"ceiling"

The Royal Caribbean Company, specialized on cruise ship construction, has recently inaugurated the Oasis of the Seas, the biggest and the most luxurious ship of the world. With its 360 meters long, this monster of seas can welcome 7400 persons. As a central meeting point, the Royal Walk is a place to relax and to admire oceans. 920 m² of microperforated Barrisol Acoustics® stretched ceilings were installed, offering an excellent acoustic quality. Barrisol® stretched membranes also dressed 7 " trees umbrellas " with white matt finish and the kiosk lamps with translucent Barrisol Blanc Vénus ®.

The very best of Nordic design found a home at this year’s London Design Fair (September 20th -24th) in the shape of the stunning Danish Living Room, a unique exhibition space which showcases a selection of inspirational products, materials and styles that capture and celebrate Danish culture. Crown Paints provided the attractive backdrop to the installation by donating 70 litres of its Clean Extreme Scrubabble Matt in a range of complementary colours to create an immersive visitor experience. After the show, the walls and ceilings were painted back to their original colour using Crown's Clean Extreme Scrubbable Matt.

A Stannah Midilift SL has brought access for all in Air Extreme, the South West’s premier indoor trampoline park in Barnstaple, proving once again what a good sport this platform lift is. Essential for people who can’t use the stairs, this hydraulic lift enables access for all to two storeys of high-octane facilities, designed to push fitness levels to the max. The Midilift SL can fit where standard passenger lifts can’t – next to the turned metal staircase in this case, with both freestanding structures sharing the same ceiling aperture to the first floor.

Schroders’ modern new headquarters at 1 London Wall Place provides an innovative and collaborative working environment for 2,500 employees based in the City. Adding flexibility to the meeting rooms and auditorium area, partitioning expert Style recommended installing seven, high-end Skyfold Classic 60 operable walls. Vertically-rising, the Skyfold fully automatic partition is conveniently concealed in the ceiling cavity, descending gracefully at the touch of a button to sub-divide rooms in a matter of moments. Divided areas benefit from the incredible 59db Rw acoustic integrity, allowing concurrent activities to run in peace.

“The Word has set the standard for Design thinking in the UK.” David Lindley, Executive Director at Designing Libraries. The Word, National Centre for the Written Word, is the iconic centre piece of a multi-million pound regeneration project in the heart of South Shields. Arranged as a modern rotunda, The Word offers innovative facilities designed to inspire creative ideas and nurture a love of learning. ROCKFON® Mono® Acoustic seamless ceiling system is installed throughout to meet both the aesthetic and acoustic requirements which helped the project win the prestigious Public Sector Interiors Project of the Year award.

Leading Engineering and Construction company VolkerFitzpatrick awarded SAS’s Special Projects division the contract to design, manufacture and install the feature ceiling at Network Rail’s new Meridian Water Station in Enfield. Working closely with concept architect Karakusevic Carson Architects, project delivery architect Acanthus, SAS undertook the contract for the anodised Regency Gold triangular coffered soffit. The bespoke geometric system is a unique feature of the station and lends itself to SAS Special Project’s ability to take on complex and challenging design intent and work seamlessly as part of VolkerFitzpatrick’s delivery team on this signature project.

Recently refurbished, Vodafone’s Manchester office is the first building in the UK to combine two electric moveable walls, delivering an entirely automated system for dividing room space. Working with architects, CMI Workplace and main contractor, Overbury, Style was specified to install a fully automatic Dorma Moveo Glazed ComfortDrive moveable wall adjacent to a Skyfold, the fully automatic, vertically rising operable wall, housed in the ceiling cavity. At the push of a button, the walls open and close with ease, offering a phenomenal lab tested 50dB Rw acoustic integrity for the glass system, and 51dB Rw for the Skyfold.

Style has installed one of the UK’s largest Skyfold vertical-rising partitioning walls, delivering an exceptional acoustic divide to the new Sir Kenneth Wheare Hall, Oxford Brookes University. Just under 19m wide and with a clear opening height of 7m, the fully automatic moveable wall is housed in the ceiling cavity and descends gracefully at the push of a button to be fully opened in just 2½ minutes. Skyfold takes up zero floor space when not in use whilst the acoustic performance is second to none, ensuring concurrent events can take place either side of the divide, completely undisturbed.

