Storytelling in Aquatics

When people think of themed entertainment and attractions that tell strong stories, they often picture immersive lands and the iconic dark rides of traditional theme parks. Aquatic attractions are occasionally designed with themed elements in the foreground, but they're usually treated as spaces to gather rather than to explore.

Some of the most successful waterparks function like theme parks with flowing narratives and creative details that spark imagination and bring stories to life.

Photo Credit: Disney’s Blizzard Beach

Take Disney’s Blizzard Beach for example where an unexpected snowstorm landed in central Florida leading to the state’s first ski resort. Or Universal’s Volcano Bay with its backstory rooted in the Waturi discovering a new island to call home. Similar to traditional theme parks, these aquatic spaces benefit greatly from imaginative storytelling and cohesive design elements. 

Photo Credit: Universal’s Runamukka Reef

While Life Floor functions primarily as an aquatic surfacing solution, our projects are often featured within a broader context and designed to match specific themes, stories, or aesthetics. These installations are found on cruise ships, within water parks, at resorts, and at municipal facilities worldwide.

As each of these projects come to life, we consider the stories our floors tell. We think about how they contribute to theming, how they can add dimensionality to create a more immersive environment, and how specialty elements add play opportunities for guests. Throughout each of these design exercises, we contemplate the overarching role of storytelling in aquatic environments.

Photo Credit: Royal Caribbean Cruise Line

Adding a story or a theme to a space creates an immersive experience that transports guests to a different world. While the vast majority of aquatic spaces trend toward underwater or beach themes, the diversity of design potential is endless. From forest-themed splash pads to outer space-inspired waterparks, we’ve witnessed spectacular ideas come to life.

Themed elements inspire imaginative play and create engaging experiences for guests. Starting with an overarching narrative, intentional design decisions can be made to truly create an environment that aligns with any vision.  

So how exactly do designers of aquatic spaces execute on a story or a theme? Large 3D elements are often the main focal points. Spray features, play structures, slides, and sculptures draw guests’ attention immediately. Curated considerations like furniture, landscaping, and rockwork tie into these elements as well. Surface designers craft the appearance of signage, vertical panels on play structures, themed walls, and artwork around facilities to create enhanced visuals throughout. Sound and lighting bring an environment to life by creating an ambiance keyed into the senses to illuminate storytelling details. Setting the scene with the right tone is critical to completing an atmosphere and achieving the right effect.

From a flooring perspective, stories are told through themed Inlays, life-sized objects, game boards, and even character IP. Sometimes it involves including a certain color palette or geometric element that ties a design together or evokes a certain environment. We always look for ways to create a thematic scene or blend our floor into the rest of the aquatic setting. Together, all of these design considerations have the potential to tell a story at each facility, no matter the scale. 

Throughout the coming year, we look forward to exploring these elements in further detail. We’ll feature stories that take a peek behind the curtain to describe the design and engineering processes of iconic projects. We’ll also illuminate the ways that other suppliers and designers consider storytelling when specifying certain components to craft these themed spaces. Exploring this topic within the aquatics industry wouldn’t be complete without highlighting the actual stories of many of the key leaders within this space. Overall, we look forward to engaging with the larger community and sharing more about how our partners continue to innovate as they design these themed aquatic attractions. 

We’d love to hear from other creatives within the industry. If you’d like to join in on the conversation, please email our VP of Design, Kelsi Goss, to get involved!

HOW TO SPECIFY CUSTOM LIFE FLOOR DESIGN PROJECTS

The versatility of Life Floor’s design options provides an opportunity to create truly iconic aquatic spaces. While some clients opt for simpler designs using our preconfigured Patterns, many Life Floor projects are custom. Our team has spent over a decade building a process to accommodate these unique installations and we recommend initiating project-specific discussions as early as possible.

GETTING STARTED ON UNIQUE DESIGNS

Some clients and design partners create their own designs entirely in-house while others utilize our Studio Team’s complimentary design services. To visualize possibilities for specific projects, our team generates 2-3 concepts after receiving scaled plans and general design guidelines. Our team can also facilitate a hybrid approach to optimize pre-existing designs using our established best practices. For custom projects, contact us as soon as possible to streamline the design and quote processes.

OPTING FOR PRE-ESTABLISHED THEMES + PATTERNS

For rough budgetary estimates on non-custom projects, we recommend contacting us for a copy of the Life Floor Budgetary Guide, which features pricing for our Themes and Patterns. These designs have been curated to represent the most popular color and shape combinations requested by customers and designers.

