
It’s also a great opportunity to give the place a brand new look and feel – to breathe some life back into a room.
However, there is more to think about when choosing your new carpet than how it looks. In the education sector, almost all carpets need to be heavy contract rated to withstand the heavy footfall and general wear and tear.
Fibre bonded carpets are an excellent option as they tend to be anti-ravel, anti-fray and anti-static – making them ideal for schools and colleges using computers. They also help to absorb sound so can reduce noise and create a more relaxed atmosphere – another positive in learning environments.
Alongside this, many fibre-bonded carpets provide a cost-effective flooring solution not only at the point of purchase but throughout its life cycle. With its heavy-duty nature, the carpet will not have to be replaced as often, with many products providing a 10-year guarantee when used with advised cleaning a maintenance procedure – providing a large potential saving to the end-user.
Heckmondwike’s Supacord range still stands as a firm favourite for fibre bonded carpets within the education sector. It is a tried and trusted commercial carpet solution and is a smart choice for schools, colleges and universities in particular due to its durability and robust manufacture.
At Heckmondwike, we have over 50 years’ experience in providing a wide range of fibre bonded carpets and have a variety of colours and patterns available. So, if you’re looking to rejuvenate your school, college or university this Easter half term, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
You can contact your local area manager here, call us directly on 01924 410 544 or email us: sales@heckmondwike-fb.co.uk.
Heckmondwike FB, one of the UK’s leading carpet manufacturers, has been shortlisted in trade magazine Tomorrow’s FM’s annual awards for its Supacord fibre bonded carpet range.
The national magazine, which is read by facilities managers across the UK, selects the top 50 companies that manufacture products and services that it feels are worthy of winning the prestigious ‘best product/service title’.
A full list of entries is released in a Guide produced by the magazine in January and readers are invited to vote online for who they believe deserves to win. Three winners then receive a trophy, which is presented in March.
Jeremy Broadhead, Commercial Manager at Heckmondwike FB, said: “We are really pleased to have been shortlisted for this prestigious award. Our Supacord range is very well established and widely specified for education and commercial projects – what really makes it stand out is the 42 different colour choices within the range. We’re really excited to see the results of the online voting!”
Rebekah Thompson, Editor of Tomorrow’s FM magazine, said: “We’d like to congratulate Heckmondwike FB for being shortlisted. We reviewed hundreds of companies’ products and services and it was an easy decision to nominate Supacord. We wish them and all the other shortlisted companies all the best in the final voting stage.”
Used in classrooms for over 40 years, Supacord is considered the number one carpet solution for schools, colleges and universities. It has an A+ BREEAM rating, offers anti-static and anti-slip properties and a reduction in impact noise. Like all Heckmondwike FB’s products, Supacord can be cut on-site without the risk of fraying, allowing individual flooring designs to be created and installed with ease.
Heckmondwike FB carpet tiles are British-made and provide outstanding performance, as well as being backed by a 10 year limited wear warranty, which means they can be specified in complete confidence.
Supacord samples and shade cards are available on request by calling 01924 413637 or via Heckmondwike’s free online sample store.
Heckmondwike FB, one of the UK’s leading commercial fibre bonded carpet manufacturers, has strengthened its market presence with two significant new appointments.
Lincoln Chillman has been appointed to the role of Area Manager for West London, Tunbridge Wells, Hampshire, Berkshire and Dorset and Jason McKelvey has been promoted to the role of Works Manager, following 12 years as Quality Control Inspector.
Lincoln has been in the flooring industry for over 20 years which includes working in flooring wholesale, retail, contracting and manufacturing. His objective is to raise awareness of Heckmondwike FB floor finishes within the region in which he operates, building on the company’s reputation for excellence in fibre bonded carpet.
Jason aims to enhance quality and production efficiency, to further improve customer satisfaction. His role involves running the production and despatch on site for both Heckmondwike FB and Playrite, the company’s sports surfaces business.
Commercial Manager Jeremy Broadhead explains: “Lincoln and Jason have almost 35 years’ experience in the carpet industry between them. Their extensive experience and understanding of the flooring industry will help us to reinforce our offer to the market, backed up by industry leading quality, production and delivery.”
Heckmondwike FB has recently revealed its new company branding, a new brochure and a re-designed website. The company’s powerful new strapline – ‘Heckmondwike – Makers of Fibre Bonded Carpets’ – demonstrates its unique heritage, celebrating 50 years of fibre bonded carpet manufacture for the education, commercial and health sectors.
The company’s refreshed contemporary image reflects a new design-led approach, which is reflected in its new shade card suite and corporate marketing literature and collateral.
Why carpets are a good option – now and forever!
