Design Flooring in the UK: Why Artigo Rubber Deserves a Place in the Flooring Conversation
A look at design flooring in the UK and why Artigo Rubber earns its place
Design Flooring in the UK: Why Artigo Rubber Has its Place in the Flooring Conversation
In UK building design, flooring isn’t a mere finish — it’s a system. The right floor must handle structure, durability, accessibility, sustainability and acoustic performance, not just aesthetics. As the RIBA SpecStudio checklist reminds specifiers: before colour or texture comes substance. There are many items to be to be locked in long before the final visual choices are made.
RIBA also pushes designers to view flooring through the lens of use and longevity, not procurement convenience. The false economy of cheap finishes is a recurring theme: surfaces that look good on day one can fail early or cost more to maintain. We are told that the message is simple —design for lifecycle, not for handover.
Sustainability criteria — EPD data, VOC emissions, embodied carbon — are now non-negotiable in most RIBA Stage 4 specifications. Architects must prove environmental responsibility, which means manufacturers can no longer just claim it.
This is where materials like Artigo Rubber Flooring come into play. It’s not about claiming to be “the best,” but about being fit for the age. Rubber flooring naturally absorbs impact noise, offers long-term resilience under high traffic and maintains its structure over time —particularly relevant in education, healthcare and R&D settings. Artigo’s Environmental Product Declarations show credible embodied-carbon data, aligning with RIBA’s sustainable outcomes framework. Its flexible Loose Lay Tiles can also work directly with raised access systems — a technical advantage often missed when specifying rigid vinyl, carpet tiles or LVT systems.
The broader point is this: RIBA’s stance is not simply about aesthetics; it’s about systems thinking. Designers who understand this see flooring not as an afterthought but as a foundation for performance, inclusivity and environmental integrity. In that conversation, Artigo Rubber earns its place — durable, low-maintenance, acoustically competent and genuinely sustainable.
