Our own bamboo forest

Digital Eskimo’s search to create the most environmentally friendly studio possible started from the ground up. The space we found needed a new floor and so we set about researching what would be the best option. We looked at carpets, hardwood floors, veneer floors and bamboo floors.

The bamboo option from Bamboo Flooring was an easy winner. We used a natural rubber underlay and bamboo boards with a snap-lock systems that meant we used no adhesives when laying down the carpet. What’s more it’s designed for dissassembly – you can pull it up and install it again somewhere else if you like.

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While we could have gone with a carpet tile solution from the sustainability pioneers, Interface Flor, but wanted our studio to be spectacular and few things say “boring office” as well as carpet tiles.

There were some good hardwood options from Forest Stewardship Council approved sources, but they were up to triple the cost of the carpet, representing money that we would have to take from other sustainability features in the studio and so, on balance, was not the best option.

The veneer option turned out to be a photocopy of woodgrain printed on paper, glued to an MDF board an covered with a PVC laminate.

The bamboo flooring was laid in just two days, saving time, energy and money, and it looks fantastic. It complements our bamboo desks perfectly and ensures we have a healthy budget for all the other things that will ensure our studio sits lightly on the earth.

The studio renovations will continue throughout the year as time and budget allow including meeting rooms spaces and more and we’ll continue to blog about our research and sustainable solutions as it happens …