At the heart of every great business, you’ll find people who are passionate about their work. Oxana Dallas is proud to be among more than 2,100 employees at AHF Products, nationally recognized makers of a wide range of flooring and durable surface solutions. As the Principal Designer for AHF’s Commercial Products, Dallas enjoys the spice of life in her daily routine.
“My major responsibility is to design new products for each of the lines in AHF’s commercial portfolio, including Armstrong Flooring® and AHF Contract®, in categories such as Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT), Vinyl Composition Tile (VCT), and homogeneous and heterogeneous sheet, while engaging in collaboration with the team for Crossville®.
“My work involves many aspects of design, including developing a story within each collection, orchestrating product photography and branding, and influencing on social media,” says Dallas from AHF’s headquarters in Mountville, PA. “However, every day I’m also presented with opportunities to think creatively about unexpected issues. The sales team may want a new layout for their trade show setup and product brochure, or the office needs new artwork. Creativity is in my DNA. So, I’m happy it’s the focus of my work.”
Beyond the relentless creative challenges, Dallas, who joined AHF in 2022, enjoys the camaraderie and commitment that personify the AHF experience.
“Many of AHF’s employees have been with their brands for decades. My colleagues at AHF are people who know the industry to its core,” she says. “Everyone here is pursuing a common goal. Working as a team, we produce beautiful, innovative flooring and surface products that last a lifetime with minimal environmental impact.”
Among the many American-made flooring and tile products within the AHF family of brands, VCT has been a mainstay in educational and institutional spaces since its introduction at the 1933 World’s Fair in Chicago. In the generations since, VCT has become ubiquitous. Schools, hospitals, and civic buildings, wherever a high-traffic, low-maintenance floor is needed, VCT has it covered. “VCT is a signature product of Armstrong Flooring and AHF Contract. It’s classic in education because it’s ideal for schools.”
Composed of 85% limestone bound together by thermoplastic binder and colored with pigments, AHF Products’ VCT is known for being durable, versatile, and relatively inexpensive. Manufactured in Kankakee, Illinois, VCT is locally available anywhere in the U.S. on short notice.
“VCT comes in more than 100 colors ranging from bold, bright hues to nature-inspired neutrals,” continues Dallas. “VCT is a great tool for creators to breathe something unique into the learning environments they design.”
Budget-friendly and low-carbon, VCT is easy to install and lasts a lifetime. Commonly used in corridors, classrooms, gymnasiums, cafeterias, and other high-traffic areas, VCT from AHF Products offers modular flexibility with endless possibilities.
“VCT has a true thru color, rather than a design printed on the surface,” shares Dallas. “This means that it doesn’t wear out. I’ve been in schools where VCT was installed 40 or 50 years ago. Once it’s buffed and polished, it looks brand new. So, it’s not just sustainable, it’s incredibly resilient.”
Asked where she looks for inspiration in addressing her creative responsibilities, Dallas finds nature the surest source. “Biophilia is a term coined to describe an innate human connection to nature,” says Dallas. Essentially, there is something in our DNA that yearns for nature. Dappled light, a cool breeze, bugs chirping, and the sound of wind in trees bring people joy, subconsciously. Students and teachers are more comfortable and productive in spaces that introduce biophilic elements – air, water, light, smells, sounds, and tactile qualities drawn from nature. “The natural light coming through the window and views outside improve learning environments, as do introducing plants, and using natural materials and patterns inspired by nature wherever possible.”
Taking cues from nature, infusing these qualities into learning environments can be accomplished on many levels. Research reveals 14 patterns of biophilic design ranging from visual connections to nature, sensory experiences with natural elements, airflow and variability, material composition, and designing biomorphic forms and patterns to create varying layers of detail and organization drawn from natural landscapes.
“VCT joins the equation as a largely naturally sourced material that is available through floorcovering dealers in several beautiful collections,” says Dallas. Standard Excelon® Imperial Texture™ offers 100+ solid colors. Premium Excelon® Crown Texture™ is ideal for tone-on-tone visuals. Excelon Stonetex™ presents a granite-like appearance. AHF Contract Iliad™ VCT offers a natural, harmonious color palette that delivers timeless design.
“VCT is a relentlessly creative material that allows designers to seamlessly go in multiple design directions for each of many learning environments.”
Beyond durability, VCT is excellent for education because creative designers can turn floors into canvases. In hallways, bold color choices help identify learning levels or integrate wayfinding in flooring. In cafeterias, solids can be used to delineate serving lines and supplemental stations, while non-directional neutrals compel calm in centralized spaces. “VCT is a relentlessly creative material that allows designers to seamlessly go in multiple design directions for each of many learning environments. When you add to this the incredible capacity to customize VCT to create school insignias or specific designs using Water Jet technology, the possibilities are limitless.
Working with a local water jet provider, designers work in BIM and share digital files with the contractor, like any other design drawing. After receiving the Armstrong Flooring VCT, the water jet provider develops initial samples. When the designer and contractor approve, the provider fills the order and delivers the tiles in easily assembled bundles.
“One of the most incredible things about AHF Products VCT is the precision on the 12” x 12” tile. The way the tiles align perfectly to one another without gaps reflects the craftsmanship in the manufacturing process,” finishes Dallas. “Every product is made by people who are passionate about what they are doing. There is a human connection. Passion is an integral part of the products we make.”