You may have noticed that we’ve recently rebranded our company, with a new logo and strapline – ‘Makers of Fibre Bonded Carpets’. The reason we did this was to reinforce messages around our history, longevity and commitment to manufacturing fibre bonded carpet, here in the UK.
The branding exercise has also given us the opportunity to review our marketing messages and to ensure that we are clearly communicating to flooring contractors the benefits of fibre bonded carpet.With so many different flooring options out there, we think there’s a great opportunity to look at why carpet has stood the test of time and why it continues to be one of the UK’s most popular flooring choices.
History of floor coverings
As far back as 6000 BC there is evidence of goats and sheep being sheared for wool and hair and it being spun and woven into a material that was used for a number of purposes, including as clothing and as a floor covering. Dating from around 1480 BC the ancient Egyptians used handlooms to make rugs. In 1000 AD Marco Polo confirmed rug making was taking place in the Middle Eastern countries that he passed through.
In the Industrial Revolution in England, textile inventions were introduced by Hargreaves, Arkwright, Crompton which included weaving wool for many purposes, including soft flooring.
Over the years, there have been many developments in man-made fibres, loom widths and machine efficiencies bringing carpet within reach of the mass market.
Fast forward to the modern era and carpet is still as popular as ever in the UK for use in many different applications. Carpet design continues to be influenced by social and economic factors and fashion. Some of the most important reasons that contractors and specifiers choose carpet are for its thermal and acoustic performance. This has led to fibre bonded carpet being specified widely in public buildings, student accommodation, retail outlets, sheltered housing and offices. People like the soft, comfortable feel underfoot, which cannot be rivalled by any other floor covering. Carpet also has benefits in terms of reducing slips, trips and falls. Many of our entrance carpets enable grit and moisture to be removed from footwear, so it doesn’t cause damage to internal floor coverings and lowers the risk of accidents to visitors or occupants.
Design trends
There will always be popular trends in floor coverings and carpet is extremely versatile in being able to ‘move with the times’. For example, the planked look is being widely specified for both public and private sector buildings, including offices and student accommodation. Also, there is a trend for plain carpet that is intermingled with subtle elements of colour, as seen in our Array range.
Even though carpet manufacture has been around for thousands of years, it keeps on evolving. Recent innovations include, for example, the introduction of machines that enable bespoke logos and designs to be integrated within a carpet. Many schools, as well as private and public buildings are specifying this type of carpet to enhance and reinforce their branding in their entrance areas.
It’s worth considering why carpet is still one of the most popular floor coverings for so many different applications. Whilst more competitively-priced materials may deliver short term gains, there are few that can match a carpet’s aesthetics, comfort, acoustics and thermal performance.
Heckmondwike FB is entering an exciting new era with new branding, new shade cards, a new brochure and a re-designed website.
With a powerful new strapline – ‘Heckmondwike – Makers of Fibre Bonded Carpets’ – the company is demonstrating its unique heritage, celebrating 50 years of fibre bonded carpet manufacture for the education, commercial and health sectors.
Heckmondwike FB’s refreshed contemporary image reflects a new design-led approach, which is reflected in its new shade card suite and corporate marketing literature and collateral.
The company’s shade cards are extremely popular with interior designers, architects, schools and flooring contractors. Recently released are shade cards for Heckmondwike FB’s Supacord, Broadrib, Hobnail, Wellington Velour, Iron Duke and Entrance ranges. All ranges have been used extensively across educational settings and other environments for over 50 years and their exciting new look will make it even easier for contractors, specifiers and end-users to select the correct carpet to suit their needs.
A new 20 page brochure presents the revitalised Fibre Bonded and Entrance ranges, clearly demonstrating the company’s comprehensive choice of colours and designs.
In addition to the new literature, there are a number of colours that have been added to Heckmondwike FB’s Hobnail, Iron Duke and Wellington ranges, to make them even more versatile for use in different environments and sectors.
The new website, which is due for launch in October, has been designed with a new contemporary and uncluttered look. The website features all Heckmondwike FB’s ranges, with high quality installation and product photography, plus NBS specifications, BIM models, downloadable literature, notable case studies and installation and maintenance advice.
Jeremy Broadhead, Commercial Manager at Heckmondwike FB, said: “We are really excited to be launching our new identity and support literature and website. Design is becoming increasingly important in the choice of carpet, rather than it being a purely functional purchase and this is reflected in our literature and in our extended choice of colours in certain ranges. With our new website, brochure and shade cards, we are making it even easier for the specifier or buyer to make the right choice for them.”
Heckmondwike’s Fibre Bonded carpets are renowned for their durability, but also for their low maintenance properties and the fact that they will not ravel or fray – great in high-traffic areas. The company’s carpet is widely specified for education, public sector and commercial environments.