Queens Square in Auckland consists of 231 freehold apartments and nine retail shops wrapping around a private landscaped urban courtyard. The L-shaped tower, designed by Leuschke Group Architects, is located in the heart of the city on Queen Street. The design includes generous outdoor areas, an indoor heated pool and gym, a concierge and secure lift access.

The apartment building is designed as a vertical community with dynamic open-air access routes. A sculptural stairway and breezeways between blocks create ‘bump’ spaces for the apartment community to interact, get exercise using the stairs, and enjoy the view across the central green space. These open-air access routes required a good acoustic flooring surface, and the solution was Neoflex recycled rubber flooring, supplied by Advance.

The apartment developer has used exterior rubber flooring on previous projects, so knew its benefits with regards to acoustics and anti-slip qualities. Queens Square is situated in the city’s theatre and restaurant district, and with a number of Airbnb-let apartments too, there are regular comings and goings after hours. The rubber flooring deadens footstep sounds, providing a welcome alternative to ceramic tiles or concrete.

Neoflex has green credentials too: it is made from recycled rubber door and window seals reclaimed from automotive and joinery manufacturers. This EPDM rubber has excellent weathering qualities and is UV resistant — even in black. While tyre rubber deteriorates in exterior locations over time, Neoflex maintains its performance and style over the long term and is competitively priced.