TYPICAL PROJECT TIMELINE

It takes around 12 weeks from the start of the design process to the shipment of tiles from our U.S. manufacturing facility. While times vary by project, the following phases can be referenced for planning estimates:

Design Phase

2 weeks after scaled site plans are received by our Studio Team

Material + Labor Quote

1-2 weeks following design approval

Manufacturing Production

6-8 weeks following quote approval

CONTACT US

To initiate a new project or to discuss an existing project where Life Floor has been specified, please contact us. For additional design resources, please visit the Studio Section of our website.

AQUATIC SURFACING TRENDS FOR 2022

Historically in aquatics, surfacing design has defaulted to concrete or hasn't been given much attention at all. Today, more and more facilities are exploring flooring options that increase safety, enhance design, and improve play value. As we head into the new year, be on the lookout for these surfacing trends that are increasing in popularity on pool decks and splash pads around the world. 

1. THEMED DESIGNS

A greater number of splash pad and pool deck surfaces have been featuring theming to complement and enhance facility or play fixture designs. From tropical treasure hunts and undersea environments to desert landscapes and forests, adding this attention to detail at the surface level provides a more fully-themed experience for guests. Be on the lookout for these immersive flooring options as designers use surfacing as a way to tie projects together. 

2. SURFACING CERTIFIED FOR AQUATIC PLAY 

Since 2019, a standard has recommended that splash pad surfacing materials meet certain criteria. NSF/ANSI/CAN 50:26 uses third-party testing to evaluate products for slip-resistance, impact attenuation, chemical resistance, UV resistance, cleanability, and impermeability. As properties have begun to renovate existing facilities and plan for new ones, many have looked to this standard as a way to follow recommended best practices. 

3. ACCESSIBLE OPTIONS 

Accommodating guests of all ages and abilities is important to any facility design and surfacing can help achieve this goal. Cushioned and slip-resistant flooring options can allow guests to feel more sure-footed as they interact with environments traditionally known for being slippery when wet. Softer surfaces accommodate guests crawling or sitting on floors at aquatic facilities. Providing visual or tactile cues that indicate depth, surfacing, or feature transitions are further measures that help guests navigate these locations. Making facilities as accessible as possible allows the greatest range of guests to enjoy the amenities offered by them. 

4. BRIGHT, GEOMETRIC PATTERNS 

Many pool decks and splash pads are opting for fun patterning created by colorful, geometric shapes as a way to increase visual interest. Adding these designs at the surface level has proven to drastically improve the look of facilities that have been retrofitted.

5. INTEGRATING ACTIVITIES 

Certain flooring types can be designed to add activities to an aquatic surface. These can be games like hopscotch or checkers, paths to follow, hopping activities, objects to find or count, and life-sized 2D objects that inspire young imaginations. Adding these options into a surfacing design has the ability to increase play value and engagement at facilities. 

6. COLOR GRADIENTS 

As greater emphasis to design has been placed on flooring surfaces, adding color gradients has been a popular trend, especially those that evoke natural elements like shorelines. This effect is achieved through bands of color, mosaic effects, or geometric patterning. 

7. SHOWCASING BRANDING 

The ability to add logos and branding to aquatic surfaces has been increasing in popularity. Splash pads, cruise ships, universities, and athletic facilities have featured signature imagery, logos, hashtags, and colorways within their floors to reinforce specific brands. 

8. EASE OF SANITIZATION 

Given the COVID-19 pandemic, many facilities are imposing more stringent cleaning protocols to ensure guest health and safety. As a result, surfacing options that don't support microbial growth have been increasing in popularity. Attention to cleanability and impermeability can be helpful to improve ease of maintenance at these locations and provide a marketable benefit to patrons. 

9. DELINEATED ACTIVITY ZONES 

Splash pad designs have increasingly included a diversity of features that cater to different levels of development and age groups. Likewise, more play spaces are emerging that combine different zones of play such as a dry playground that transitions to a splash pad or a splash pad that transitions to a pool. As a result, using surfacing design to more clearly delineate different play areas has become a popular option. 

10. DESIGN FOR MULTI-GENERATIONAL ENGAGEMENT 

Parks, playgrounds, and splash pads are beginning to focus on design not only for children, but also for the comfort and enjoyment of multi-generational guests (who make up about 50% of patrons). This can be accomplished by adding shade structures, seating, and play elements that accommodate adults. At the surfacing level, cushioned, non-abrasive options provide comfort to sit or play on the floor, making it easier to interact with little ones in these environments. 

Have you noticed any other aquatic surfacing trends that you would add to our list? We'd love to hear about them in the comments below! 

If you’d like to discuss the ways that Life Floor can help achieve any of these items at a specific aquatic facility, contact our team to learn more.

