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Founded in 2003, Ave Maria is the newest Catholic university to be opened in 40 years. Built as the anchor for the planned community of Ave Maria, Fla., the university buildings reflect the influence of Frank Lloyd Wright and incorporate the charm of Italy's hill towns. These two architectural styles come together beautifully in the 70,000 square feet of decorative concrete flooring used throughout the campus.

The project team — comprised of Ave Maria University, architect

Cannon Design of Grand Island, N.Y., and construction manager Suffolk/Kraft of Naples — wanted the floors to have a dramatic look yet stay within an affordable price range. They worked through a challenging process to arrive at the look they wanted and the

durability they needed.

Decosup Inc. of Miami and Bayer MaterialScience, a producer of polymers and high-performance plastics, were instrumental in providing an alternative solution to traditional flooring surfaces — one that would provide a rich, natural appearance, yet showcase the beauty of concrete. They recommended a combination of acid stain and polyurethane sealant that would have the appearance of marble and be extremely durable and easy to maintain. Several mock-ups and tests were performed before Decosup was awarded the contract and work began.

According to Decosup President Art Pinto, achieving the desired results from decorative concrete can be extremely intricate. "It's important to use top-quality products and know exactly how the different materials are going to interact," he says.

For the floors at Ave Maria University, Decosup recommended a system comprised of its own ChemTone Acid Stain and a DecoShine sealer, a polyaspartic polyurea developed using polyurethane technology from Bayer MaterialScience. A rich "aged leather" color was chosen for use throughout. "ChemTone Acid Stain provides you with a beautiful, marble-like finish. The acid stain has no hydrochloric acid, so it's safe to use and has no nasty fumes," Pinto comments. "And the polyurethane sealer locks in the finish and creates the high-gloss polished look. It's extremely durable — it won't scratch, and it's easy to maintain. That was important for everyone on the Ave Maria team."