As part of a wider investment into Whitehaven, in Cumbria, Whitehaven Harbour Commissioners looked to facilitate the creation of The Edge, a striking community hub.
The project was funded from Sellafield’s Social Impact Multiplied – SiX – programme and the government’s Coastal Communities Fund. Alison Tordoff (previously Fidget UK), contracted as the interior designer, called on Forbo’s varied range of floor coverings to create a modern and functional interior.
Prominently located on Whitehaven Harbour, The Edge is a coastal activities centre that will enable visitors and locals alike to explore the Cumbrian coastline through watersports, walking, cycling and other outdoor pursuits, as well as a range of indoor activities and cultural events. A three-storey structure, it contains changing facilities, a café, public toilets, meeting spaces and a mezzanine area. The top two floors also contain en-suite, hotel-style accommodation.
Alison says: “The architects, Northmill Associates, designed the building itself, taking inspiration from a pebble found on the beach near to the site. From here, the frame was built, with its interesting and unique angles creating an eye-catching finished look. We were brought in to consult on all the interior finishes, including the flooring. It was essential that we considered the usage of the space, as well as complementing the striking exterior.”
Forbo’s floor coverings were specified by the architect, with Alison and her team happy to work with this selection. “I’ve worked with Forbo on many other occasions and so I knew we would be getting a quality product,” she says. “They also have a really comprehensive portfolio of floor coverings, that I knew could be easily applied to the different spaces within The Edge to deliver on both design and function.”
Function was one of the driving factors behind the specification of Forbo floor coverings, with each product selected for its durability, ease of cleaning and, in certain circumstances, slip resistance.
Alison explains: “Given the intended use of the space and the types of activities visitors would be engaging in, ensuring a safe, clean and hard-wearing finish was crucial. For this reason, we specified a large amount of Forbo’s Surestep and Safestep safety vinyl, which we had installed in the bedroom ensuites and across the ground floor café and reception. Providing proven Health and Safety Executive-compliant R10 slip resistance, this product would protect visitors from slips or falls when returning to The Edge from watersports or other such outdoor activities.
“To further prevent slips and trips, we also had Forbo’s Coral entrance matting installed within the entranceways to help reduce walked-in dirt and moisture. This would also help to bring down cleaning and maintenance costs, as well as protecting interior floor coverings, with Coral’s ability to absorb significant amounts of moisture and scrape dirt particularly useful.
“These floor coverings were all specified in varying grey tones to create a very neutral base. The building’s many windows and quirky geometry meant we didn’t need to do too much to make the interior design interesting. Forbo’s Grey Seagrass, Black Seagrass, Elephant and Taupe Concrete were ideal for this, with slight differences in tone that created a lovely striped pattern in the café and reception area.”
Forbo’s Tessera carpet tiles were also specified on the project, with a combination of its Cloudscape, Chroma and Harmony collections used across the bedrooms, circulation areas and meeting rooms.
Alison adds: “The carpet added this lovely, neutral backdrop that was also comfortable underfoot. We found that the natural patterns with the collections, particularly the Cloudscape range, were very reminiscent of the natural outdoors setting. We had this flooring laid in a varied pattern, complementing the building’s asymmetrical shape and making these circulation areas an interesting space to navigate through.”
The Tessera carpet tiles were specified in Ocean Winds, Grey Dawn, Pathway and Aqua Symphony – all nature-inspired colourways, making them ideal for use at The Edge.
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