Design.

Dr. Edward Owusu-Ansah, Dean of the Library at WPU, sought to redesign the campus’s Cheng Library to become an engaging, exciting place where students would want to spend more time. “We are a majority minority institution, and a lot of our students are first-generation college students,” says Owusu-Ansah. “Our dedication to supporting them has always been here.” His vision for the library was to have a place that extended and enhanced that support. “We wanted vibrant color, comfort, endurance and to have everything work together–and fit our budget.”

The contractor for the entire project, RFS Commercial, notes that creating this kind of environment meant orchestrating a range of flooring products. “Multiple finishes were going to be needed,” says Michael Pizzuto, Senior Estimator at RFS Commercial. “Soft surface, hard surface, wall base, stair systems, transitions—this is a three-story library with a wide range of spaces and functions, and it all needed to be seamless.”