Loft Hatch with Youngman Loft Ladder ** We can make any size Loft Hatch ** Our Loft Hatch is supplied with a Youngman Telescopic Loft Ladder which is already fitted to the rear of the Loft Access frame for easy installation. Suitable for ceilings where regular access to loft space is required. The panel is fitted with a Loft Ladder No of Treads: 9 Floor to Hatch Height: 2170mm to 2610mm Load Capacity: 150kg (23.6st) Material: Anodised aluminium Foot Material: Plastic Opening: Automatic locking and release Certifications: Tested in accordance with EN 14975 Loft Hatch with Ladder

Architecture & design practice KSS redesigned the changing suite for Premier League Southampton FC. Rockfon® Mono® Acoustic was chosen to help ensure the perfect environment for pre-match preparedness. KSS Michael McCollum, “Excellent acoustics are fundamental to creating the right atmosphere, and good speech intelligibility is critical. Finishes are necessarily of resistant materials, so a class A acoustic absorber was required. Rockfon was specified by KSS as it was able to conform to the curvilinear geometry of the room. Mono Acoustic provides a high quality, monolithic appearance fulfilling the brief for a single, unifying, neutral ceiling element, enclosing but not dominating ..”

The Koningin Elisabethzaal in the northern Belgian seaport of Antwerp is unusual in every respect. Located at the heart of an architecturally charming city, structurally merged with a world-famous zoo, and boasting an immensely varied history as a concert hall, it transformed from an acoustic ugly duckling into a gleaming swan of aural experience. At the core of this metamorphosis is the design by the renowned American acoustician Larry Kirkegaard, who completely remodeled the hall acoustically. Golden metal fabric by GKD – GEBR. KUFFERATH AG (GKD) plays a key role in his concept. The woven texture really underlines the one-of-a-kind spatial experience in its use as large-scale cladding for ceiling, walls, and balustrades.One of 65 participants in an international competition to redesign and remodel the Koningin Elisabethzaal, the consortium comprised of SimpsonHaugh Architects (London) and Kirkegaard Associates (Chicago) produced the winning design. Kirkegaard’s ambitious concept, which employed structural and technical agility to aim for nothing less than a world-class standard for the new concert hall, played no small part in this success. The original hall was opened in 1897, served as a hospital ward during the First World War, morphed into a venue for boxing and wrestling matches during the Olympic Games a few years later, and was reopened in 1960 following major destruction in the Second World War. The fan-shaped design of this building, which was not intended to be used purely as a concert hall, contributed greatly to its poor acoustics, which achieved only six out of ten points on the rating scale. Plus, although it provided a stage, there were no rehearsal rooms for the orchestra and soloists. One aim of the new building was therefore to finally offer a home to the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra. The new Koningin Elisabethzaal is the centerpiece of the Elisabeth Center, which was also newly built as an ultramodern 25,000-square-meter conference center. When redesigning the concert hall, the planners decided to reduce its size in order to optimize the acoustics. This resulted in an enormous light-flooded foyer with atrium in the Elisabeth Center. Architect Ian Simpson embedded the new building into the historical complex in such a way that the art nouveau façades that had previously been hidden by the building were revealed once more and the old halls remained largely untouched. One of these halls, the Loos Hall, connects the new 2,000-square-meter concert hall with the historical part and also serves as the foyer of the Elisabeth Center. With its high stuccoed ceilings and rich marble decor, it provides a representative space for exhibitions and receptions. The new four-story building comprises various conference and meeting rooms for up to 1,900 participants, the concert hall with a capacity of 2,000 guests, extensive logistics facilities, VIP and catering areas, administrative offices, and soundproofed rehearsal rooms.An acoustic embrace in a shoe boxThe designers selected a shoe box shape for the concert hall, which classical music lovers deem to be a guarantee of optimum acoustics. This is aided by a perfectly balanced distance between the stage and the wall and an unusual seating arrangement in the parterre and the two galleries. Doing without a permanent apron also prevents a loss of sound. A curved wall means that the largest distance between the stage and audience seats is 30 meters, so that every guest feels part of what is happening on stage and can see and hear equally well from all seats. Movable reflectors clad in metal fabric and suspended from the ceiling as well as frames covered in the same fabric ensure that the sound is able to unfold throughout the entire hall. At the same time, the semitransparent membranes conceal the bare ceiling and the technical installations above. In designing the walls, Kirkegaard Associates chose a wave-shaped oak wainscoting. The cavities were filled with lava sand to prevent vibrations. With this construction, the acousticians drew on the sound experience of earlier concert halls, which employed arm-thick stone walls to reflect low-frequency sound back into the hall. As such, the walls and the rear wall of the stage in the Koningin Elisabethzaal form an acoustic embrace which ensures that the echo is not absorbed but is fully reflected to the stage.Metal fabric for good soundThe same fabric that was used for the ceiling elements also covers the movable reflectors on the back wall of the stage: gold-colored powder-coated Alu 6010. For the ceiling and stage wall, GKD fitted a total of 204 frames, some of them wave-shaped, with 1,600 square meters of this fabric type. Four-meter-long and 2.50-meter-wide panels were fastened to the frames provided by the customer with thin stainless steel wires at intervals of ten centimeters. GKD also incorporated the cutouts for the lights exactly according to the specifications. A first for the weave specialists was that the entire construction consisting of frames and fabric was then coated in the desired shade of gold. This required special pretreatment in order to ensure homogeneous coloring of the components made from different materials – steel and aluminum. Prior to selecting the material, Kirkegaard Associates had carried out extensive tests on the GKD fabrics in order to achieve the best possible sound and space experience. As such, GKD was involved in the planning process with architects and acousticians from a very early stage. The decisive factor in opting for metal fabric was the acoustic neutrality. In addition, the exclusive look, flexibility, and robustness of the GKD fabrics corresponded to the ambitious design concept. That is why the fabric from GKD – Omega 1520 with gold-colored coated weft – was also chosen for the balustrades of the galleries. It fits flexibly to the bidirectionally curved corners of the balustrade and is also resistant to impact thanks to tensioning in the direction of the cable. When fitting the front and rear of the balustrade elements with 400 square meters of this fabric type, the curve needed to be followed exactly. GKD selected a slightly conical panel cut for this purpose in order to realize the radius by tracing a polygon.The clever interaction between the design of the hall shape, ceiling, wall, and balustrade is what gives the new Koningin Elisabethzaal its excellent acoustics: with 9.3 out of 10 points on the rating scale, it is considered almost perfect. At the opening concert, Belgium’s Queen Mathilde personally handed over the hall, which offers a world-class space and sound experience, to the public.

