Atlanta, GA, April 11, 2006--The Antron Sustainable Flooring Performance grand prize was awarded today to Weld County School District 6 in Greeley, Colorado, for carpet in two of its elementary schools that has been performing since 1975.
The award recognizes sustainable practices through the use of performance-driven flooring choices in commercial applications. The schools in this district were chosen for how well the original carpet continues to perform and fulfill its design objectives, despite the challenges faced by foot traffic common in elementary schools.
Grand Prize Winner: Weld County School District 6, Meeker Elementary School and Centennial Elementary School , Greeley , Colorado.
In 1975, Weld County School District wanted to ensure that the flooring they selected for the classrooms, media center, and hallways at Meeker Elementary School and Centennial Elementary School would be durable. At the time, the director of facilities and planning was looking for a floor covering to accommodate a teaching staff that performs lots of different activities on the classroom floor. Teachers were bringing in carpet remnants and rugs from home to perform these functions. To meet this requirement, Weld County selected carpet, a relatively new concept for schools at the time. The product selected was C&A Floorcovering's Belle Point, constructed of Antron nylon fiber.
“Even 30 years later, the carpet continues to perform above our expectations,” said J.W. Nelson of Weld County School District. “All of the carpet specifications for our school district include Antron carpet fiber because it is easy to maintain, does not show traffic patterns, and has exceptional colorfastness.”
“Carpet that has been performing for over 20 or 30 years is truly impressive. This year's winners of the Antron Sustainable Flooring Performance Award clearly demonstrate how choosing a quality product and following a maintenance program can ensure carpet beauty and durability for decades,” said Bobby Berrier, vice president, Invista Commercial and Transportation Flooring. “When carpet performs on the floor for an extended period of time, it lessens the overall environmental impact because less energy is used, fewer raw materials are consumed, and less carpet is sent to landfills over the product lifecycle.”
Entries were evaluated on carpet application, creativity, originality, and how well the design met client business objectives and challenges.
Merit Winner: Poudre School District, Beattie Elementary School, Fort Collins, Colorado
The “Picasso Blue” carpeting in the media center at Beattie Elementary School in the Poudre School District in Fort Collins, Colorado, still looks great. The product, C&A Floorcovering's Guardian Plus, constructed of Antron nylon, enables teachers to use the floor as a teaching environment. With hundreds of feet walking across the floor on a daily basis, the maintenance team is faced with maintaining the appearance of the carpet. From paint and glue to food and drinks, Antron nylon fiber has proven its resistance to dry soil and liquid stains, as well as matting, crushing, and abrasive wear. Because Beattie hasn't had to install new floor coverings in over 20 years, the school has seen an enormous cost savings, which can be reallocated toward other pressing issues.
Judges for the Antron Sustainable Flooring Performance Award were Gail Burns of WHR Architects, Nila Leiserowitz of Gensler, Brenda Nyce-Taylor of Hillier Architecture, Joseph Pettipas of HOK Canada and Cary Johnson, formerly of The Environments Group, who recently joined Gensler.
