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Design is Shifting
 By Reesie Duncan
When it comes to flooring, variety of choice can overwhelm today’s designers specializing in commercial spaces. Carpet, hardwood, resilient, ceramic and laminate all present performance and aesthetic benefits for the work place. Yet, it is modular carpet tile that continues to dominate as the flooring material of choice in the modern office, and increasingly in hospitals, schools and government environments. So why has carpet tile taken so much share from broadloom and other flooring choices? Let’s examine the popular modular trends for 2010 and beyond, and why designers continue to specify carpet tile at an increasing rate.
Functional Installation
Modular delivers an increased amount of flexibility for both the designer and the end user. In a number of sectors that historically used broadloom carpet, modular carpet tile is the current product of choice. In a recent survey of commercial designers, 63 percent of respondents claim to be purchasing or specifying more carpet tile than in the past, a 9 percent increase from 2008.
Market segments are also seeing a shift in product usage. Education and healthcare settings, which are predominantly broadloom carpet markets, are embracing carpet tiles at a greater rate. From a maintenance perspective, end users are gravitating toward modular because individual tiles can be selectively replaced if necessary, without having to reinstall the entire floor and disrupt patient comfort or class schedules.
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Flexible Design
Designers are able to think freely with modular – the borders of creativity are broken down due to the product’s variety of installation methods. A pattern can take on a completely different look if installed in a quarter-turn or brick fashion, for example. Randomly installed tiles can mix dye lots for added convenience. Traditionally available in squares of varying sizes, some manufacturers are now introducing rectangular plank tiles, adding an entirely new dimension of installation options, such as a herringbone or boxed-in pattern. The installation method of modular tile provides designers with an additional layer of design opportunity beyond color and pattern.
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The design flexibility of modular carpet is being leveraged more than ever, as designers mix styles and colors together to create their own design on the floor. By mixing patterns and colors in different ways, custom areas can be created without the additional step of creating a custom product. Collections are being designed to coordinate and compliment other lines within a manufacturer’s catalog as an added tool for designers. While neutral color continues to dominate many settings, bold accent colors are being used to create energy in a space and align with corporate brand identity.
The Evolving Workplace
Changes within the corporate workplace are driving modular innovations. Companies are bringing down physical walls within an office to create more collaborative spaces and maximize real estate. Furniture and wall systems are being designed to be moveable, creating a custom, multi-faceted space where use of modular tile is ideal to capture a space’s flexibility. As walls come down within the office, rectangular tiles, for example, capture and enhance the scale of these larger open spaces.
Sustainable Design
Recyclability and recycled content remain the two most important environmental aspects of modular carpet. Manufacturers are finding new methods to increase the amount of recycled content available in their products, particularly to reduce raw material use and increase contribution toward LEED certification. Some companies are marketing recyclable, PVC-free tiles that can be remade into new carpet in a closed-loop cycle. Reclamation programs, where the manufacturer will collect used tiles at the end of their useful life, provide a hassle-free means to prevent carpet from being sent to the landfill. Third-party certifications, such as Cradle to Cradle, NSF-140, and CRI Green Label Plus, are valuable means to assess the environmental attributes of the myriad products available today. Designers continue to demand performance and sustainable attributes without sacrificing aesthetics.
Modular carpet tiles deliver functionality for the modern office, flexibility for creative installation, and sustainability for green building. As modular tiles continue to occupy spaces where broadloom and other flooring materials once dominated, designers will leverage the immense range of product options available to create new spaces for the changing commercial environment.
Reesie Duncan is the creative director for Shaw Contract Group. www.shawcontractgroup.com.
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