Project: Ayr Academy, ScotlandProduct: OranitArchitect: BDP, GlasgowInstaller: Linear Projects, GlasgowAyr Academy, Scotland. BDP Architects (August 2017) Photos by Graeme DuncanSpecification:Oranit 7-501 Panels in Yellow PineQuantity:138m2  Oranit panels in PEFC Certified Yellow Pine were installed in rafts to the ceiling of the atrium space at the Ayr Academy campus which opened to students in September 2017.Shiluvit by Oranit was specified for it’s ease of design and installation as well as the stunning effect of slatted natural timber. The panels were installed in 12 rafts of 16 panels suspended at a slight angle to mirror the tilt and dimension of the true ceiling.The 6-year secondary school has state of the art classroom facilities for an engaging and high-tech learning experience as well as professional quality all-weather sports pitches as well as fitness, and dance suites which are available to the wider community. The school has followed suit from other local colleges and universities by including informal social and learning spaces in the atrium.The new campus is a huge step-forward from the previous historic 1880’s school and is inspiring enthusiasm and pride in all of it’s staff and students.In addition to the Oranit panels, LSA supplied Linear ribs to support the acoustics in the open plan main plaza of the school. The central drum clad in natural Oak ribs is a functional focal point of the space, housing a learning resource centre inside and hosting a computer classroom and social space on top.

