Tile Africa Contracts was recently selected as one of the preferred suppliers to provide tiles for the New Concept Design of Standard Bank branches.
The new-look interior is a collaborated effort between Standard Bank and Design Partnership, and has been implemented at thirteen pilot sites with an average size of 600m².
“The aim of the new design was to achieve a more inviting, user friendly environment that is different from the typical sterile banking atmosphere, it focuses on the client,” says Carina Maree, Design Manager at Design Partnership.
Tile Africa Contracts’ specifiers match the product with the specification and keep the technical aspects in mind to make sure that the tiles they supply are suited in terms of traffic and durability.
“We’ve built a strong relationship with Standard Bank in supplying the previous generation tiles for the past two years and most of the Standard Bank approved contractors have an account with us,” says Eleanore Hoare, Architectural Specifier at Tile Africa Contracts.
Tiles were not part of the initial materials selected at the concept stage of the New Concept Design. “We did not originally opt for tiles, but they ended up being the best solution in terms of durability, cost and aesthetics,” says Maree.
A 600x600mm glazed porcelain tile in a light cement colour was supplied as well as wood-look glazed hard body porcelain inkjet tiles in a 150x600mm format that were used as accents. “The warm tones of the wood–look tiles are trendy and create a welcoming feeling,” says Hoare.
Tiles were specified in advance and the specification called for tiles that can be easily cleaned and are suitable for commercial applications. The tiles supplied have a PEI (Porcelain Enamel Institute) rating of 4 and MOH (Method of Hardness) rating of 8 making them highly suitable for this application. Cost and availability were key factors that influenced the tiles selected. “Our footprint enables easy distribution in South Africa and Africa and we ensure that stock is available for the day of delivery,” says Hoare.
Tile Africa Contracts offers an extensive range of technical and aesthetic products that cover every requirement and application. Due to its strategic distribution centres, centralised co-ordination for national projects as well as specialised advice from its experienced consultants and specifiers Tile Africa Contracts provides customers a professional service and peace of mind from concept to completion.