OUR TOP 5 POOL DECK DESIGN TIPS

Over the last 10 years in the industry, our team has committed to making aquatic areas safer and more beautiful. Today, Life Floor can be found on splash pads, at resorts, on cruise ships, and on competitive pool decks around the world. As we’ve worked to develop solutions for our customers, we’ve established the following methods to increase play value, improve guest experience, enhance design, and prioritize safety and accessibility on pool decks. Dive right in!

COVER POOL DECKS WITH AQUATIC-RATED SAFETY SURFACING

Add cushioning and slip-resistance with an NSF/ANSI/CAN 50 certified safety surface to reduce injuries. Concrete and other slippery, abrasive, or hard surfaces can lead to injuries and make for dull aquatic designs. Competitive swimmers and lifeguards that spend extended periods of time standing and walking on these surfaces also know the toll they can take on feet and joints. Unfortunately, other colorful safety surfaces like pour-in-place products that haven’t been engineered specifically for aquatics often fail when exposed to harsh UV or chemicals. Even worse, the porosity of these products can harbor growth.

By using a third-party tested surface designed to meet certain criteria for slip-resistance, impact attenuation, UV and chemical resistance, impermeability, and cleanability, aquatic spaces can be equipped with a durable safety solution to improve guest experience. We’ve seen firsthand how this can reduce incident reports, empower guests of all ages and abilities to use aquatic facilities, and increase play value by creating a more comfortable surface for visitors.  

OPTIMIZE SIGNAGE AND CUES TO IMPROVE ACCESSIBILITY

Depth markers and safety signage continue to be essential in aquatic areas for safety and accessibility. These elements should feature materials that are durable. Chipped paint, faded ink, or cracked tile can obscure the legibility of any intended messaging. Featuring markers designed to withstand the test of time with continual exposure to UV and chemicals will ensure appropriate messaging. Ideally, these markers also shouldn’t pose a safety risk. For instance, ceramic tile could make a pool perimeter particularly slippery.

When possible, including additional visual or tactile elements in and around a pool can further improve safety and accessibility. Visually differentiated or tactile bands around a pool’s perimeter can signal that a body of water is present. Varying the surface’s texture in this location is especially important to increase accessibility for the low-vision and Blind communities. Contrasting color bands on stairs can also be used to signal a change in depth.

CREATE SURFACE PATTERNS WITH GEOMETRIC SHAPES

Adding a design to an aquatic surface has the ability to instantly transform a facility by visually enhancing it and creating play value potential. Pool decks that feature colors and patterns look dramatically better than those surfaced with grey concrete. Tiled geometric shapes can create both bold and subtle looks to match a variety of aesthetic styles. Here are just a few examples of the impact this attention to design can provide:

A checkerboard pattern of squares elevated the look of a resort pool at Dolphin Bay.

A more subtle pattern of greys with interspersed triangles transformed this community center in Maple Grove, MN.

Crisp zig-zagging blues created this bright design for Hills Swimming.

Triangle gradients have provided the opportunity to gradually transition across a palette of colors like this one at Texas Tech.

An array of hexagon colors created a vibrant geometric effect on this pool deck.

For even more design possibilities, explore our portfolio!  

INTEGRATE ADDITIONAL SAFETY FEATURES WHERE NEEDED

When considering design options for a pool, it’s important to focus on areas that could impact guest experience. Thinking through the ways visitors interact with certain elements can make a significant impact on facility safety.

For areas featuring aquatic activities like lily pad walks, cushioned and textured surfacing at critical pool edges can provide more stable footing and a level of protection from injury should someone fall. Wrapping safety surfacing around other edges like coping and stairs has the potential to further protect visitors.

More durable drains that have been engineered for safety can also reduce risk of injury. When there’s an opportunity to match the drains to a surface design or even continue the surfacing material across them, a more integrated, less noticeable look can be achieved.

Lastly, operators should consider the areas beyond the immediate pool deck. For instance, continuing safety surfacing into similarly wet areas like locker rooms can also greatly reduce the risk of slip-and-fall incidents.

FEATURE CUSTOM ELEMENTS WITH THEMING OR BRANDING

For a more themed or branded facility, consider a custom design pool deck design that features specialty shapes or logos. Shapes, like the Great Wolf Lodge paw print pictured below, can be inlaid in surfaces and logos can be incorporated into pool deck design to reinforce branding. Custom curves and themed designs can be cut into flooring for unique patterning and imagery. Any of these considerations can really make an aquatic facility stand out with a specific look tailored to a particular theme, brand, design aesthetic, or play opportunity.

