Tarkett's Second Annual Healthy Building Summit Focuses on Empowering Facility Managers

SOLON, Ohio, Dec. 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- To create dialogue around the biggest challenges in designing and maintaining healthy schools and universities, Tarkett recently hosted its second annual Healthy Building Summit. The collaborative two-day workshop, held at Tarkett's Chicago showroom, brought together dozens of professionals from a variety of disciplines, including architects, school administrators and facility managers, creating a space for these diverse perspectives to be heard and understood, ultimately advancing the ways we provide healthier spaces for students, educators and staff. 

"Each role within the education system brings a unique perspective and experience of the space, but too often, we're giving design teams conflicting direction without understanding each other's points of view," said Jonathan Stanley, director of education for Tarkett. "We just don't know what we don't know. But getting on the same page helps us move forward with more educated and purposeful decisions and gives our students healthier buildings in the process."

Among the key takeaways from this year's event was the role of facility managers and their need for greater support from the architectural and design industry. Facility maintenance departments have an enormous impact on the health of a school building yet are often underfunded and left out of initial design and construction decisions. Attendees of the summit discussed the need for facility managers to have access to stronger collaborative partnerships in the industry that can provide training and follow up post-occupancy.

Flooring contributes to several areas that can impact people's overall well-being within a space, including indoor air quality, acoustics, maintenance procedures and design aesthetic. For example, flooring can aid in creating flexible spaces that support a neurodiverse student body by establishing collaborative vs. focused zones, wayfinding and more. Also, products that carry the CERTIFIED asthma & allergy friendly^® designation by Allergy Standards Ltd., such as Tarkett's Powerbond^® RS hybrid carpet, can help reduce indoor pollutants that exacerbate these issues.

Despite the importance of selecting healthy materials, resource restrictions can often stand in the way of prioritizing health and wellness. According to Stanley, "Tarkett is committed to making heathy materials more accessible to everyone. Instead of charging a premium for a small collection of responsible products, we optimize all our material selections throughout our portfolio. Not only are they more responsibly manufactured, but our solutions are also engineered to be durable and easily maintained—so they're cost-efficient throughout their lifespan, not just at the initial purchase."

"The attendees at our Healthy Building Summit identified several paths forward for championing healthier school buildings, particularly in disadvantaged communities where students are most at risk," added Stanley. "From involving the community early in building projects to incorporating public health research into design, there are many practical actions we can take."

Learn more about Tarkett's inclusive design approach to education environments on the company website.

About Tarkett
With a history of more than 140 years, Tarkett is a worldwide leader in innovative and sustainable flooring and sports surface solutions, generating net sales of € 3.4 billion in 2022. The Group has 12,000 employees, 25 R&D centers, 8 recycling centers and 34 production sites. Tarkett designs and manufactures solutions for hospitals, schools, housing, hotels, offices, stores and sports fields, serving customers in over 100 countries. To build "The Way to Better Floors," the Group is committed to circular economy and sustainability, in line with its Tarkett Human‐Conscious Design® approach. Tarkett is listed on the Euronext regulated market (compartment B, ISIN: FR0004188670, ticker: TKTT). www.tarkett‐group.com

Proof in Every Step
For years, Tarkett has raised the sustainability standards of the flooring industry. It purposefully designs floors with total transparency to create healthier, safer spaces for both people and planet. When Tarkett floors reach their end of life, the company's ReStart^® program makes it possible for them to be repurposed or recycled. Tarkett's near-term science-based carbon emissions reduction targets have been validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and are fully aligned with the Paris Climate Agreement objective to limit global warming by 1.5 degrees Celsius. For more information, visit https://contract.tarkett.com/proofineverystep.

SOURCE Tarkett