Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology

At Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology, the Architecture Technology program offers post-secondary education to students specifically in the science of the building environment. The program currently enrolls around 30 students per year where they learn how to create plans and specifications that direct the construction of a building and coordinate the work of other professional consultants and engineers.

As part of the curriculum, student classes often venture into the local community to tour the offices of architectural firms and other examples of architecture in their town of Lancaster, PA. Ted Williams, the first-year architectural technology instructor at Stevens College, noted a discrepancy between the inspirational structures and the students’ current learning environment at Griscom Education Center on the Stevens campus. The building, a former hospital modified into an educational space, felt sterile and clinical in comparison. Williams and other faculty determined a design objective of remodeling the wing would be to inspire the students with a space they enjoyed working and meeting in yet one that would hold up to the rigors of constant activity and reflect modern aesthetics.

The full scope included acoustic ceiling and wall baffles to mitigate sound in the open studio, new artwork and furnishings that skillfully reflect the college’s branding, followed by new flooring throughout.

Williams partnered with REGUPOL America in nearby Lebanon, PA to provide flooring for two spaces. “The REGUPOL products were unfamiliar to me initially,” reports Williams. “However, when I was presented with the available selections, it was something that easily aligned with our design intent and focus.”

The remodel created an opportunity for students to gain hands-on experience as they took part in designing the space. “The students were an integral part of this design process from the very beginning. From picking color selections to the actual pattern that would be laid on the floor, they got to experience the space before and after, and it’s something that they enjoyed,” says Williams.

In the print room, REGUPOL revolution offers an eco-friendly composition of post-consumer tire rubber and post-industrial EPDM, with a low-VOC binder in an incredibly resilient material that will last for generations of students. The smooth floor, specified in a neutral gray, blends well with the rest of the modernized rooms and is easy to sweep or mop as needed as the students’ projects produce discarded print and paper scraps and model building materials.

In the commons area where students hold breakout meetings, relax and have lunch, REGUPOL upscale complements the new design with its warm touch and timeless appeal. The plank format tile sits flush together, allowing for a sleek look and easy maintenance, while a micro-beveled edge introduces understated dimension into the room. Both REGUPOL products were installed by Abacus Sports Installations.

“There’s a lot of activity in both spaces,” says Williams. “Students coming in, furniture being moved around, things being printed. The REGUPOL product that was installed is functional and also offers performance benefits as the spaces are both high traffic areas. Also, the product is durable which allows those high traffic areas to be maintained as needed.”

Rethink Rubber

In today’s commercial environment, the proper selection of flooring is critical. IFor more information on how rubber flooring can be ideal for your next project, please contact Bill Neifert, Commercial Sales Director, at 570 856 1657 or email wgn@reugpol.com.