Woodlands Business Park, located 10 minutes outside of downtown Salt Lake City, UT, consists of four office towers and two retail buildings, totaling 460,000 square feet of space. The large commercial space was in need of a renovation to its lobby and common areas in its first office tower, and one of the biggest hurdles would be that the project would have to be completed while the building was occupied. On top of that, disturbances to both the tenants and their guests would need to be minimized.

Chase Associates, located in Salt Lake City, UT, was selected to be the interior design company, while Contempo Tile was the tile distributor and KJ Tile, located in Salt Lake City, UT, served as the tile installer. The interior design firm searched for a surfacing solution that would minimize the need to do any demolition. In the end, they decided to use Laminam by Crossville’s I Naurali Marfil Satin 5.6 to skin the existing granite walls.

“With its thin profile and durable nature, Laminam by Crossville can be installed on top of already existing wall and floor material, fully eliminating the need for demolition,” said Mark Childrey, architectural design representative for Contempo who worked closely with the Chase Associates team. “In this case, the Laminam was installed over the existing granite.”

In addition to the Laminam, the design team chose Crossville’s Buenos Aires collection in a 24- x 24-inch format for the floor. Both polished and matte styles were specified and installed in a linear pattern to accent the walls. The total footage of tile used for the renovation was 14,000 square feet. Of the 14,000 square feet, 1,500 square feet of 1- x 3-meter Laminam was used for the lobby walls.

To further modernize the style of the installation of the nine-story, 135,715-square-foot building, the designers specified Schluter Designline stainless steel for the grout lines between the horizontally applied tiles, as well as the complementary Schluter Quadec, a finishing profile that protects the corners of the porcelain tile panels and adds a sleek, tailored aesthetic.

“For the most part, the project went very smooth,” said Childrey. “With the Laminam panels, we were able to give the clients an updated look, while minimizing the downtime of the space. By leaving the existing granite and installing over it, we were able to eliminate demolition time and avoid affecting transitions to the elevator cab — reducing downtime there as well.” The Laminam was installed in a thin set application over existing polished granite. To ensure a proper bond, the granite was first cleaned followed by a primer coat before thin set.

“Before starting the project, the installation crew received training on how to work with the Laminam panels at a hands-on seminar put on by Crossville,” said Childrey. “This was key in making the project run smoothly and ultimately a great look for this product. When the installation team is properly trained in the handling and use of porcelain tile panels, the application process is quite manageable. And when there is the need to avoid demoing existing surfaces, it’s extremely efficient. It can really help save valuable time, reduce labor and lessen construction waste — by about 18,000 pounds in this case.”

The renovation was started and completed in the first quarter of 2016. “The project has been very well received — both by the clients, as well as others interested in similar type projects,” said Childrey.