Together, these tips can help to maximize the design and safety of pool deck surfacing. As you look to enhance comfort, customer experience, and play value, we’re always happy to help identify solutions for your specific project.

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Interested in additional design ideas? Some our tips were recently featured in the Redfin article below! 

22 Gorgeous and Unique Tile Ideas to Brighten Up Your Home

Interior design fans will know that even as trends come and go, tile remains a top versatile decor element that can breathe life into any space in a home, especially if you go beyond tile’s go-to spot on a bathroom floor. And as much as we love tried-and-true subway tile, with so many unique color schemes and patterns to choose from, there’s nothing like a vibrant tile design to showcase your personality in a space. 

Whether you’re looking to refresh a kitchen backsplash or add some flair to your entryway, we’ve got you covered. Redfin reached out to us and other tile experts from Tucson, AZ, all the way to Markham, ON, for unique tile ideas that you can incorporate into your home interior. Here's our tip on how you can mix things up and create a one-of-a-kind look in your home.

READ MORE

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Looking for solutions to enhance a pool deck design? Reach out to our team to talk through your ideas and we’ll be happy to guide you in the right direction.

A THEMED COLLABORATION WITH WESTPORT POOLS AND MEXICO, MO

It's an exciting season for our team as we watch so many newly renovated facilities reopen across the country. One of our most recent installations at the Fairgrounds Aquatic Center in Mexico, MO features both a zero-depth entry and a separate splash pad.

The City of Mexico, MO had originally been working with Westport Pools, one of our Registered Aquatic Partners, on this project. When they mentioned their interest in a resilient safety surfacing solution, Life Floor was recommended, and our team was looped into the design process.

We worked collaboratively with the city on several flooring design options that would add aquatic theming to both their zero depth entry and splash pad. The intent was for the safety surfacing to complement their spray features and play structure on site. Ultimately, the designs they selected achieved their goals of mimicking a seashore for the zero depth entry and a body of water for the splash pad while also staying within budget.

The design of this particular zero depth entry is unique in that it combines a triangle gradient for the "sand" and "water" zones while also featuring a clean, curvy custom cut edge separating the two. Because Life Floor is manufactured as 2' x 2' tiles, cutting curves into any design results in increased overages as the squares are trimmed away. By selectively choosing to only use this effect for the shoreline, the city was able to achieve their design intent without the added expense of creating the entire gradient effect out of curves. Marine inlays were included to augment the theming. Fish and seahorses can be found in the "water" while crabs and starfish can be found on the "sand." 

The simple design of the splash pad uses our popular High Tide 301 Theme and Pattern. This tile arrangement is one of our most cost-effective options to create the effect of water and is often enhanced by thematic inlays like the fish shown here. 

Collaborating with Westport Pools and the City of Mexico, MO throughout this iterative process was extremely rewarding for our team. We're appreciative of their partnership and their shared commitment of creating safer and more beautiful aquatic spaces. 

To learn more about how you can work with our team to enhance your aquatic facility, contact us today! 

Creating Custom Shapes, Logos, and Designs with Life Floor Tiles

Splashaway Bay at CocoCay. Photo credit: Royal Caribbean

Did you know that despite being manufactured primarily as geometric tiles, Life Floor can be custom cut into any shape imaginable? From curvy designs to themed imagery and from games to giant logos, we’ve done it! Read more to learn about some of these popular design options that stray from our standard offerings to offer a more customized experience. 

For theming opportunities, we’ve cut anything from life-sized surfboards to giant paw prints and sandy islands into our floors. 

Captain Jill’s Galleon at CocoCay.
Photo credit: Royal Caribbean

Beach Haven, Australia

Curvy or circular designs are a popular choice for customers looking for a more organic look. 

For added play value at the surface level, we’ve created games to add to the guest experience for our customers as well. 

One of our most popular requests is to add elements of branding to surfaces - from giant logos to inlays that represent the facilities where they’re installed. 

As you can see, the opportunities and options are truly endless!

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So how do we do it? 

The process varies by project. In some cases, like in the instance of giant circles, organic shapes can be hand cut on site by a skilled installation team. Large swooping curves can often be achieved this way as well.

In other cases, projects come factory cut with labeled parts and diagrams to streamline the install process on site and to ensure design accuracy. 

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Why don’t all customers take this approach? 

These designs are all amazing and we love that we’re able to create them! Unfortunately, some of these examples are out of budget for some customers. When dealing with curvy or custom designs, more material is needed to account for the amount of scrap created when trimming our square tiles to create these shapes. Installation costs are a bit higher as well due to the attention to detail needed to get the designs installed properly. 

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Is there a more budget-friendly way to custom cut designs? 

