Norwalk, Conn.—Metroflor joined forces with AEC Cares to renew and renovate Covenant House Georgia, a crisis shelter where homeless and trafficked youth turn for help, by donating 2,800 square feet of its Aspecta commercial LVT flooring. Metroflor provided the product—a retail value of $11,000—in conjunction with AEC Cares’ fifth annual “blitz build.” The event offers construction professionals the chance to give back by using their skills on a one-day project with a local charity.
Architects Edward J. Alshut, AIA and Shawn Alshut, RA, ASID of studio A2, based in Decatur, Ga., chose Aspecta’s Perfect Oak Plank in three different colors to replace the existing VCT in the cafeteria, hallways and storage room. The cafeteria receives the most foot traffic and, therefore, is the most important place for the product, Edward Alshut said. Shawn explained,“Our design featured broad bands of alternating Aspecta colors and we added a stripe within it, so it gave a very nice overall impression. I was very impressed by the product. I’ve seen a lot of LVT and I thought the Aspecta woods were the best of the best—I haven’t seen anything similar. It [has] made a tremendous difference at the facility.”
According to Laura Marlow, executive director of AEC Cares, upgrading the flooring was a significant part of the Atlanta project. “Because the floors were a bit old and dingy, installing new flooring made the entire space look new and beautiful. The high traffic and transient population of the clients meant we needed something durable as well. These kids come from tough environments, so the volunteer team thought it was important to provide a more beautiful and comfortable space in which these youth could re-group, recover, and build a new future.”
Allison Ashe, executive director, Covenant House Georgia, said, “Not only are the floors easy to clean and maintain, they are gorgeous. At Covenant House we seek to provide homeless youth a warm and secure place safely off the streets. The new flooring provided by Metroflor has transformed what felt like a shelter into a home. Our new cafeteria now feels like a family kitchen—a place where youth can connect, build relationships and begin the journey to healing.”
Metroflor president and CEO Russ Rogg added, “Metroflor is proud to support a nonprofit organization such as Covenant House which seeks to provide a haven for youth in need. We hope our high-performance, environmentally sustainable Aspecta flooring will help make their young residents feel safe and at home.”