Lancaster, Pa.—Armstrong Flooring has named Jenna Niemann of Klingner & Associates, Quincy, Ill., the winner of its See the Possibilities VCT design contest. In her winning entry, Niemann incorporated the bright colors of Armstrong’s VCT to help students navigate their way around Lincoln-Douglas Elementary School in the Quincy Public School District.
“Jenna captured the right balance of energy, creativity and safety—three elements of design that are critical for a productive learning environment,” said Morgan Lucente, Armstrong Flooring design manager. “She used our VCT products in an innovative way and extrapolated the floor design to every surface of the school, resulting in a comprehensive and powerful finished product.”
Niemann is a registered interior designer and architectural designer who has worked for Klingner & Associates for seven years. She said one aspect of the elementary school project was to avoid the feeling that the building was too large and institutionalized.
“This challenge inspired the design team to use the floor plan to create a tight-knit school community,” Niemann said. “Two wings, or ‘neighborhoods,’ are grouped by developmental stage: grades K-2 and grades 3-5. At the center of each wing is a multiuse media center with corridor branches to each grade level pod, or ‘family.’
“Clear wayfinding was a key design piece and was established through the use of bright colors and shapes assigned to each grade,” Niemann said. “There is also a color stripe to provide wayfinding to the gymnasium, which doubled as the tornado shelter, and also a dashed line, that led to the school nurse.”
Launched in October 2018, Armstrong Flooring’s design contest invited architects and designers to submit their designs using Armstrong VCT for a chance to win the grand prize: a trip for two to Palm Springs, Calif. The contest drew entries from designers across the country.
“Our contest was meant to show how designers are pushing the boundaries of color and pattern using our VCT collection as their palette,” Lucente said. “The contest entrants didn’t disappoint. Bright and vibrant schools, healthcare facilities bursting with positive energy, retail shops showcasing eye-popping color—these are the types of spaces that came to life through Armstrong Flooring’s VCT. Congratulations to Jenna and the many others who submitted creative, innovative designs.”
To see Niemann’s winning entry as well as other submissions go to the See the Possibilities page on the Armstrong Flooring website.