I’m sticking with you…
From the back, the wooden panels look like giant fridge magnets
When devising innovative solutions to construction conundrums, SOAS is poles apart from other design and build projects. This week – magnets.
In construction, the floor is usually one of the first things to be finished – which makes sense because otherwise the contractors would have to jetpack around the building site. However, once the floor has been laid, it has to be fitted with a protective covering to avoid the inevitable dirt and damage. This takes time and creates waste – particularly repellent on our build.
SOAS is about to become home to a pioneering new magnetic flooring technology. A steel flooring structure is to be constructed, which doesn’t require the usual levels of protection. The contractors can work on the hard-wearing floor, saving time and reducing the usual amount of construction waste. At the end of the project, the steel just needs to be cleaned and magnet-backed wooden flooring panels are laid on top of the magnetic steel, giving an attractive finish.
From the ground up – or rather, the magnetic floor to the glass roof – the North Block project will be a force to be reckoned with. One word of warning – don’t try lifting the magnetic wooden panels. The magnets are so strong you need a special device to lift them.
A demonstration of how the magnetic floor will lookFrom the back, the wooden panels look like giant fridge magnets