St. Edmund's Academy Case Study

Sector: Education
Client: St. Edmund’s Academy
Location: Pittsburgh, Pa.
Area: 12,000ft²
Product: Opus collection, Niveus WP411, Magna WP413 and Argen WP414

The Challenge

Established in 1947, St. Edmund’s Academy is a private co-ed school, preschool through eighth grade, in Pittsburgh. With a growing student population and evolving approaches to learning, the school initiated an expansion and renovation project.

Phase 1:

A new Center for Integrated Discovery (CID), a modern space to foster the connections between physical, emotional, intellectual and aesthetic learning.

“As an expansion of our historic school building, we wanted the CID spaces to feel modern and bright, sparking joy and creativity,” said Diana McAllister, the school’s director of finance and operations.

Phase 2:

The school replaced the flooring in the older building to refresh classrooms and create continuity from space to space.

“Our classrooms had carpet, and the hallways had vinyl composition tile. A big priority was giving the spaces new life with brighter and more modern colors,” McAllister said.

From a performance standpoint, durability was a key consideration for an environment with heavy foot traffic and the wear and tear of sliding chairs and desks.

“It was also really important that the floor be easy to clean, with hundreds of students and adults moving throughout the building every day,” McAllister said.

The Solution

In collaboration with interior designers, three wood-inspired designs – a light, a medium and a dark – were selected from Karndean’s Opus collection: Niveus WP411, Magna WP413 and Argen WP414. Opus is a gluedown LVT collection with a 20 mil wear layer, backed by a 15-year commercial warranty. Like all Karndean LVT, the flooring is waterproof, hygienic, slip-resistant and easy to clean. No harsh chemicals or noisy machinery are required for maintenance.

“We needed a product that would wear well and retain its beauty for years to come,” said Meghan Bollens, director of advancement at St. Edmund’s. “Keeping maintenance costs low was also a consideration, given our resources as a nonprofit with limited capital resources.”

The Results

McAllister and Bollens received positive feedback about the flooring from teachers and students.

“The teachers who work in these spaces are thrilled with the modern aesthetic and cleanliness of the product,” Bollens said. “They are glad to have moved away from carpeting, which they felt collected dust and germs. And when our students returned from summer break, they noticed the new floors and were so excited.”

Opus Product Specifications

Download the full Opus gluedown technical sheet.

Explore the Opus collection.

*Subject to terms
**Slip resistance is measured on ex-factory product. Slip resistance can be affected by surface contamination, use and how the product is maintained
*** (6” Concrete Slab w/Drop Ceiling)
**** (6” Concrete Slab w/Drop Ceiling + QuietChoice)