Located at its popular St John’s Campus, the university’s in-house estates team appointed Worcester Flooring Ltd to undertake the installation. Having previously been tasked with sanding and sealing the real wood parquet floor for the last twenty years, Worcester Flooring Ltd recommended Karndean in place of real wood.

Home to over 10,000 students and 1,000 staff, the university were looking to maintain the traditional look of parquet, but offer a modern and contemporary feel. Impressed with the intricate knots and realistic grains of Karndean’s Art Select Parquet, the university specified the golden hues of Auburn Oak Parquet in a classic herringbone design.

“Responsible for replacing an original feature, we didn’t want to lose the look of real wood or striking parquet design,” explains Mark Evans, head of estate services at University of Worcester.

He said: “Both our dining room and reception were prone to scuffs and indentations from high heeled shoes, so having our Karndean parquet floor, we’ll be able easily maintain our floor and ensure it retains its beauty for longer.”

Matthew Speck, head of commercial sales at Karndean Designflooring, said: “It would have been a real shame for the University of Worcester to lose the realistic look of real wood parquet, especially as it has always been an established feature in their dining hall.

“With our Art Select Parquet, the university can reduce on-going maintenance costs and be confident the floor will accommodate the regular, heavy traffic in this busy area.

“Importantly, the team has successfully reinvented the space and introduced a modern edge, whilst maintaining a traditional herringbone design.”

As part of an on-going refurbishment project, the university has also replaced dated terrazzo tiles and carpet in its main reception area and corridor with Karndean’s Art Select Blond Oak Parquet.

Available with a recently extended 20 year commercial guarantee, the complete Karndean Art Select Parquet collection features seven unique designs.