The Leicester FC state-of-the-art £100m elite sports training facility occupies a 185-acre site in Seagrave, Leicestershire. Designed by KSS Architects, a world-leading specialist in the design of major sports venues and training centres, the project was a core aspiration of the club’s Chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha who tragically died in 2018.The training centre is regarded as one of the most advanced in Europe in terms of its quality, scale and sustainability ambitions. KSS specified Rockfon® Mono® Acoustic – a seamless acoustic ceiling – for key areas throughout the site. Son of Khun Vichai and current Leicester City Chairman, Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, “A new training ground has been a dream many years in the making, so it is with great pride that we have been able to deliver this. Seagrave will be a pivotal part of the club’s operation for generations to come.”Rockfon Mono Acoustic – the perfect matchAround 430m2 of Rockfon Mono Acoustic ceilings are installed to ensure optimum sound control while delivering a seamless, smooth, aesthetic. Among others, these spaces include the hydrotherapy pool area, the 1st Team changing room and the Owners Suite.KSS Associate Director Lorenzo Pierini, commented, “Rockfon Mono Acoustic was the clear choice for use throughout these spaces as it gave us the contemporary, minimalist look we wanted, while meeting the demanding acoustic control required.”The ultimate alternative There are several acoustic ceiling options available but for the ultimate in looks and sound control, an acoustic render provides the perfect solution. With Rockfon Mono Acoustic, the ceiling tile substrate is installed and then finished with a specialist acoustic render to create a seamless surface. Mono can be used for ceilings, walls, or to create bespoke islands. Its versatility means it can be used to form curves, easily transitioned into plasterboard or integrated into existing mouldings. Outstanding performance Mono achieves Class A sound absorption and Class A2 fire protection whilst delivering 87% light reflection and greater than 99% light diffusion. Thanks to its core of naturally occurring, non-hygroscopic stone wool, it provides no sustenance to harmful micro-organisms, embodies high humidity resistance and is impervious to most environmental pressures. It is Bronze level Cradle to Cradle Certified® and can also contribute valuably to LEED, BREAM and WELL Building Standards.Installation courtesy of Pacy & Wheatley. Pacy & Wheatley Director Craig Wheatley, “The scale and ambition of this project is truly epic. As with the majority of modern developments, large windows, stone, structural steel and other resonant architectural elements can generate unwanted sound. That’s where Mono Acoustic really scores as it does not necessitate a compromise between style and sound control – a win win – if you will. Its flexibility meant we could seamlessly integrate linear and spot lighting at Leicester and neatly incorporate hatches for easy access to the services above. In the pool area the system also enabled us to elegantly transition into plasterboard perimeter upstand abutments.”The wider masterplan The training ground masterplan includes the Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha Building, which houses the primary training, medical and administrative hub. There are twelve full-size pitches, a show pitch with a 499-seat stand to allow academy teams to play in a match environment, The King Power Centre – the site’s central point, housing a full size indoor pitch and media centre that moulds into the landscape, an integrated training centre for first-team and academy squads including fitness and hydrotherapy suites, tactics, media, dining facilities and a nine-hole recreational golf course. McLaren were appointed Main Contractor at Seagrave and were responsible for leading the project. Senior Project Manager at the firm, Simon Ruddick, “The unrelenting progress of this project from day one was a testament to our continued ethos of partnering with key customers, and working to overcome delivery challenges... We have overcome some of the most challenging weather in recorded history too, and of course restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”McLaren Managing Director, South, Jay Newman, “It has been an honour to partner with Leicester City to deliver their new training facility, set to shape the players of today and tomorrow. Building on our considerable experience in sports and leisure, Seagrave has become one of the most modern training facilities in Europe. 

Beautiful, spectacular curved glass designs made with evguard®. One of absolutely gorgeous designs accomplished by Inhouse Brand Architects for GAIA Group Offices. It is made up of concrete and exposed brickwork and has got curved walls and timber beams. Curved glass windows and intricate timber-clad ceilings enhanced the beauty of the building. Glass Benders have been manufacturing and supplying quality curved glass since 1998. They make unique glass products for a wide range of applications. More under www.glassbenders.co.za or please contact our distributor: Fraser Global Trading (Pty) Ltd Johannesburg, South Africa Web: www.fgtrading.co.za

Located in the heart of tourist London, St James’s Park Café occupies a prime spot overlooking Duck Island and St James’s Lake. The curved wooden building features a sweeping 200-seat roof terrace and floor to ceiling glass windows where diners can while away an hour or two admiring the infamous pelicans and black swans of St James’s Park. With 5 million visitors to the park each year, café operators, Benugo, have quite a challenge maintaining service and facilities. INTRAsystems was selected to meet these challenges with INTRAgrille T3465 in grade 304 stainless steel. Read more...

