Worcester_University-of-Massachusetts

USA (Worcester, MA) | Industry & Life Science | noraplan environcare™

UMass School of Medicine Outfits Busy Hub of Labs with nora flooring

The Albert Sherman Center has been described as the hub of campus life for the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, MA. The 11-story, 512,000-square-foot building houses six floors of dedicated laboratory space, where noraplan environcare™ ensures stain resistance, comfort underfoot and a quiet working environment while providing the housekeeping staff with a low-maintenance cleaning regimen that makes it easy to keep labs and corridors looking fresh and clean. In addition to the extensive lab space, the building holds a full-service café and dining area, 350-seat lecture hall, numerous classroom and seminar spaces and a 9,000-square-foot fitness center.

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Planning for the Albert Sherman Center included careful consideration for the various groups who would use the facility, including researchers and students, occupying six floors of laboratory space dedicated to biomedical research. When fully occupied, floors four through nine, known as the Research Tower, host 90 principal investigators, leading laboratory programs with more than 700 scientists, graduate students and support staff.

“We had a number of requirements for this important area,” said Shawn McGuinness, senior architect at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. “We have quite a bit of VCT on campus that requires an awful lot of maintenance, so we wanted to get away from high-maintenance flooring products and find something that is easy to maintain and resists staining.”

The university’s search led them to noraplan environcare, which was installed in all the labs, the corridors that connect the labs, the first-floor commercial kitchen and kitchenette lounges. According to McGuinness, the nora® floor covering is also used in back-of-house spaces, including loading dock areas. And while it functions well and looks pleasing, the floor also contributed to the building’s LEED® Gold certification.

It was great to be able to use the floor in so many different areas,” noted McGuinness. “This allowed us some consistency of flooring materials, something the college always desires.”

Data and facts

Building University of Massachusetts Medical School - Research Facility
Market Segment Industry & Life Science
Products noraplan environcare™
Architect Architectural Resources Cambridge - Cambridge, MA
Installation Year 2013
Worcester_University-of-Massachusetts
Worcester_University-of-Massachusetts
Worcester_University-of-Massachusetts
Worcester_University-of-Massachusetts
Worcester_University-of-Massachusetts
Worcester_University-of-Massachusetts
Worcester_University-of-Massachusetts

Products

noraplan environcare™

Rubber flooring with a changing base color consisting of three harmoniously matched hues is complimented with characteristic granules, delivering an aesthetically appealing and functional smooth surface for heavy traffic areas.

More references

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Address the common laboratory issues of staining and wear with a floor covering that offers the chemical resistance and durability critical in such an environment, while also supporting efforts to achieve a LEED® Silver rating.

Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems (CSE)

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Meet sustainability, energy conservation, durability, comfort and maintenance needs with a flooring that supports the mission and message of the Building Technology Showcase.

University of Colorado Thinks Long-Term with Ekeley Sciences Renovation

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noraplan environcare™ | Industry & Life Science

Support a modern lab space by selecting flooring that reduces stains and slips experienced in the old lab space and offers long-term reliability for the university, comfort for staff and students and acoustic benefits for an optimal learning environment.

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