George Forbes Building Lincoln Uni
Posted August 27, 2025
Our commercial team are proud to have been involved in stage 3 of the refurbishment of the George Forbes Building at Lincoln University. Led by Leighs Construction, this project spanned over many months and involved multiple trades and services. It required detailed organisation and extremely well planned operations to run smoothly. Our team spent a total of 8 weeks on site completing the various spaces.
Originally opened as a single-storey building in 1960, when Lincoln University had a roll of only 300 students, the George Forbes Building has since seen many extensions. Today it stands as an eight-storey building that houses communal learning spaces, academic departments and the student services department. The recent refurbishment which we contributed to, focused on the communal learning spaces and student services department.
A space that numerous staff, students and visitors use every day, it was important that the ground level had flooring that could handle this heavy foot traffic while still creating a space that was inviting and comfortable. A combination of carpet tiles were chosen, including the Natural Elevation range from Godfrey Hirst and the Tretford collection from Advance Flooring. Both designed for extra heavy duty commercial use, the carpet tiles are required to stand up to the daily demands of extremely high traffic. Made from 100% New Zealand wool, Natural Elevation carpet tiles are naturally stain resistant while also providing excellent acoustic and moisture absorption properties. Wool is an exceptionally renewable resource so these carpet tiles are also a sustainable option. This is an important consideration for modern designers and specifiers when working on projects, especially those of a large scale, like this one. Another sustainable choice, Treftford carpet tiles from Advance Flooring are made from over 70% natural Cashmere goat hair and feature a timeless ribbed design. This makes them an extremely hardwearing, easy-care and stylish flooring option. The combination of these two different carpet tiles has resulted in flooring that is highly practical in performance and maintenance without compromising on aesthetics.
The lay out of the carpet tiles is also well considered – providing definition for different zones and spaces as well as directing foot traffic and creating visual interest. Main walkways feature the Natural Elevation carpet tile in Perendale Fleece which is contrasted by the study spaces either side which feature the same carpet tile but in the lighter colour of Drysdale Fleece. The information and computer area is marked by Tretford tiles in colour Caribbean. A bright injection of colour and energy that greets you as you enter the building, they also provide balance to the darker tones of the Natural Elevation carpet tiles. There are also a number of small breakout rooms and wellness rooms, each of these featuring a different colourful carpet.
The combination of different colours of carpet tiles and their layout was a simple but effective way to create walkways and define different spaces and zones. The contrasting colours also provide visual interest.
The clever use of different tones, lines and curves in the flooring of this building make it feel warm and inviting, a far cry from the stark aesthetic of traditional educational buildings. Paired with the timber feature cladding on the ceilings, soft furnishings and vibrant furniture, it is a well-balanced and comfortable space designed for students to enjoy and succeed in their learning.