Armed with the design brief of transforming an underutilised storage room into a welcoming and joyful space for young residents of the Thames Quarter build-to-rent development, interior designers Johnson Ribolla turned to Forbo Flooring Systems, with its flooring solutions ticking the boxes for colour and functionality.
Thames Quarter is a residential, build-to-rent development in Reading. Featuring 315 apartments, a cinema, private dining rooms and roof terraces, the emphasis was placed on creating a dynamic, ‘small town’ community. Johnson Ribolla, a creative architecture and interior design agency founded in London 2014, worked on the wider project, appointed to deliver the interior design scheme across the development.
Once construction had completed and residents had begun to move in, it became apparent that there was a higher volume of children than initially expected, with calls for a bespoke space to be created, allowing the younger residents to meet and play together safely.
Speaking about the project, Giacomo Ribolla, Director at Johnson Ribolla, said: “Unlike in other European countries, it’s not generally common for the UK build-to-rent market to provide a child-centric space and play area – which is why it was so great to have the opportunity to create exactly that on the Thames Quarter development. Using a large and previously unutilised storage area, we really wanted to transform the space into the “Kids Quarter”: a vibrant and joyful area for the young residents to make their own.
“A key challenge of the Kids Quarter fit-out was how we could create multiple different zones within the single space, including a play area, cinema, and arts and craft space, with the flooring playing an important role in delivering this. Having worked with Forbo Flooring Systems before, we knew that their portfolio of solutions would provide us with the range of textures and colourways needed, whilst also providing the long-term performance expected.”
Johnson Ribolla specified Forbo’s Marmoleum throughout the play and craft areas, in various green tones from the Real, Fresco and Walton ranges. Independently certified as climate positive (carbon negative) cradle to gate, without offsetting, Marmoleum is a sustainable, natural flooring solution renowned for its durability. For every one sqm of Marmoleum made, 663g of CO2 is removed from the atmosphere
Giacomo continued: “Given that we expected the area to be heavily used, we needed a single-finish flooring that was both easy to clean and maintain. From a design perspective, given the lack of natural light, we were also relying on the flooring to bring some much-needed brightness and colour into the space.
“Our choice of Marmoleum not only brings in a burst of colour, with such a wide range of colourways to choose from, but it also ensures durability and easy maintenance, being incredibly robust and long-lasting. The green tones used added an element of nature and freshness, creating an inviting environment for play and learning.
“Its carbon credentials were another advantage. As interior designers, we are always looking for products and materials that can help to enhance the sustainability of a scheme. Created from up to 98% natural raw materials, and being PVC and Phthalate free, we were confident that it would contribute to the health and well-being of the residents using the space, especially the younger children. It was reassuring to know they would be sitting and playing on an inherently natural floor covering, rather than something that was artificial or plastic.”
The Kids Quarter also included a cinema space, with a range of seating options, including beanbags. Understandably, the design brief was different for this zone, as Giacomo explained: “For the flooring, we needed something that was soft and comfortable, like a carpet, but was still durable and cleanable. Forbo’s Flotex ticked all of these boxes. It’s a completely unique product, offering a textile feel while also being incredibly hard-wearing.
“We opted for quite a funky geometric pattern from Forbo’s ‘created by galeote’ collection, in keeping with the wider scheme aesthetic. It works really well in stark contrast to the bright Marmoleum, helping to define the area where children can sit on the floor for movie watching or engage with the more abstract seating options. The use of darker tones provides a cosy, cinema-like atmosphere, enhancing the experience of those using the space.
“We’re truly delighted with the final results and the feedback has been excellent from residents. The Kids Quarter is a testament to how innovative design can repurpose and revitalise spaces, making them both practical and enjoyable for their young users.”
For more information, please visit: www.forbo-flooring.co.uk