Joshua Medical Ctr

Joshua Medical Center (La Palma, CA)

Joshua Medical Ctr

Project Description

Client:
Joshua Medical Center

Location:
La Palma, California

Year Completed:
2017

Project Value:
$ 694,550

Architect:
Visioneering Studios

Products / Strategic Partners:
Amtico, ARDEX Americas,
Armstrong Flooring Inc., Dal Tile,
Gerflor USA, Tarkett | Johnsonite,
Mannington

Project Summary

Vision:
The Joshua Medical Center job was a coordination effort of many different Starnet vendor teams and materials. Specified by Visioneering Studios in Irvine, Universal Metro was chosen to install Ardex K-15 & GS-4 underlayments in combination with Gerflor resilient, Amtico LVT, Armstrong LVT, Mannington carpet, Johnsonite base, and ceramic from Daltile. This project was a Medical Office Building repurposed to be used as a Medical Center Clinic in the City of La Palma, CA. Joshua Medical Clinic is comprised of a team of physicians and PAs that base their success on their patients’ long-term good health. They believe in personalized and comprehensive health care, through physical, emotional, and spiritual healing. Our team at Universal Metro installed patient rooms, physical therapy rooms and corridors that enabled the Joshua Medical Center to have a seamless feel to their caring healthcare perspective. One of the major challenges that we had at the Joshua Medical Center project was dealing with the various elevations on the existing wood substrate. Considering the unique flooring design proposed, which included curvatures and circular patterns, we decided to engineer a system to remediate the existing wood substrate conditions with application of Ardex primer, topped with Ardex GS-4 in various thicknesses, ranging from 1/8″ to 2″ depths. Consequently, Mannington sheet vinyl was installed on a smooth and flat substrate resulting in an unique design and an authentic finished floor. Another challenge was to install flooring while the facility was at full operation. With that regard, we closely followed a phasing plan in order to keep the business unaffected. The finished project was inspiring as you can see in the photos.

Hoag Hospital

The Judy & Richard Voltmer Sleep Center at Hoag Hospital, Newport Beach, CA

Hoag Hospital

Project Description

Client:
Hoag Hospital

Location:
Newport Beach, California

Year Completed:
2010

Architect:
H. Hendy Associates

Products / Strategic Partners:
ARDEX Americas, Daltile,
Henry Adhesives, Tarkett | Johnsonite

Project Summary

Vision:
The Judy & Richard Voltmer Sleep Center at Hoag Hospital is a state-of-the-art facility designed to provide patients with a comfortable and private environment for extensive sleep studies. Universal Metro played a pivotal role in transforming the center, ensuring it reflects Hoag’s commitment to high-quality care and patient comfort. The center features eight private bedrooms, each equipped with its own private bathroom to offer a sense of relaxation and privacy throughout the sleep study process.

Universal Metro’s design team worked closely with Hoag Hospital to create a space that feels more like a luxurious hotel than a clinical setting. Each room is thoughtfully decorated with elegant floor and wall décor, and the luxurious Ralph Lauren linens add a touch of sophistication. By blending high-end aesthetics with functional space, the sleep center fosters a calm, restful environment, perfectly suited for conducting precise sleep studies.

This attention to detail aligns with Hoag’s reputation for providing top-tier medical services, ensuring that patients not only receive the best in diagnostic care but also enjoy an experience that is comfortable, supportive, and designed to make sleep studies as effective as possible.

KidZone Christian Preschool staircase

Flooring That Inspires Young Minds: KidZone Christian Preschool, Santa Fe Springs

Surf, Sand, and Safety: Inside KidZone Christian Preschool’s Ocean-Inspired Flooring

KidZone Christian Preschool

When Four Square Church envisioned a new children’s school and ministry building in Santa Fe Springs, the goal was clear: create a space that would educate hearts and minds for eternity while supporting the everyday realities of early childhood learning. Universal Metro was selected to deliver a KidZone Christian Preschool flooring installation in Santa Fe Springs that blended creativity, safety, and long-term performance—setting the foundation for a space where children could learn, play, and thrive.

Designing a Child-Centered Learning Environment

Early childhood education environments place unique demands on flooring systems. Surfaces must be durable enough to handle constant activity, safe for young children, easy to maintain, and visually engaging. Working closely with Mimi Snowden Design, Universal Metro helped translate the project’s vision into flooring solutions that supported both the educational mission and the architectural intent of KidZone Christian Preschool.

