With a ‘work boots inside’ policy, Twizel’s new NIWA facility needed flooring solutions that would stand up to heavy wear, coordinate with the Institute’s design policy and reflect the local environment. To achieve this, designers Hopkinson Kelsall Team Architects chose a combination of Gecko entrance tiles, Regeneration carpet tiles — made from recycled Econyl — and Tarasafe Ultra vinyl, all from Advance Flooring.

"It’s a multipurpose environment, not just a lab and storage," says HKTA’s Kirsty Dittmer. "You have office-based and lab-based staff, along with field officers coming in and out. The floors had to provide for all those functions."

For the flush entryway which opens directly into the building, the architects specified Gecko carpet tiles, which are specifically developed for intense-wear entrance areas, trapping and removing dirt, grit, sand and water.

"NIWA team members are often out in the field, and keep their work boots on when coming inside," says Dittmer. "We needed something that was both hard-wearing and easy to install. We wanted to avoid having a recessed matwell, and Gecko goes down just like carpet."

Along with their performance, Gecko entry tiles were selected to conform with a site-specific colour palette. "NIWA has a design philosophy for national offices," says Dittmer. "Each site needs a cohesive look from the entrance to the work spaces, while reflecting a local personality. The Twizel office had to speak about Twizel."

This meant incorporating the muted, earthy shades of the surrounding Mackenzie Country. "We went with warm tones and a more natural texturing. The carpet is Regeneration, which is not a linear look — it’s more naturalistic, “roughened” rather than structured."

Regeneration carpet tiles also fit with NIWA’s environmental policy. "We like to use carpet tiles in office space," says Dittmer. "They are more accommodating in terms of sustainability, easier to recycle or reuse. And being nylon, Regeneration is hard-wearing, with a high recycled content."

For the staffroom, Tarasafe Ultra vinyl flooring brings slip-resistant safety, with a dense concentration of deep inlaid anti-slip particles that use Crystal Inlay Technology to provide a brighter, cleaner surface. Tarasafe is 100% recyclable, contains recycled materials and is Global GreenTag Level A certified.