An innovative interior design concept featuring a unique rubber floor

Fifty years after its foundation, the East Bavarian University of Applied Sciences Regensburg (OTH Regensburg) is one of the largest and most prestigious universities of applied sciences in Bavaria. The new building for the Faculty of Architecture was opened during this anniversary year.

The move to the Galgenberg campus marks the beginning of a new era for the Faculty of Architecture. With around 700 students, it is the smallest of OTH Regensburg’s eight faculties; historically, however, it is the university’s founding faculty. Dean Prof. Andreas Emminger describes the new building as a ‘grand lecture theatre’ spread over five levels. The sweeping staircases, the light-filled atrium and the spacious rooms foster communication and a spirit of innovation. The new building creates space for fresh perspectives in teaching and communication and, thanks to the close proximity of the spaces, provides a foundation for creative exchange.

Unique rubber flooring

The open-plan concept is also reflected in the flooring. Rubber flooring from the ARTIGO ZEUS collection was laid across an area of over 5,000 square metres. To reflect the open atmosphere, an exclusive light-coloured decorative finish was developed specifically for OTH Regensburg. A dark decorative colour provides the perfect contrast, highlighting different zones, for example in the corridors. Both floor coverings blend perfectly into the overall design. The flooring was installed by Raumausstattung Wilhelm Poiger e. K. Daniel Poiger is enthusiastic about rubber flooring, “as it is a natural product. This plays a very significant role in architecture and the construction industry today. Furthermore, the rubber flooring is very hard-wearing and easy to maintain, making it ideally suited to high footfall areas such as this building project.”

Rubber flooring: excellent properties for high-traffic areas

When choosing the right flooring for a high-traffic campus, rubber really comes into its own: it is robust, durable, elastic and easy to maintain. Natural or synthetic rubber is used as the raw material. Synthetic rubber is produced from petrochemical raw materials. Rubber floor coverings are PVC-free and, depending on the product, may be free from certain substances such as heavy metals, halogens or volatile plasticisers. Selected ARTIGO rubber floor coverings from objectflor are certified with the ‘Indoor Air Comfort Gold’ label for low VOC emissions. The certification is based, amongst other things, on regular VOC emission tests in accordance with EN 16516.

The ARTIGO Zeus collection is also certified to the Cradle to Cradle standard at Silver level. The certification assesses defined product and material criteria and applies to the relevant certified product variant.

Copyright photos: ©krischerfotografie