Lincoln University Gym

Whare Hākinakina, a state-of-the-art sports facility

Sector

Education

Applications

Sports

Architect

Athfield Architects

Photographer

Dennis Radermacher

Writer

Folio

Products used

Reco Series

Neoflex

The Reco Series rubber flooring, made from a blend of virgin and 75% recycled EPDM rubber, offers the same excellent properties as other Neoflex™ products with added environmental benefits. Available in 84 colours, it delivers durable, safe, and anti-slip performance, making it ideal for commercial spaces.

THE SPACE

Revitalising the university’s athletic hub

A $10 million redevelopment has transformed Lincoln University’s existing sports facility into Whare Hākinakina, the new cornerstone of the university’s acclaimed sport and recreation study programmes. Here, students, athletes, coaches and scientists all come together to study how elite athletes perform at the highest level.

While the sports hall and squash court were retained, the rest of the building was gutted and refurbished to create a future-focused facility. As well as a yoga studio and a virtual reality cycling room, there is a new weight, cross training, and cardio gym.

THE SOLUTION

High-performance flooring for athletes

Neoflex™ REPtile rubber floor tiles from Advance Flooring feature in the building’s new gymnasium. Peter Magson, Lincoln’s Recreation Centre Manager, was already familiar with the benefits of Neoflex™. ‘We had a space fitted with a similar product in 1995,’ he says, ‘and it has lasted so well, we chose to use the same flooring throughout for Whare Hākinakina. At 860sqm, this is a huge space.’

Neoflex™ REPtiles are square modular rubber flooring tiles with a base layer of between 8 and 30mm that can be topped with any Neoflex™ surface. REPtiles incorporate a reinforcing fabric that ensures dimensional stability whilst maintaining walking comfort and resilience, and they are specially designed for areas subject to heavy wear.

THE OUTCOME

Customised layout and branding

‘We did a lot of work with the layout and where we wanted the machines and free weight areas placed,’ says Magson. ‘There was eight months of planning, so when Advance did the flooring, we knew where everything would go. We put extra thickness on the athlete performance side – 17mm instead of the 8mm used elsewhere.’

The university also chose to have their logo incorporated into the tiles, ensuring the floor looks as good as it performs.

Peter Magson

Recreation Centre Manager

“The floor looks magnificent, and we get great feedback about the space. We are very happy with the flooring selection process, the delivery and the way it functions.”