Outstanding in form and function: IVC’s Flooring Development Centre
Originally designed by architect duo J. Verbauwhede and P. Vandekerkhove in the late 1980s, the Brutalist-style building is not only easily recognisable, it’s also registered as a heritage site. In other words, Glenn Sestig had a double mission: to respect the construction’s original distinctiveness while fulfilling IVC’s contemporary expectations. The building’s idiosyncratic shape likely was the result of a specific request from the original client. It’s truly one-of-a-kind and has become iconic locally. The main concern was to make the design more contemporary and functional by adding or removing as little as possible to the existing structure. The new Flooring Development Centre had to become an inspiring place where customers, designers and architects from around the globe can intuitively discover IVC’s latest designs, innovations and R&D developments. In modernising the building, a lot of attention was given to energy efficiency and environmental design, which even makes it eligible for LEED certification. This includes heat recovery ventilation, a free cooling network, solar panels on the roofs of nearby warehouses and low-energy LED lighting systems with motion and daylight detectors.
Offices
Providing an inspirational setting is also what guided Glenn Sestig in revamping the first and second floors of the Flooring Development Centre. The goals of enabling collaboration and ensuring the wellbeing of IVC’s employees had to reign supreme. In terms of both acoustics and ergonomics, we made sure that the office areas adhere to the highest standards.
We gave each floor a different aesthetic identity that fits the teams that will be working there. On the first floor, the commercial teams will feel at home in an office area that plays with greenish tones and contrasting materials that blend harmoniously together. On the second floor, however, dark reddish colours set a more intense tone to provide our creative teams with a stimulating setting that’s made to measure. All in all, the Flooring Development Centre is a telling example of how a building can tie architecture and materials together into one aesthetic whole that brings a company’s vision to life. In IVC’s case, the building has become a place where the international group can truly showcase its innovative efforts in developing technical, aesthetic, comfortable and durable materials to the entire world.
Development Centre
In addition to modernizing the building’s aesthetics and functionality, creating an intuitive foot traffic plan was also essential. There are four major shafts in the building that we decided to strip down to the core — revealing their raw concrete texture, so that they are instantly perceived as the building’s main pillars. As such, they serve as the main circulation elements and help optimise the movement of customers, employees and other visitors through IVC’s new Flooring Development department.
From the moment they walk in, visitors embark on a physical customer journey. As they wait at the reception desk, for example, visual elements and touch screen installations invite them to learn about the past and prospects of IVC Group. Next, the Innovation Corner allows them to discover their recent flooring innovations and promising R&D efforts. After this, visitors step into the showroom area where they get to know the flooring materials.
Each section also exudes its own identity. For example, the IVC Commercial Library has the ambience of a modern flooring materials library targeting a broad audience of international designers, architects and project developers. Meanwhile, the Moduleo House has a more domestic feel and displays flooring materials in a way that highlights attainability and comfort.
Material Used :
1. Aluminum – Façade – Already existing
2. Concrete – Interior and Exterior – Sandblasted – Already Existing
3. Vinyl Flooring - IVC Group – LVT – MYSTO 946
4. Vinyl Flooring - IVC Group – LVT – EDEN WALNUT 28843
5. Vinyl Flooring - IVC Group – LVT – THUNDER OAK 995 DIVINO EMBOSSED
6. Vinyl Flooring - IVC Group – LVT – MYSTO 164
7. Vinyl Flooring - IVC Group – LVT – CASTLE OAK 55935
8. Vinyl Flooring - IVC Group – LVT – LATIN PINE 24868 BASKET WEAVE SLIM
9. Vinyl Flooring - IVC Group – Moduleo – IMPRESS SHADES 62220
10. Vinyl Flooring - IVC Group – Moduleo – TRAPEZOID VERDON OAK
11. Vinyl Flooring - IVC Group – Moduleo – IMPRESS SANTA CRUZ 59823
12. Vinyl Flooring - IVC Group – Moduleo – COUNTRY OAK + MUSTANG SLATE
13. Vinyl Flooring - IVC Group – Moduleo – BLACKJACK OAK 22220 + 22229
14. Vinyl Flooring - IVC Group – Moduleo – PERSIAN WALNUT 20843
15. Vinyl Flooring - IVC Group – Moduleo – VENETIAN STONE 46949
16. Vinyl Flooring - IVC Group – Moduleo – LAUREL OAK 51222
17. Vinyl Flooring - IVC Group – Moduleo – LAUREL OAK 51822
18. Carpet Tile – IVC Group – STREET THREAD
19. Carpet Tile – IVC Group – LICHEN
20. Carpet Tile – IVC Group – EARTH TO SKY - INTERCOSMIC 989
21. Carpet Tile – IVC Group – EARTH TO SKY - INTERCOSMIC 889
22. Carpet Tile – IVC Group – ART EXPOSURE TRUSTED GUIDE 958
23. Carpet Tile – IVC Group – SHARED PATH 958
24. Carpet Tile – IVC Group – ART EXPOSURE - POPULAR ATTRACTION 959
25. Carpet Tile – IVC Group – ART EXPOSURE - POPULAR ATTRACTION 924
26. Carpet Tile – IVC Group – ART EXPOSURE - POPULAR ATTRACTION 853
27. Carpet Tile – IVC Group – EARTH TO SKY - INTERCOSMIC 868
28. Carpet Tile – IVC Group – SHARED PATH 853
29. Ceramic Tiles - Marazzi – Interior pieces such as reception desk – Ceppo Di Gre
30. Sun Screens by Renson
31. Unilin – Evola – Pure Concrete Light F989
32. Unilin – Evola – U129 Shadow
33. Unilin – Evola – U146 Gloudy Grey
34. System Walls – Maars Jansen – Lalinea – Black
35. Black Laquered Glass – AGC
36. Bronze Mirror – AGC
37. Grey Mirror - AGC