Of course! In some cases, customers have opted for a repeatable inlay that can be cut from a single tile to help brand or theme their space. A great example of this is the maple leaf inlay we created for the Maple Grove Community Center. 

In other cases, a custom design only covers a small portion of a project while the rest of the design sticks with some of our more budget-friendly design options like our preferred colors or standard tile shapes. At the Courtyard by Marriott Anaheim, a few custom inlays and activities were interspersed throughout our simple pattern of square tiles in our High Tide theme. 

Another great way to incorporate a curved design is to limit the amount of tiles that need to be trimmed into a custom shape. At the splash pad at the Australia Zoo, only the perimeter of the “pond” needed to be cut while all other tiles could be installed as full square pieces.

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While these projects all take a little extra effort during the design, manufacturing, and installation processes, we always love the results! Have an idea in mind that you’d like to explore with our team? Reach out to us and we’ll do our best to make it a reality!

Our Top 5 Life Floor Design Tips

While our Studio Team is happy to create design renderings for our clients, many customers and partnering designers have expressed interest in creating their own flooring designs. For anyone looking to get started with their own Life Floor projects, we’ve put together five of our top design tips to help guide the process! 

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Include Three or More Colors in Designs 

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We’ve found that designs containing three or more colors look best after installation. As an added benefit, they minimize visibility of debris or regular wear over time. This concept is similar to how complex carpet designs are applied in high traffic areas like casinos. An intricate or varied pattern will hide most imperfections. In contrast, any debris or marking on a solid field of color will be very apparent. We know it’s impossible to keep pool decks and splash pads absolutely spotless all day so this technique helps aquatic facilities continue to look their best. Multi-color designs also enhance spaces where they’re installed by creating vibrant and interesting patterns at the surface level. These designs are vast improvements to drab fields of grey concrete! They lend themselves to great theming opportunities as well.

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Design within Project Budgets

While the sky's the limit for some customers, most are looking to stick within a specific budget. With a wide range of design and pricing needs in mind, we’ve created a variety of shape and color options to accommodate an array of project types.  

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Our tiles are available in four shapes - squares, triangles, rectangles, and hexagons. Our square tiles are the most cost-effective option both in terms of material and installation costs. Triangles and rectangles have very similar material costs (since they’re just half squares). It’s important to note that they are slightly more expensive to install since more pieces are involved and the designs are typically a bit more complex. Of all of our shapes, hexagons are the most expensive.

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Beyond these standard tile shapes, we can also custom cut our tiles into just about anything - curves, logos, games, images, you name it! These unique designs look great but use more material, require more factory preparation, and take more time to install so they’re generally the most expensive. 

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Choosing an area as an accent piece can also enhance facilities within budget. This focal point can add visual interest to an entire project while also keeping the overall cost lower by using a simpler design throughout.

There are many ways to mix and match our tile shapes and colors to achieve a great project look. Hopefully these basics help inform some of the best opportunities to create some stellar designs that are also affordable at any price point!

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Use a Staggered Grid for Tile Layouts

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Staggered Grid

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Standard (Checkerboard) Grid

While most people generally assume that our square tiles are best arranged in a standard (or checkerboard) grid, we actually recommend designing with our tiles on a staggered grid. We’ve found that this layout is ideal for ease of installation and maximum durability over time. Layouts that use standard grids are still a beautiful option; however, we generally recommend designing with them only for smaller applications or for designs that really rely on the checkerboard tile layout for a distinct pattern or look. 

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Accent Designs with Theming and Play Options 

Are you looking to add some sea creatures to your splash pad design? No problem! We have several pre-designed thematic inlays, like fish and crabs, that fit within single square tiles. We can also cut larger creatures, whales or dolphins for instance, across several tiles. 

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Want to add a game into the surface? We can custom cut nearly anything into Life Floor. Some popular choices have included hopscotch and checkerboards.

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For branding opportunities or to include a facility’s logo within a design, we can precision cut all of the parts in advance at our factory. They arrive ready to install to ensure brand accuracy and a smooth installation process on site. A great example of a large-scale logo we’ve created recently was one that we produced for the Fun Spot splash pad in Orlando, FL. The finished product and a diagram showing all of the precut parts are pictured above. 

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Take Advantage of Our Online Resources

Did you know that there are helpful resources on the Design Studio page of our website related to creating designs with Life Floor tiles?

For design inspiration, our Portfolio and past Lookbooks are great places to start!

One of the most popular resources we have posted is a chart that shows color equivalents for all of our tile colors. If you design in Adobe Illustrator (like we do), the Hex codes are very helpful to get the colors in your layouts as accurate as possible. 

