UR103

People have a hard-wired connection to nature. There’s a word for this – biophilia – which suggests an innate bond between human beings and other living systems. Even in the most urban spaces, we instinctively crave a connection to nature.

At Interface, we use design to bridge the gap between these seemingly divergent environments. We’re at the vanguard of a new aesthetic that is technologically versatile, environmentally responsible and inspired by the natural world. It all starts from the ground up.

Urban Retreat® is a dynamic collection of eleven carpet tile products sorted into pattern studies that range from refined textures to broad organic forms. It explores where concrete gives way to grass and looks at the deeply carved character of an old growth tree set against the architecture of a man-made grid.

With its natural, neutral color palette, Urban Retreat evokes the quiet and sanctuary of an old-growth forest floor, down to the occasional moss or lichen-covered stone, as well as the cool splendor of glass and steel.

Urban Retreat was Interface’s first global product introduction. Many of our products have been available (if not produced) around the world, but Urban Retreat was our first effort to simultaneously launch, and locally manufacture and distribute them.