NATURAL ALTERNATIVE

For the new BNZ offices, the flooring had to be durable, environmentally sound and aesthetically pleasing. To accommodate a high-traffic area such as the staff room, the designers selected bamboo from Bamboo Flooring Systems as the solution.

Sound was a primary concern. To ensure it would be long lasting, hard wearing and quiet, the floor was installed on acoustic underlay and glued down with a moisture seal.

The designers also wanted a dark-looking wood that would be in keeping with the rest of the interior, so they chose an Ecodure plank in Horizontal Coffee. A natural carbonisation process is used to permanently darken the colour of the bamboo.

Bamboo is more environmentally sustainable than traditional hardwood flooring, which was another priority for this interior fit-out. Once harvested, bamboo takes only 5-6 years to grow back, compared to traditional hardwood which takes between 30-50 years.

Paul Page, managing director of Bamboo Flooring Systems, says that the advantage of using bamboo is its flexibility.

"Bamboo can look very bamboo-like' or it can be treated to look like a timber. There are 13 different types or we can create a custom floor. As New Zealand's most experienced bamboo specialists, each project we undertake is managed from start to finish. This enables us to approach each situation separately and provide specialist solutions," he says.

BAMBOO FLOORING SYSTEMS

PO Box 91593, Victoria Street West, Auckland 1142Phone (09) 489 3602 Fax (09) 489 3604www.bambooflooring.co.nz sales@bambooflooring.co.nz

Story by: Trendsideas