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Our pre-established color palettes and tile patterns have been popular options for our customers. Head to the Themes and Patterns pages to explore these designs. We even have downloadable templates that can be used in Adobe Illustrator for anyone looking to cut and paste these options into their projects. Use one of these as designed or vary it slightly to cater it to your project!

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To get started with a scaled tile grid to represent Life Floor in AutoCAD, we have templates that include hatches for both Metric and Imperial designs. 

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Looking for technical details to better understand how our tiles integrate during installation? Those are available on our Specs + Resources page as well! 

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While the tips above cover our major suggestions, these are only some of the best practices we’ve established over the years! Want to learn more or have questions for our Studio Team? Feel free to email us at design@lifefloor.com. We love partnering with designers and take great joy in seeing what other great projects are dreamed up by other companies around the world!

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Interested in our upcoming Designing with Life Floor Guide?

Sign up below to receive access in advance of it going live! 

Designing with Life Floor's Tile Shapes

Did you know that Life Floor comes in four standard shapes? Our tiles were originally manufactured as 24” square tiles, but rectangles, triangles, and hexagons have been developed over the years. With these shapes, our Studio Team and partnering design firms have been able to imagine an endless range of possibilities for aquatic facilities around the world. Through countless different configurations and color combinations, our tiles enable opportunities to create beautiful environments with unparalleled safety benefits. Explore the design options available with our standard shape offerings below!

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Squares 

Our square tiles can be arranged in randomized multi-color fields to evoke environmental elements like sand and water. They can also be configured in colorful gradient patterns using a range of tones from our palette. For a more classic design, squares look beautiful when arranged in a checkerboard grid. For a more modern effect, square tiles of the same color can be installed consecutively to form long, rectangular configurations. Some facilities have even opted for a staggered zig-zag pattern. To add even more visual interest, customers often request thematic inlays that fit within a single tile. While the original shape of our tiles may be simple, it is filled with the potential to create both beautiful and cost-effective design solutions!

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Triangles 

Simply by cutting our square tiles diagonally to form right triangles, we’ve created an array of new design opportunities. These tiles have been the most popular choice when creating gradient effects, especially when mimicking coastlines. They’re also an excellent choice for adding accents of color around a facility. For a more geometric approach, mirrored triangles can be arranged to create an even larger pattern. Images like pine trees can even be created in a surface design by combining triangles with our rectangle and square tiles!

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Rectangles 

Our rectangular tiles present the opportunity to design with a popular 1’ x 2’ grid or to create long plank effects by aligning tiles of the same color in a row. They enable designers to create more modern, geometric patterns. Similar to our other shapes, rectangles can be arranged in gradients or they can be used to break up solid fields of color with bright accents. Due to their size, rectangles are a popular choice in smaller spaces like locker rooms. Try varying the rotation of these tiles to achieve a dynamic look. 

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Hexagons 

In 2019, we unveiled the newest addition to our shape collection: the hexagon. Our Studio Team loves how this playful, geometric shape transports visitors to colorful landscapes with intricate and delightful patterning. Our hexagon tiles add immediate visual complexity to any space, without the need for additional design work or custom cutting. They can be used in more natural designs to mimic the look of a sparkling body of water or a varied landscape of grass, dirt, and rocks. Hexagons also lend themselves to radial designs and are perfect for splash pads.

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While these shapes encompass our standard options, Life Floor tiles can also be cut into virtually anything! We commonly install curved designs, logos, custom shapes, and inlays. Is there a new standard shape you’d like to see us offer? Let us know in the comments section below!  

Flooring Design Themes for Aquatic Facilities

When designing with Life Floor, clients are often looking to create or enhance an existing theme at a facility. Since our tiles are specifically engineered for use in aquatic environments, these spaces are often themed around water; however, sometimes new themes are imagined as well! We love the creativity that goes into envisioning these spaces. Check out some of our favorites that have been installed as well as some ideas for themed splash pads that haven’t been built yet! 

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Under the Sea 

Our blue tones and sea creature inlays are most often featured in spaces that have an underwater theme. Some spaces are more whimsical with octopus tentacles and others are more abstract using a triangle gradient or randomized squares. Curvy waves are also a popular choice for clients looking to emulate an under the sea look. 

Splash Pad at Westfield Memorial Pool

Cootamundra Splash Pad

Courtyard by Marriott Anaheim Splash Pad

Splash Pad at LEGOLAND California

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Into the Wild 

Several facilities with Life Floor installations have a woodsy or wilderness theme. These spaces typically feature earth tones of tans, browns, and greens as well as thematic paw print inlays. The designs that we’ve proposed for these spaces have used a combination of our available shapes including triangles, rectangles, and hexagons.

