Dynamic and durable surfaces to liven up education spaces

Surfaces are the unsung heroes of school design. Because of their ubiquity, we tend to discount their impact on the overall bearing of a classroom, an auditorium, or a corridor. The following selection highlights floors that deliver on durability and aesthetics, tabletops that can withstand the most aggressive wear and tear, and easy-to-install wall applications that facilitate serious learning and inspire play. Some, like colorfully imaginative silk-screened appliqués, surprise, and others, like high-contrast tiles, dazzle. All make the grade.

a built-in hexagonal rug at the entrance of a school building — (Courtesy Construction Specialties)

Floormations FLM Honeycomb — Construction Specialties

a white floor panel with an organically flowing x pattern in black and gray — (Courtesy Cambria)

Hemsworth — Cambria

close up of a white corner stair with red speckled aggregate — (Courtesy Sherwin Williams)

High-Performance Flooring — Sherwin-Williams

Three geometric forms extending from the floor up the wall to outline study areas — (Courtesy Arden Studio)

Walscape — Arden Studio

A colorful, abstract wall display — (Courtesy Maharam)

Arche Noah by Sonnhild Kestler — Maharam