Gradus Offers New Look for Retail Giant

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Committed to retaining its local presence and historic links with Weymouth, fashion retailer New Look has undergone regeneration of its Mercery Road site as part of the Weymouth Gateway development.

The purpose built New Look Support Centre is a modern three-storey building located at the entrance to the development. The finished look is one of clean modern elevations, substantially glazed to maximise the use of natural light and make the most of the spectacular view from upper levels.

Gradus’ XT aluminium stair edgings with Snowdrift (white) interior insert were installed to both the main and back staircases in the impressive new building. The Gradus XT range of stair edgings has been developed in line with The Building Regulations 2000 Approved Document M (ADM), BS8300:2009+A1:2010 and BRE guidelines, to provide the ultimate solution in reducing trips and slips on interior stairs.

Incorporating a slip-resistant material that extends around the leading edge of the stair edging to ensure maximum safety underfoot, the XT range features a locking mechanism to secure the insert in place. The Snowdrift (white) inserts also provide a solid band of colour that delivers visual contrast with the dark grey carpet and the recommended 30 points difference in Light Reflectance Value (LRV), in line with guidelines in BS8300:2009+A1:2010, Approved Document M of The Building Regulations 2000 and the Equality Act 2010.

Esplanade Plus primary barrier matting with Boulevard 5000HD wipers in Jackdaw (black) was installed in the main entrance, helping to reduce the number of slip, trip and fall accidents. Esplanade Plus is suitable for use in areas of heavy foot and wheeled traffic and removes heavy soiling and moisture ingress at the point of entry, this can help to maintain the lifecycle of surrounding floorcoverings and increase safety for the many staff and visitors using the building. To provide a co-ordinated system, the building’s side entrances were fitted with Boulevard 5000HD secondary barrier carpet, also in Jackdaw (black), which offers excellent moisture and appearance retention properties and features a light scraper fibre for optimum dirt removal.

Gradus’ Times Square carpet tiles in Grey were installed throughout the building, in order to create a modern and easy-to-maintain interior which complements the fashion lead design of the new building. The Times Square range is designed to be installed randomly on the floor, reducing installation time and wastage and allowing easy replacement of individual tiles, as no pattern matching is required. The range benefits from being awarded the green guide ‘A’ rating for commercial office under the BRE’s Global environmental profile scheme, a 12 year wear warranty, and a lifetime anti-static warranty. Times Square carpet tiles are hardwearing and durable enough to cope with large volumes of foot and wheeled traffic and offer excellent acoustic properties which make it an ideal choice for a busy office environment.

Sue McLaughlin, Facilities Manager for the new New Look Support Center said: “The decision on our choice of carpet tiles for our brand new building was a lengthy one. As a fashion company we were all keen to have something stylish yet hard wearing and we had several conversations around colour. However, the final decision was made based on something that looked and felt good yet and at the same time was forgiving in not showing up tea and coffee stains which is something that comes with 300+ staff. 

“We then injected colour into the accessories used on each of the three floors – glass splash backs, hanging pendant lights, cushions, rugs and branding on our walls. The final result was exactly what we wanted and looks amazing.”

For further information on the full range of products available from Gradus, please contact 01625 428922