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Source: http://www.doksinet Project Profile: University of Southern California Student Housing Location: Los Angeles, CA on the floor: uncommon ground Since its founding in 1880, the University of Southern California has established itself as a world-class institution. To maintain this standard, every aspect of the universityfrom its facilities to its facultymust reflect this high standing. At the same time, attracting and retaining the best and brightest students in the world has become a highly competitive business. Today, perhaps nowhere on campus does this meeting of priorities manifest itself in a physical way more so than through the university’s student housing. “ We were sold on the product’s performance and cleanability.” – Daniel Moran, Associate Director, USC Housing Modern Durability & Style A university’s residential housing program has proven to be an extremely important aspect of a student’s overall academic experience, as the type of living

environment a student selects can positively influence his or her academic career. USC Housing provides living arrangements for 7,000 undergraduate and graduate studentsthe equivalency of a small American city. So, when it comes time for an improvement at one of these facilities, the job is not taken lightly. Two years ago it was determined that several USC-owned apartment complexes across the campus were due for a face lift. Work on these apartments included new interior painting, replacement of lighting and bathroom fixtures, and the complete overhaul of each complex’s living and dining room furniture. A major key to these improvements was also the replacement of the existing flooring product with a new flooring solution from Shaw Commercial Hard Surface. Shaw’s Uncommon Ground, a luxury vinyl plank that combines www.shawhardsurfacecom the highest level of durability and style, was installed in eighty apartments. Over the summer months, the product was installed at the

university’s Century Apartments, the largest of all the installations done to-date. Century Apartments, originally built in 1979 by the Department of Urban Development, has been a popular living choice for Trojan students for decades. Located directly across from campus, the complex is comprised of two buildings consisting of 108 one-bedroom units and 352 two-bedroom units. The complex also features a range of modern amenities, including a large central recreation room with 42-inch TVs, billiards and table tennis, as well as an outdoor swimming pool, patio, basketball court and beach volleyball court. When it came time for USC Housing to modernize the flooring for the new Century Apartments, Uncommon Ground was the product they chose after reviewing several flooring options. Source: http://www.doksinet The “Perfect” Flooring Solution “As a 33-year old building, Century was more than due for an upgrade, and quite simply, Uncommon Ground dramatically altered the appearance of

our apartments,” said Daniel Moran, Associate Director of USC Housing who helped oversee the renovation. “We needed a product that would have proven performance and would be easy to maintain and clean. The added bonus was its great look We were sold on the product’s performance and cleanability.” Because many USC students attend school year-round, only one of the two Century buildings could be renovated at a time. Moreover, the timeframe for removing the existing flooring product (carpet that was “at least 15 years old,” according to Moran) and installing the new Uncommon Ground product was extremely limited. In fact, for the first building that was renovated in the summer of 2012, the flooring product was completed in just five weeks. “We had a very quick timeframe to remove the old carpet and install the Shaw product,” explained Moran. “So, the ability to specify and receive the Shaw product in a timely fashion was great. It was just one less thing we had to worry

about” Safe, Strong, & Stunning The first renovated building now contains about 90,000 square feet of Uncommon Ground. USC Housing had the ability to choose from 24 colors available in 4-inch and 6-inch widths. The wide array of colors and widths combine to offer stunning and innovative installation patterns. The product also features Shaw’s exclusive ExoGuardTM Quartz-Enhanced Urethane finish which protects against commercial traffic and requires no polish. Moran considered these features, as well as its commercial wear layer, key benefits for his student living facilities where college students are known for a high volume of activity. Additionally, the product passes slip resistance tests and is ADA complaint. Certified by FloorScore® for low VOCs, Uncommon Ground can contribute to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) credits and is backed by a 10-year limited commercial wear warranty. Moran also “customized” the product by adding an acoustic

underlayment to dampen sound transmission, an important element for multi-story residential buildings. “One of the biggest reasons we selected Uncommon Ground was for its very high durability and its ease of maintenance,” Moran said. The End Results: A “New Century” Unveiled Moran says USC has gained a big benefit related to the university’s competitive standing. “The end result is that we’ve taken a 1970s-era building and given it an updated and contemporary look. We feel that we’ve implemented some important best practices, plus we have modernized some of our older buildings.” USC Housing will be installing an additional 150,000 square feet of Uncommon Ground in the second Century building. Uncommon Ground and another Shaw Commercial Hard Surface resilient product, Quiet Cover, will also be the flooring solution for an additional 200 campus apartments slated for later renovation. In a true testament to the product’s durability and style, Moran sums up the Century

Apartment project by saying that the updated look has been so popular with the students that they have begun calling the complex “New Century.” www.shawhardsurfacecom