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Interface opens the doors to the Awarehouse

Unique Customer Experience Centre with Design, Innovation and Sustainability Built-In

Dubai, UAE, 14^th March, 2012: InterfaceFLOR, a worldwide leader in the design and manufacture of stylish, high-performance carpet tiles, has today launched the Awarehouse - a stunning new state-of-the-art brand experience and learning centre for customers and partners in Europe, Middle East, Africa and India.

Reflecting InterfaceFLOR's heritage in design and sustainability, the Awarehouse has been created by transforming a disused factory building in Scherpenzeel, The Netherlands into a beautiful, functional, and inspiring space.

Dutch architects Claessens Erdmann collaborated with InterfaceFLOR VP of Branding Michele Iacovitti to design an innovative, multi-functional space with a variety of areas and zones; these include office space, a sustainability corner, product and brand experience areas, a gallery where new products and the work of emerging artists can be displayed, meeting rooms, as well as a hi-tech hospitality suite, complete with video wall and theatre, which can host up to 400 visitors.

The building showcases the sheer range and diversity of InterfaceFLOR products, while providing a real life example of sustainable construction and design. Neutral carpet tiles provide a blank canvas in the main space, with different textures and patterns used to create walkways that lead people through the building.

The overall feeling is one of openness, space and light with few walls - other than those in the original structure - and bright vibrant carpet tiles used to define areas for different activities.

Michele Iacovitti enthuses, "We are absolutely thrilled with our new Awarehouse and can't wait to show it off to our customers and partners. For me it is a true celebration of the InterfaceFLOR creative spirit and an expression of everything we stand for.

"It captures our strength in design, our passion for innovation, our desire to keep abreast of the latest trends and to inspire our people and everyone we do business with. However, the Awarehouse not only looks spectacular; it is also a very functional space where we can work, collaborate, share knowledge and ideas and a space that has been designed to cause minimal harm to the environment. This is design with purpose at its most beautiful!"

Sustainable design in action

Recycled and sustainable materials have been used exclusively in the build and design of the Awarehouse, right down to the building itself, which was previously a factory.

Every effort has been made to retain as much of the old factory as possible and the architects have reused whatever they could from the demolished building and recycled the rest to eliminate waste.

To boost energy efficiency, the building has been superinsulated. It is heated using recovered process heat from InterfaceFLOR's manufacturing facility at Scherpenzeel, which is transferred through the building as underfloor heating via Intercell - an innovative cable management system from InterfaceFLOR.

Second hand materials are used to great effect, with reclaimed train tracks providing the wood within the Awarehouse, vintage chairs furnishing the meeting rooms, and the company's exhibition stands from last year's Ecobuild and Milan Design Week shows providing stylish decoration and creating wow factor.

© Press Release 2012

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