Wilderness Resort Splash Pad

Concept for a Forest-Themed Splash Pad

Concept for a Hexagon River Design

Lilypad Landing Pad at Great Wolf Lodge

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Sunny Beachscapes

Adding a beach element to a water-themed splash pad increases visual interest and the opportunity to feature different inlays across the sand and sea. One of our largest beach designs, pictured below at Atlantis the Palm Dubai, features a triangle gradient and a clear progression from land to water and back to land. Other projects with this theme feature a body of water surrounded by sand or, the opposite, an island surrounded by water. Some customers have even opted to add pirate treasure hunt themes to their tropical islands! 

Splash Pad at Atlantis the Palm Dubai

Pirate-Themed Splash Pad at Wyndham Bonnet Creek

Sunshine Leisure Centre Pool

The Beach Splash Pad in Dubai

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Winter Wonderland 

While these wintery concepts have yet to be installed on a project, we love the idea of a unique frosty theme, especially on a hot summer day! 

Concept for a Winter-Themed Splash Pad

Concept for a Snowflake Splash Pad

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Lily Pads 

Some customers have opted for lily pad inspired ideas. These curvy features add visual interest to the splash pads where they’re featured. At a smaller scale, they can inspire children to hop across individual lily pads in a game of leapfrog. 

Florida Aquarium Splash Pad

Lake George RV Park Splash Pad. Image Credit: Martin Aquatic

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Bright & Tropical 

Several aquatic facilities have requested vibrant, tropics-inspired themes. Bright pops of color on a surface can dramatically enliven a space and complement surrounding designs and imagery! 

Vidanta Riviera Maya Splash Pad. Photo Credit: WhiteWater West

Concept for a Bright, Triangle Pattern on a Splash Pad

Splashaway Bay at CocoCay. Photo Credit: Royal Caribbean

Moon Palace Jamaica Splash Pad

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Our in-house Studio Team and our design partners loved dreaming up ideas for these designs and themes featured in locations around the world. We welcome all the concepts and ideas our customers want - unique and familiar alike.

What new themes would you like to see featured at aquatic facilities that are surfaced with Life Floor? Let us know in the comments section below! 

5 Reasons Why Aquatic Facilities Choose Life Floor’s Predefined Themes and Patterns

While Life Floor can be used to create virtually any pattern or design on a flooring surface, we’ve created a catalog of Themes and Patterns as a starting point for customers looking for design inspiration. These options can match or complement a facility’s overall look while also providing the standard benefits that come with any Life Floor installation. Pairing the safety, comfort, and durability of our tiles with these aesthetically interesting designs has added play value and theming to aquatic facilities across the country and around the world. Here are some of the top reasons why customers have chosen to explore our Themes or Patterns for their projects!    

Multi-Color Designs

All of our Themes, or color palettes, are designed with three or more colors to optimize how Life Floor installations look over time. Our reason for favoring a multi-colored design approach is that monochromatic surfaces, much like single-color carpets, show regular wear or debris much more quickly. Since many of our projects are located outdoors where it’s not uncommon for occasional leaves, twigs, dirt, or grass to make their way onto splash pads, we’ve found that breaking up the field of color makes these surfaces look best for an extended period of time. As an added benefit, installations that use Life Floor Themes often enliven and complement surrounding parks and aquatic spaces with a visually interesting palette and design.

High Tide Theme and 301 Pattern at Synderville Basin Rec Center - Park City, UT

Considerable Cost Savings 

Our Themes showcase combinations of some of our most popular colors. Customers looking to add safety and design often opt to use these color families as starting points for their designs. 

High Tide: Ocean, Bluebird, Aviator [Note: Updated in 2021. See Update Here]

Montauk: Mojave, Gobi, Sandstone

Boulder: Boulevard, River Rock, Foghorn

Since Life Floor is manufactured as standard 24”x24” tiles, our Square Patterns (301, 401, 501) offer the greatest cost savings by maximizing the full use of the material. Installation time is lowest for these options as well. Our Triangle (302, 402, 502) and Rectangle (305, 405, 505) Patterns offer a combination of full and half tiles, providing an efficient use of material that minimizes waste. Installation time is slightly longer since these Patterns are a bit more complex; however, many of our budget-conscious customers still opt for these designs given the added visual interest they provide. 

Square Pattern (401)

Triangle Pattern (302)

Rectangle Pattern (505)

Overall, we’ve found that when municipalities are interested in adding a safety solution to their aquatic facilities or want to upgrade to meet the NSF/ANSI 50 standard for aquatic surfacing, they most commonly opt for the Theme and Pattern options described above. These designs provide all of the benefits of Life Floor at the best prices. 

