Library entrance with custom floor inlay in shape of compass, information desk, rows of book shelves and tables in the distance, long wood desk with computer stations to the right

Athens-Clarke County Library

2011 | ATHENS, GEORGIA, UNITED STATES | EDUCATION

Located in Athens, Georgia, the Athens-Clarke County Library provides the residents of Athens-Clarke County with the finest resources in the community for educational, parenting and enrichment materials. The library encourages a lifelong love of reading within a safe, exciting and interesting environment.

A 20,000 sq. ft. addition to the library started in May 2011 and was completed in February 2013. Tarkett’s LinoFloor xf² was utilized in the new Children’s Area, which has design elements from a famous children’s story, to complete a compass design on the floor. The facility is under review by the U. S. Green Building Council (USGBC) for a Silver LEED™ certification.

“The linoleum feels warm, inviting and fun, which is exactly what the entrance into a children’s space should be”

The goals for the Children’s Area were to create a space that was safe, easy to maintain, durable and able to withstand the test of time. Design firm Craig Gaulden Davis chose LinoFloor xf² because they needed a product that offered bright colors, had minimal flooring transitions given the complex pattern of the design on the floor and was easy to maintain. They were also looking for a sustainable solution to help achieve the Silver LEED™ certification.

“The linoleum feels warm, inviting and fun, which is exactly what the entrance into a children’s space should be” said Andrea Kuhfuss, IIDA, Director of Interior Design at Craig Gaulden Davis. Using LinoFloor xf² “we were able to achieve a very dramatic and complex flooring design.”

LinoFloor xf² is made from 95 percent natural materials such as linseed oil, flax seed, wood and limestone with 73 percent of those rapidly renewable. In fact, LinoFloor xf² has the highest rapidly renewable content in the industry, which helps contribute to LEED™ credits. LinoFloor xf² also offers one of the lowest life-cycle costs available, lasting 30, even 40 years. The xf² finish requires no initial waxing or polishing and cleaning is faster and easier too.

“It is very common for us to select linoleum on library projects,” Kuhfuss said. “As a firm specializing in library design for more than 50 years, we are looking for flooring solutions that are long lasting and that give us the freedom to create meaningful spaces for local communities.”