The design concept centered on an oceanic theme, creating a joyful and immersive environment that sparks curiosity and imagination. This theme flows seamlessly throughout the building, reinforcing a sense of wonder while remaining grounded in practical, developmentally appropriate design.

Ocean-Inspired Flooring That Balances Fun and Safety

The flooring design at KidZone Christian Preschool plays a central role in bringing the ocean theme to life. Carefully selected materials and custom details transform floors into storytelling elements that guide children through the space.

Custom-cut porcelain tile flooring forms a playful surf-and-sand motif, visually anchoring classrooms and common areas with movement and color. Shades of blue, paired with natural textures, echo the calming and energizing qualities of the sea. Complementing these surfaces, blue glass mosaic accents add depth and visual interest, reflecting light and reinforcing the aquatic aesthetic.

Safety was a top priority throughout the project. A glow-in-the-dark safety tread system was incorporated in key transition areas and steps, improving visibility and helping guide young children safely through the building during low-light conditions. These subtle but impactful details demonstrate how thoughtful flooring design can enhance both form and function in educational spaces.

Trusted Partners, Proven Performance

Universal Metro collaborated with leading flooring manufacturers and material partners to ensure the project met the highest standards of quality and performance:

  • ARDEX Americas provided advanced substrate preparation and installation systems, creating a smooth, reliable foundation for every finished surface.

  • Burke Flooring contributed resilient flooring solutions well-suited for active learning environments where comfort and durability are essential.

  • Dal Tile supplied porcelain tile products that offered both design flexibility and long-term durability.

  • Tarkett | Johnsonite delivered specialized products for transitions, bases, and safety components that ensured continuity throughout the space.

Together, these materials support the daily needs of a busy preschool while maintaining the visual integrity of the design.

Precision Installation and Project Coordination

Completed in the fall of 2008, the KidZone Christian Preschool project required careful coordination and attention to detail. Universal Metro’s team managed sequencing with other trades, maintained consistency across custom patterns and finishes, and adhered to strict quality and safety standards appropriate for early childhood facilities.

From substrate preparation to final installation, every phase was executed with precision to ensure the flooring would perform as intended for years to come.

A Lasting Foundation for Learning and Faith

Today, KidZone Christian Preschool stands as a welcoming, engaging environment where children can grow academically, creatively, and spiritually. The flooring serves as both a functional surface and a design element—supporting safety, encouraging exploration, and reinforcing the joyful mission of the space.

For architects, contractors, and institutions seeking expert preschool and education flooring solutions in Southern California, Universal Metro brings decades of experience, craftsmanship, and collaboration to every project.

Explore Our Award-Winning Portfolio

See how Universal Metro delivers expertly installed flooring across education, hospitality, and commercial environments

Santee High 2

Santee Education Complex (Los Angeles, CA)

Santee_High-2

Project Description

Client:
Los Angeles Unified School District

Location:
Los Angeles, California

Year Completed:
2004

Architect:
HMC Group

Awards / Acknowledgements
Starnet Design Award Recipient

Products / Strategic Partners:
ARDEX Americas, Burke Flooring, Tarkett | Johnsonite, Roppe

Project Summary

Vision:
The design of this innovative facility reflects the industrial surroundings it is located in. The linear circulation in and in between the four buildings of the facility are similar to the flows of the adjacent railway, while the landscaped edges of the grounds meander like the nearby riverbed. Inside the buildings, Universal Metro installed flooring products from Azrock, Burke-Mercer, and Roppe.

 

 

Pasadena City Hall 1

Pasadena City Hall – Seismic Upgrade & Rehabilitation

City Hall chambers room with a table and chairs

Project Description

Client:
Pasadena City Hall

Location:
Pasadena, California

Year Completed:
2008

Project Value:
$ 392,790

Architect:
Bastien and Associates

Products / Strategic Partners:
Armstrong Flooring Inc., J + J Flooring Group,
Tarkett | Johnsonite

Project Summary

Vision:
Pasadena City Hall is one of the finest examples of the California Mediterranean style. It is the dominant building in the Pasadena Civic Center, which is a complex of government, institutional and cultural buildings that epitomizes the City Beautiful movement.

Since its opening on December 27, 1927, Pasadena City Hall has remained one of the most distinctive public buildings in the United States and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Universal Metro’s work on the building’s restoration project earned it a StarNet 2008 Design Award in the Enviromental Achievment Category.