Architect and Builder September 2020 | Page 57

NEWSWORTHY ULTRA-HYGIENIC NORA RUBBER FLOORING ADDED TO INTERFACE RANGE With building materials now increasingly important to help reduce the transfer risk of infectious diseases, the launching in South Africa of ultra-hygienic Interface Nora premium rubber flooring has come at the right time. KBAC Flooring, sole SA distributor of Interface, will be stocking and installing Nora flooring, which is now part of the Interface range after the company acquired the German company, Nora Systems Gmbh. The acquisition turned out to be well-timed as hygienists worldwide are now focussing on the creation of safe environments for patients to prevent hospital-acquired infections. Made from high-quality natural and industrial rubber mixed with natural components, Interface Nora floors are coating-free, easy to clean and can be completely disinfected – the ideal choice for high-risk areas that must be sanitised frequently, such as operating theatres, recovery rooms, intensive care units, and isolation areas. Due to their dense non-porous rubber surfaces, and the fact that the rubber flooring is either grouted or seamlessly laid, Interface Nora floors repel germs and prevent bacterial propagation. This results in valuable benefits for hospitals that include: • Being dimensionally stable, the floors never shrink, ensuring all seams are permanently sealed; • Torn, unsanitary joints cannot develop; • The surface remains permanently hygienic - even at the joints. Joint-free installation, in fact, is a particularly important point noted by infection control experts. A study by the Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hospital Hygiene at the University of Marburg in Germany, endorsed this view. Prof Reinier Mutters, head of hospital hygiene at the institute, afterwards said: “With coverings that are not dimensionally stable, joints can rupture resulting in unhygienic cracks. Joints collect dirt more easily than the flat surface of the floor so the resulting build-up of bacteria can be avoided with tight end-to-end installation." Because of Interface Nora’s elastic properties, the floors do not require any plasticisers, film or varnish, which means that they will never need coating and still look new after many years of use. www.kbacflooring.co.za KENT ARMCHAIR BY LEMON Lemon’s latest release is the Kent armchair. Designed by interior designer Yaniv Chen of Master Studio, it’s the latest in a series of new launches from the brand as the collection expands and evolves - and the first chair from Chen. It’s a creative partnership that’s born out of a mutual vision for beautiful, enduring design and the shared goal of producing memorable but versatile pieces that can stand alone as well as work in a scheme. For the design of the Kent, Chen honed in on 1950s design, and more specifically, Italian 1950s designs. ‘A lot of inspiration came from my trips to Italy and various 1950s homes I visited. But I also looked at furniture - like the 811 chair by Gio Ponti - and even drew inspiration from the seats in the Mercedes Benz 300s from 1951, he elaborates. In the Kent, these functional elements - the fabric, proportions, feel - also serve to emphasise its midcentury references. ‘I feel that a piece’s detailing, even its ergonomics can take someone back in time. I like that someone will sit in this chair and feel a subtle sense of nostalgia,’ he says. www.lemon.za.com Interior Watch 57