COCC is the oldest two-year college in Oregon and provides comprehensive college services to residents of its 10,000-square-mile district. Situated on the western edge of Bend, OR, the college’s 201-acre campus affords spectacular views of the nearby Cascade Mountains.
The COCC Science Center opened its doors last fall, and at the core of the 45,000-square-foot building are biology, chemistry and physical science labs that are connected to adjacent public hallways by large interior windows. Each of the labs are color-coded to identify their affiliated department, which made it important for architects to find a floor covering whose color palette complemented their colorful vision for the space. The school also required a floor with the ability to resist both chemical spills and the movement of equipment and furniture in the labs. norament® grano met these design and performance challenges, while offering other important advantages to the college. Students and staff are enjoying comfort underfoot as they stand for extended periods of time on the resilient flooring, and the school took an important step toward securing its Earth Advantage Commercial certification, thanks in part to the sustainable properties that characterize all nora® flooring products.