Reduced Time to Receive a Quote 

Because our Themes and Patterns are pre-established, creating a rendering that fits within the boundaries of a specific project area is a fairly quick process. When compared to the time required to create fully custom designs, this approach fast-tracks the quoting process for customers looking to receive budgetary numbers in a shorter amount of time.

301 Pattern in tan tones (similar to Montauk Theme) at Shoreview Community Center - Shoreview, MN

Design Options that Eliminate the Guesswork 

For customers looking for a basic surfacing solution or who don’t have a specific design in mind, our pre-set Themes and Patterns have been created based on established best practices and provide a variety of looks to accommodate a range of facilities. These designs feature sets of colors that are proven to work well together and layouts that have been historically favored by our customers over time. Having the ability to pick and choose from this catalog of options eliminates most guesswork for many of our customers, especially those that are primarily focused on providing a safety solution at their facilities. 

Boulder Theme in rectangles at Pleasant Glade Pool & Locker Rooms - Grapevine, TX

An Affordable Starting Point for Custom Options

Many of our customers have asked for designs that begin with a Theme and/or Pattern, but are modified in some way to better suit their specific facility’s needs. For instance, some might swap out a color or two from a Theme to shift the color palette in a slightly different direction. Others might choose a preset Pattern, but pair it with a completely custom color palette. Some customers have opted to add inlays, like the ones shown below, to contribute to the play value and theming of their facilities. We’ve also found that some people go with an affordable Theme and Pattern to better balance the cost of a project that requires the addition of a specialty logo or play feature in the surface design. Anything can be customized as needed and our Themes and Patterns serve as a perfect starting point for the conversation! 

High Tide Theme and 302 Pattern with fish inlays at Cootamundra Splash Park - Cootamundra, Australia

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Interested in specifying Life Floor on your next project? Check out our standard Themes and Patterns and reach out to us if you’d like to explore a custom design or to get started on your project. Our design services are complementary right now, so we’re happy to help meet the needs of your facility however we can. Thank you for considering Life Floor!

Including Play Elements in Splash Pad Surface Design

Splash pads have become a welcome addition to many communities, water parks, cruise ships, and resorts since they provide water play for guests of all ages. Typically, the main attractions of these areas have been spray features. Some splash pads also incorporate slides and multi-level play structures - essentially playgrounds with water added to them. While these elements offer many different ways to play on splash pads, these facilities become even more exciting when they offer an engaging flooring design. By adding a design or pattern to the surface of a splash pad, not only does the feature look better overall, but it also provides children with the opportunity to play and engage in more diverse ways. 

A simple way of designing the surface of a splash pad is to make it thematic. This allows the floor to match the look and feel of the features on site and become part of the attraction. For instance, a splash pad with aquatic or sea creature spray features could be designed with colors that mimic the ocean or the beach. To expand on this idea, sea creature shapes embedded throughout the floor can further enhance theming. Facilities can even use these sea creatures for search and find activities. They could invite guests to find all of the seahorses or count the number of starfish, for instance. 

Splash pads can also enhance guest experience by including games in the surface design. Hopscotch boards, four square configurations, and Twister-like layouts can all be used to add extra activities to the aquatic play area. Giant mazes could also engage guests in new ways. These flooring features can add play value to a surface that may have otherwise been left blank. 

Other designs can encourage guests to follow certain paths or hop across certain features. For instance, small lily pad inlays could encourage children to leapfrog across a “pond.” Likewise, winding paths could lead guests through and around spray features. A treasure hunt design could also provide a guided imaginative adventure. 

Splash pad flooring designs also have the potential to engage children with life-sized objects portrayed on the surface. True-to-life inlays of whales or dolphins can be designed into the splash pad as a fun, educational element. Flat shapes of surfboards or boats can encourage children to pretend that they’re exploring the sea. 

Beyond all of these ideas for thematic elements and games, splash pads can encourage creative free play with simple geometric designs. For a splash pad using a variety of colors, children can invent games out of stepping on tiles of certain colors. A similar idea can be applied to a splash pad that features different tile shapes. Concentric circles or bands of color also inspire engagement in new ways.

All of the designs shown above have been created using Life Floor tiles, which can be customized to any shape or size. Pairing an engaging surface design with our slip-resistant and cushioned tiles has the potential to enhance a simple splash pad with both safety and elements of fun — increasing play value and overall appeal. 

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Have a unique idea you’d like to discuss with our team? Contact us at solutions@lifefloor.com. We’d love to help make it a reality!