As part of a recent major re-development of London’s 40 year old National Army Museum there were a number of fire safety requirements to be considered. Large areas of glass characterise this modern building, enhancing the high ceilings and spacious exhibition rooms requiring correspondingly large internal fire doors. Moralt’s Laminesse FireSmoke 54mm door cores offered the architect the ability to achieve the requirement of high and wide double doors fire rated to 60 minutes. Officially re-opened in March 2017 by Her Majesty the Queen and Prince Phillip, it has been transformed into five bright thematic galleries.

RSP Consulting Engineers designed 1.8km of RAYCHEM HWAT-R self-regulating heating cable in a single-pipe hot water system throughout this new hospital. Capable of maintaining water temperatures at a standard 55°C, the system also provides the capability to boost temperatures to 65°C periodically during legionella prevention cycles. The system is controlled via 19 RAYCHEM HWAT-ECO controllers which communicate seamlessly with the central BMS. As the system uses half the pipework of a conventional re-circulation system the installation time was cut dramatically and much needed space savings were made in walls and ceiling voids.

A spacious and beautifully proportioned Georgian farmhouse situated in rural Broadland, Norfolk has been sympathetically and carefully renovated by an award-winning developer. Sash windows, bi-fold and French doorsets from the Lomax + Wood Kensington & Chelsea range have been installed throughout the property.Oversized French doorsets in the formal reception room provide ample daylight and easy access to the extensive gardens. With an elegant, bespoke fanlight which extends almost to ceiling-height and has been designed with a classic Diamond pattern. Lomax + Wood produce made-to-order timber sash windows with either spring balanced operation or traditional cords and weights.

Take a look at our recently completed project, Hadrian’s Tower! Standing proudly at 82-metres, it's the tallest building in Newcastle, and it's transforming the city’s skyline.Home to 162 luxury apartments, a premium cocktail bar and fine dining restaurant, Hadrian's Tower is answering the local need for housing in a modern, innovative way. The exterior features CW 65 unitised curtain wall which spans the full height and width of the build, achieving its iconic appearance. And inside, each apartment benefits from floor-to-ceiling and wall-to-wall windows that perfectly frame views across the city.Architect (Hadrian's Tower): FaulknerBrowns

SAS International delivered standard and bespoke SAS metal ceiling systems to PwC, Manchester. Across the main workspaces, SAS330 was installed presenting a pristine and uniform aesthetic which contributes to the open-plan design. For the communal area, bespoke hexagonal SAS600 rafts were designed and manufactured to protect the specified lights. SAS810 Tricell was installed in the break-out area contributing to the sleek and intelligent design. Further floors were completed in early 2019 which introduced SAS330 Mesh in 12 meeting rooms. This striking people-centric office space has won the Fit Out of Workplace Award at the BCO Awards.

Project: Derry Sports ComplexYear: 2014Architect: Samuel Stevenson & Sons Assembly:·        Roof - APL StrongBak™ (perforated) acoustic roof with APL 65ZS aluminium standing seam system·        Wall – APL Slimwall™ Flat Panel System Size:·        Approx 15,000 m² of StrongBak™, APL 65ZS standing seam & Silmwall™ panels Special Features:·        StrongBak™ supplied in special white colour so no suspended ceilings required·        StrongBak™ supplied in aluminium over swimming pool area·        Building generally 10m high Building Location:·        Derry, Northern Ireland

Welcoming the building users the creatively versatile SAS740 has been installed in the reception area. For the 120-seat lecture theatre, the architects had envisioned a feature ceiling with an angled effect. SAS200 panels were designed at a 16-degree angle to create an angular effect, accomplishing the he architect’s design intent. The offerings on the ground floor also includes a seminar space. For this SAS specified the visually engaging SAS500 baffles which offers enhanced acoustic performance due to double faced panels. In completion, SAS also supplied SAS600 rafts to this purpose-built hub which connects business and academia.

The refurbishment of 30 Panton Street has created an outstanding mixed-use development in London. In the entrance hall, full height dark umber anodised wall panels stand out against the polished stone walls and floors. Guiding visitors to upper floors, the aluminium panels have unique integrated lighting strips adding a warm glow to the foyer. Over the office security gates, pale umber anodised SAS200 leads visitors to the stairs, lifts and upper levels. Both the wall panels and ceiling system have a flush, concealed grid echoing the clean lines of the stone wall and floor panels.

