Boroughmuir High School

Seeking to create a contemporary and inspiring learning environment for a new school in Edinburgh, Allan Murrey Architects and HAA Design enlisted Forbo to supply the flooring for the state-of-the-art development . Forbo's design-led portfolio ticked all of the boxes to enhance and complement the schools' interior design, now and into the future.

Chris Walsh at Allan Murrey Architects explains "The objective of this project was to design a highly visual and dynamic space for Edinburgh Council's new "premier" school. We wanted to reflect modern day learning by incorporating high quality products that were both practical and durable. With this in mind, we specified a range of Forbo's flooring products across the school, including Marmoleum Piano throughout the main circulation areas, and a selection of finishes from the Step safety flooring collection in the laboratories, Home Economics classrooms and the creative arts rooms, as well as in the kitchens and serving areas due to the high slip and spillage risks in these areas."

The cutting edge design project has led Boroughmuir High School to win the EAA Building of the Year Award and the Large Project Award at the Edinburgh Architectural Association annual awards, as well as gaining an award at the Royal Institute of British Architects' RIBA 2018 awards

When it comes to education design, consideration also needs to be given to the underfoot safety of staff and pupils alike. As a result, the Edinburgh school features over 4000m² of Forbo’s Step safety flooring thanks to its high slip resistance performance, as the collection is designed to meet safety demands across a wide range of applications. Surestep Original was chosen for use in the laboratories, home economics classrooms and the creative arts rooms, with the vinyl finish providing a cleaner aesthetic, Health and Safety Executive compliant slip resistance and ease of maintenance. Safestep R12 was selected for the kitchen and serving areas, as they have a high slip and spillage risk, due to the nature of the activities that take place within them. Furthermore, the fresh look Surestep Laguna was fitted in the changing rooms and Safestep Aqua in the wet rooms, to provide barefoot and footwear slip resistance and optimal hygiene.