Case studies x+why Flexible Workspace
Tiles & engineered flooring at x+why flexible workspace, 103 Colmore Row Birmingham – Designed by Squire & Partners
With interiors designed by Squire & Partners, x+why Colmore Row provides three floors of flexible workspace and a separate member’s only club space at 103 Colmore Row, Birmingham’s tallest building.
Utilising a warm and vibrant mix of materials from Domus – including engineered flooring, porcelain and ceramic tiles.
A landmark development
Comprising 26 storeys and measuring 108 metres in height, 103 Colmore Row introduces a striking new landmark on the city’s skyline, located in a designated conservation area within the Colmore Business District.
Designed by Doone Silver Kerr, the building comprises over 223,000 sq ft of BREEAM Excellent / EPC Rating A office space, suitably aligning with x+why’s ESG values as a certified B Corp company.
A tactile, original aesthetic
Drawing inspiration from the hospitality industry and local architecture, Squire & Partners design have created a warm and welcoming atmosphere which aims to enhance productivity and creativity via a tactile, original aesthetic.
The city’s industrious heritage of innovation and craftsmanship proved a wealth of inspiration to the project design team, prompting contemporary interpretations of colours, shapes, and patterns observed in the fabric and ornamentation of the surrounding buildings. Purposefully designed to bring the outside in, the interior scheme delivers a cohesive look that is inherent of its place.
Pergo wood-look Laminate flooring
Domus’ Pergo wood-look Laminate engineered flooring sets a warm and inviting tone within the core workspace, instilling a soft, natural ambience to the space. Comprised of dense core material together with patented TitanX™ multilayer surface protection and water-resistant AquaSafe technology, its hard-wearing, easy-to-clean and maintain surface finish makes it an incredibly practical choice for commercial areas with heavy foot traffic. The resulting material offers exceptionally high-impact resistance, with a closed surface and tight click-joint, fully protecting the floor against water and other spillages, and a Bfl-s1 fire class rating.
Its true-to-nature wood effect surface is produced via an innovative, creative ‘registered embossing’ technique, authentically imparting the organic warmth of natural wood. Presenting deep grooves that perfectly reproduce the structure of natural brushed wood, Pergo Laminate’s soft matt finish flawlessly replicates that of real wood. Specified in a classic mid oak tone, Pergo Laminate delivers exceptional design together with high-level durability – making it an ideal, cost-effective alternative to natural wood.
Sustainability credentials
In a BREEAM Excellent / EPC Rating A office building and space managed by a B Corp-certified company, it was essential for the materials specified to fulfil crucial sustainable requirements.
A material with outstanding sustainable characteristics, Pergo Laminate proved the perfect option for the expansive flooring area. Sustainably produced in Belgium by manufacturers Unilin, 100% of the wood used in Pergo Laminate’s content is either recycled or byproducts from other industries, using renewable woods such as pine and spruce only, and never exotic woods or wood from forests or rainforests threatened with extinction.
Meanwhile, it’s PEFC accreditation guarantees sustainable management from forest to final product throughout the supply chain, ensuring a verified tracking mechanism for wood/wood-derived products and materials.
Domus’ Tierras tiles – designed by Patricia Urquiola for Mutina, add a discreetly bright, patterned element to the floor in a breakout bar area. Subtly referencing the brickwork detailing of the surrounding buildings, a mix of three terracotta tones used in a chequerboard layout adds warmth and interest to this socially focused area.
Textural glazed wall tiles
In a captivating, rich green colour, Domus’ Meld glazed porcelain brick-shaped tiles introduce a textural, multi-tonal glazed surface design detail to the bar splashback.
Imparting a characterful handcrafted look to x+why, these high-gloss, textured porcelain tiles convey a relaxed yet elegant aesthetic, artfully referencing Birmingham’s long-celebrated arts and crafts heritage.
Unique character
Domus’ Poise ceramic wall tiles are used to create a striking feature detail across a different bar zone. A rounded lozenge-shaped design in a zingy, teal colour – applied on the the splashback and bar front where gloss and matt finish tiles are mixed together, adding a subtle textural element.
A unique take on a traditional brick-shaped tile, the rounded shape adds an element of fun – introducing a playful retro detail whilst referencing the curves of the local period architecture and street signage, bringing a unique character to the socially oriented space.
Dynamic pattern
Elsewhere, x+why’s member’s only club space on the 18th storey uses Domus’ Puzzle glazed porcelain tiles on the floor, introducing a bold and dynamic, geometric patterned element to the interior scheme.
In a warm grey/brown tonal mix, the pattern detail perfectly complements the adjoining natural wood flooring. Puzzle’s eye-catching pattern detail ebbs and flows across the floor in front of the bar – bringing a unique, creative design element to the interior to help deliver an inspiring hybrid space, which closes the gap between work and play.
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