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The Garden Atrium

Dependability sprouts at the Garden Atrium 

Altro Stronghold 30

Fire pits. Greenery. Heavy timber. The Garden Atrium at the University of Vermont Medical Center didn’t just fill the final shelf space – its project design embraced elements of the Vermonter way.

The Ambulatory Care Center, constructed 12 years ago, left a blank space to eventually house a cafeteria and lounge. Now, providing a calming, restorative space, the Garden Atrium connects visitors and family members to the outdoor gardens, and some produce, herbs and spices used in the food can be seen growing from the cafeteria.

Scott + Partners Architects of Essex Junction, VT chose Altro Stronghold 30, and not just for its excellent slip resistance. Being right above a laboratory space and adjacent to a formal meeting room, they needed quiet flooring. Altro Stronghold 30 provided the necessary acoustics - it’s much quieter than quarry tile.

The other hospital kitchens use quarry tile, so Scott + Partners sought a higher quality product for the Garden Atrium – mainly due to grout joints, which deteriorate over time and can become a hotbed for germs and bacteria. With welded seams and an integral coved base, Altro Stronghold 30 avoids all of quarry tile’s issues, looks much better than unappealing grout and performs better.

Choosing the color Russet for a room that both embodied gardening and looked out over vegetables was inconsequential dressing atop their greenery theme.

“The installer was briefed on all necessary technical details at specialty items like floor sinks, seams, coving up the walls, terminations, etc., and the installation went flawlessly,” said John Alden, a Principal at Scott + Partners Architects.

According to Alden, the dependability of Altro throughout the many years they’ve used our products brought them to using them once again.

“[Altro] always installs well, and the sub-contractors handle it easily.” -John Alden

Much like vegetation outside, the floor plan went through several trims. Space had been reduced from earlier mockups, so, for the public and lounge area to be remain unburdened by back-of-house construction, the necessary design elements had to be compressed into an unorthodox, odd-shaped floorplan.

“The support services from Altro are the best, and the owner is enjoying the new floor for all the right reasons." -John Alden

Alden noted that Altro’s customer service was exceptional throughout the entire process, not just the initial purchase, and the flooring is doing exactly what they said it would do: be comfortable and quiet underfoot, contain no grout joints and look great.

“Everyone goes home happy,” Alden said.

Download The Garden Atrium PDF