As part of an extensive refurbishment at the School of Biomedical Sciences, Newcastle University, Style installed the unique Skyfold dividing wall system, delivering fast and effective flexible room configuration to laboratory teaching facilities. Skyfold is a fully automatic, acoustic moveable wall that's housed discreetly in the ceiling cavity and offers unparalleled acoustic integrity of 59dB Rw. “The wall has exceeded our expectations acoustically, visually and practically,” confirms Dr Alison Gregory, technical manager, School of Biomedical Sciences at the University. “We can run independent activities in adjoining labs with large numbers of students with virtually no sound transfer between rooms.

"You can hear it and feel the difference as soon as you walk in and start to talk"Due to new hybrid working we installed VC kit that better enabled remote calls and meetings for staff. When in-person colleagues around the meeting table would be in conversation with each other, audio would often cut out for those joining remotely, no matter how many speakers and microphones we had in the room. Generally, this was a poor meeting experience for those joining online and we had received feedback about this from our staff. Ceilings in the room are high with concrete beams and so this was probably contributing to the issues. 

Union Industries has supported a leading food service company with its energy efficiency policy, following the installation of one of its market-leading high-speed roller doors. Leeds-based Union Industries was engaged to install one of its Eiger Doors to prevent the build-up of condensation and ice. The Eiger Door was designed specifically to suit BAKO’s requirements, which was mounted on the Non-Frozen side in an airlock between the warehouse and the freezer, with one of Union’s E1000 dehumidifiers installed within the freezer above the airlock ceiling, to minimise the amount of ambient air making its way into the facility’s freezer area

ROCKFON has successfully worked together with Global Contract Interiors, Kier Construction and Architects Seymour Harris, to establish a fully compliant range of acoustic solutions that meet the required performance specifications at the new Phoenix Academy in Telford; built as part of the council’s Building Schools for the Future programme. Around 2,000m² of ROCKFON products: Rockfon Scholar and Samson wall panels; Rockfon Contour suspended baffles; and Rockfon Alaska suspended raft islands, were installed throughout the school to improve acoustic sound absorption – particularly in areas where the school design meant that traditional suspended ceilings were unable to be installed.

An innovative new residential property built on Passivhous principles, located on the site of a former walled garden within a classic Georgian country house estate, utilises Promat SYSTEMGLAS® Celare fire resistant glazing system from fire, thermal and acoustic solutions specialist Promat UK. With the aim of maximising natural daylight, the design incorporates a number of full height modern slim floor to ceiling windows using the SYSTEMGLAS® Celare glazing system. By choosing SYSTEMGLAS®, the architect and builder have been able to benefit from Promat UK’s ‘360 degree wheel of assurance’ for fire rated glazing systems.

SAS International designed and supplied metal ceiling products to the beautiful offices of Allied Irish Bank, Molesworth Street. Collaborating with RKD Architects & StructureTone, a range of systems including SAS130, SAS330 triangular fused mesh panels, SAS330 planks and SAS Tee Grid were supplied to accommodate the office area, boardroom and communal areas. SAS130 Mesh was chosen for its aesthetic and Class A acoustic absorption capability, enhancing a productive working atmosphere ideal for an open plan space. To overcome a specific challenge with the breakout area on the project, the SAS330 triangular suspended mesh panels were manufactured with a fused edge detail.

It is interesting how design trends are quickly mirrored across the world. A few years’ ago, for example, lifestyle and interior design magazines were all about plain white walls, hard surfaces and minimal furniture. Today, heavier materials are being revitalised and darker colours are being used in more and more projects. Troldtekt has seen a steep rise in the specification of its wood wool acoustic panels in dark greys and black. From residential houses, hotels and music venues to London’s iconic Design Museum, black acoustic ceilings have been used to add to the ambience and enhance atmospheric design.

This leading high-tech company has recently expanded its office premises to cover its growing needs.Located in a prestigious business park, this office building occupies a stunning lakeside position.The interior setting is equally impressive with abundant natural light from the windows, which span the length of the wall.To keep the space light and airy, the design team left the existing ceiling exposed, adding instead suspended acoustic rafts, featuring Vtec MaxiBeam system in a light wood laminate finish.Take a look at the beautiful break-out spaces and dynamic hexagonal rafts that bring this office design to life.

