Bespoke modular wool tiles were developed from scratch by the Godfrey Hirst team for the new Agricultural Sciences Building on the Lincoln University campus in Lincoln, Canterbury.

Located at the southern end of the campus, the Agricultural Sciences Building is the first of the university’s two new science facilities to be completed. This new building delivers modern teaching, research, and collaboration spaces to more than 50 staff and students from the Department of Agriculture Sciences.

Determined to utilise New Zealand wool as their primary flooring solution, the Procurement team also sought a modular solution as tiles facilitated ongoing maintenance and serviceability.

Godfrey Hirst was acknowledged as the preferred supplier to design, produce, and supply modular wool tiles. A collaboration between Sheppard & Rout Architecture and Godfrey Hirst Soft Flooring Category Developer led to the development of a brand-new bespoke product from scratch.

Godfrey Hirst’s Australasian Product Development team worked to develop a wool tile that would not only be aesthetically pleasing but also perform in a busy University environment, which meant achieving ACCS Commercial Extra Heavy-Duty grading.

Using a combination of yarns originally developed for commercial broadloom products coupled with their tile manufacturing experience, the team developed Territoire. The seemingly random grid like pattern was emphasised by using a subtly heathered bluish-grey yarn together with a black yarn – both woollen-spun yarns were manufactured in Oamaru. This pattern works well with both the decorative glass panels and exposed industrial ceilings in the Agricultural Sciences Building. The grid-like pattern was further enhanced by installation of the wool tiles in an ashlar pattern, which echoes the building’s façade.

This new Godfrey Hirst flooring solution, developed specifically for Lincoln University, signals the important role customer-supplier partnerships play in shaping a more productive and sustainable future for the New Zealand building industry.

Lincoln University has always been a chief driver of innovation in the land-based sector, particularly in the food and fibre industries, and the Godfrey Hirst flooring solution for the University’s new Agricultural Sciences Building reflects that forward thinking.

Drawing on over 150 years of manufacturing experience in Australia and New Zealand, GH Commercial is committed to designing, creating and supplying high quality floor coverings around the world.

As the oceanic division of Mohawk Group, the world's largest and most trusted commercial flooring company, we belong to a global network of brands dedicated to helping you meet your project goals and connecting you with the right floor, when, where and how you need it.

Product: Godfrey Hirst Territoire in Corsica and Wool Textured Loop Pile 38oz

Ratings: 

  • ACCS Commercial 
  • Extra Heavy Duty 4 Stars
  • ECS Level 4
  • Certified Redlist Free

Installer: The Flooring Centre Christchurch

Photography: Lightbox Creative