Because of its long-standing use in construction and design, timber and parquetry have stood as firm design partners for hundreds of years. Geometric mosaic designs continue to be marvelled at and favoured by architects, showcased by a renewed interest in chevron flooring for many residential and commercial projects. Choosing or designing flooring is often a difficult part of the design process; it must not only meet demands on a building component and be subjected to extreme use, but also allow unrestricted usability, and meet specification and pricing requirements. However, modern parquet constitutes an essential element of architectural design and makes up a high proportion of visible surfaces. Knowing this, Listone Giordano - world leaders in traditional and contemporary flooring design – have created a designer-led Natural Genius collection offering a visually impactful range of premium oak-topped engineered surface solutions.
Helping the environment
Being ‘carbon natural’ is now no longer a pipe dream, but a goal that designers, manufacturers and architects seek to accomplish. Just last year, the Timber Trade Federation noted that “most timber products arrive on site with a negative carbon footprint. That is, more carbon dioxide is absorbed and stored in the timber than is emitted during the manufacturing process.” This is true of Listone Giordano, whose flooring material is sourced from company-owned oak forests in Bertrange, France. Able to trace their boards back to the individual tree it was cut from, the company holds its forestry management and environmental credentials as badges of honour, especially being FSC and PEFC certified. It is said that perfection takes time, and in Listone’s case this is 180 years, overseeing the lifecycle of over one million planted saplings. Each tree is counted, numbered and checked to guarantee a gradual increase of the trees in their forest. Said to have been planted by Cistercian Monks in 1098, Listone are keen to uphold the historic tradition of forestry care.
Design Pedigree
Continuing their ethos of innovation, Listone Giordano have embraced some of Italy’s best creative design talent, resulting in their Natural Genius collection. Their latest entry to the series, Slide, by Daniele Lago, is an engineered oak-topped board with diamond, triangular and trapezoidal laying patterns that represent an eloquent twist on contemporary parquet flooring. Using the philosophy that the end-user can impact flooring design, Lago created a flooring layout that can be adapted and changed in a collaborative process between client and designer, creating endless modular flooring compositions.
Stability
Wood is a living, breathing material. One of the main reasons engineered wood flooring has become popular is its ability to be laid over underfloor heating systems and its structural stability. Listone Giordano’s flooring is rigorously tested before going on the world’s market: it stands up to high levels of humidity, doesn’t bend, crack or bow in humid conditions, and does not swell when in contact with water, thanks to its strong marine birch layer and engineered layering system. Under intense and stressful testing conditions, Listone’s boards are unscathed and ready for interior projects.
Thickness
There’s a reason why Listone Giordano’s top layers of solid wood range from 2.5mm to 5mm: having a thicker board over an underfloor heating system simply means having to wait longer to heat up a room – there’s more material for the heat to permeate before its effects are felt. Listone’s engineers and product developers realised that thick flooring would mean more energy being used to heat a room, and more money spent due to these increased energy requirements. So a thinner engineered board was born; its high-quality French oak top layer sits above layers of marine birch, perfectly adaptable for a range of underfloor heating systems.
Versatility
Listone’s innovative designer-led Natural Genius collection has also been specified for intrinsic and exciting wall coverings – making grand statements and feature walls with a beautiful and elegant natural material. Recently, Slide was installed on the walls and floors of the Zaha Hadid-designed Penthouse One-11 in Milan.
Bespoke by Nature
Listone Giordano flooring is bespoke and can be tailor made for specific projects. A range of woods, finishes, natural protectants and sawing techniques mean an array of possibilities is available for the wood’s aesthetic. Contact our team of experts today to specify the perfect flooring solution for your next project.
