Posted on by Durham Flooring
The Assembly Rooms at Durham University

Durham Flooring Case Study

Assembly Rooms – Durham University

Samantha Watson – Director

The Project

Durham Flooring secured a project in 2019 through main Contractor Engie, for The Assembly Rooms at Durham University. The Assembly Rooms Theatre is a historic 220-seat proscenium arch theatre located in the centre of Durham. During term time, it primarily hosts the work of Durham Student Theatre’s 27 resident companies, and also presents the work of external and touring companies at other points in the year. In 2019 it went through a complete building overhaul refurbishment bringing the building back to life.

As part of this Durham Flooring carried out the flooring works throughout as subcontractor appointed by Engie.

The project process started in early 2019 initially through a number of onsite consultations working with Engie and PH Partnership Architects. Example of items discussed and resolved;

  • Product sampling and suitability with regard to the finishes schedule
  • Flooring substrate, how to improve and repair areas to concrete stairs.
  • Illuminated stair nosing options, to ensure that illumination direction was adequate for safety but not a visual distraction to the stage performances.
  • Schedule of works and working together with other trades.

To the auditorium Durham Flooring prepared the substrate with 9mm WBP plywood ring-shanked and feather finish compound applied, the finish flooring material was Desso Rock carpet tiles complimented with Gradus illuminated nosing’s to stair edges, ensuring lighting cabling to the nosing’s was enabled and discreetly fed through into the void underneath the auditorium. A discreet Gradus PVC trim was applied to edge of the stairs, in the seating areas to ensure no raw edge of carpet tiles was on display.

In the Bar area and circulation areas including the main steps leading from the entrance and foyer, Amtico Spacia 36+ was chosen for its pleasing aesthetic wood plank appearance, durability and slip-resistant particles and antimicrobial technology, for long-lasting performance. Gradus Xtra-Grip nosing’s were chosen for their extra traction and a contrasting insert with an LRV 30 points different from the colour of the Amtico flooring colour, this was important to ensure clear visibility of the stair edge. Before the stairs could be fitted with floor coverings, Durham Flooring created a system to rebuild the damage substrate to the stair edges, using Arditex repair mortar products and 9mm plywood to create a shuttering system that enabled a good smooth substrate before completing the floor finishes in Amtico.

In the back of house and WC areas Polyflor Wood FX safety flooring was used to create an impervious, easy to clean and maintain floor covering which in certain areas where required the flooring was self-cove and capped to the perimeter of the rooms for further hygiene and maintenance benefits.

Upstairs Flat area (back of house) a practical, durable and affordable Desso Essence carpet tile was supplied and installed throughout.