Planet Partitioning used p20 single glazed demounatble partitioning with a smoked laminate glass finish on optiwhite glass, then combined this carefully with low-iron glass to give the client the exact colour wanted. The requirement covered two floors and some of the partitioning formed a balustrade for the edge between them. Eclipse sliding doors ensured a highly premium, clean-like look and feel. Several doors were patch-hinged to address key deflection head requirements. As part of the package we also created a membrane ceiling across a recess area within the showroom, enhancing key illumination areas by softening the light.

Hinchley Wood School in Esher, Surrey is a mixed comprehensive academy, providing education for 11-18-year olds. They tasked Hush with a project to improve acoustic comfort in their sports hall following the success of a previous project to install Hush Absorber Panels within their canteen in 2016.Mike Robeson, Director of Finance and resources at the school, contacted us regarding their purpose-built Sports Hall in which they were experiencing severe reverberation issues. The Sports Hall has been in use for many years to carry out PE lessons and other sporting activities, along with being used as an Examination Hall.When being used for exams, the school were having to temporarily lay a carpet on the floor to dampen the sounds within the hall, hoping to create a calming and relaxing atmosphere with minimal echoes. However, this was unsatisfactory, and they sought an effective long term solution.When conducted a site visit which enabled us to measure the Sports Hall to be 8.5m in height, 27m in length and 18 m wide. The ceiling area features metal trunking around it and measures 486 sq. m in total. We calculated that 230.4 sq. m would need to be acoustically treated.In order to effectively treat the reverberation issues within the area, we specified 192x 50mm Hush Absorber panels to make the hall acoustically fit for purpose and they would need to be directly bonded to the metal deck.The panels that we supplied the school were from our new Polysorb range, in which the product itself is made from polyester as opposed to foam, giving equally excellent acoustic results. We also supplied these panels with a hard face material, to be damage protected from any equipment which may make its way up to the ceiling.The Polysorb panels are manufactured from 100% recyclable Polyester, in which a minimum of 45% is from post consumer waste PET (Plastic Bottles). The panels have been designed for exceptional sound absorption qualities, whilst being light-weight, impact resistant and durable. These panels can also be cut to any required size and finished in your chosen design.We allowed 5 working days to be able to fit the panels and were able to finish within 4. Whilst installing them, we also rescued 12 footballs and a whole host of shuttlecocks from the ceiling area!We are pleased to have been able to help the school with their reverberation issues and to make a positive impact on the pupils learning, as well as making for a more appropriate and less noisy exam hall.

When the owner of an office building on the Isle of Man took the decision to redevelop the property into four apartments, he partnered with chartered architect Andrew Bentley to arrive at a design. The building had previously been converted from a bar to offices in the 1990s, but the approach adopted to the soundproofing as part of this conversion project would need to be fully assessed and tested for compliance with today’s domestic dwelling standards. STEPPING UP TO HIGHER ACOUSTIC STANDARDSUnder the building regulations covering the Isle of Man, which are consistent with Approved Document E in England & Wales, the separating floors needed to achieve an airborne sound transmission level greater or equal to 43db and, for impact sound transmission, no higher than 64db. Following a comprehensive consultation period by Hush Acoustics soundproofing experts, it was apparent that the existing acoustic flooring design fitted during the original conversion was inadequate. This meant a complete redesign of the floors was required to bring them up to an acceptable residential standard.A SOLUTION THAT EXCEEDED EXPECTATIONS The solution came with the Hush MF Ceiling System. This creates a suspended ceiling, separated from the existing structure using the Hush Acoustic Hangers, allowing for Hush-Slab 100 sound absorber slabs to be fitted into the void created. Two layers of 15mm Soundbloc plasterboard were then installed onto the suspended ceiling’s metal frame.Key to the success of the new acoustic system was the quality of the installation, which the Hush Acoustics team – as with all projects – offered guidance on to the installation contractor. This was important from a fire safety perspective too, with a fire specialist also engaged to ensure all gaps, junction details and products were installed and sealed correctly. ‘BEST EVER’ ACOUSTIC RESULTS As a result of this new acoustic flooring, the flats benefit from soundproofing levels not normally seen in conversion projects of this kind. The airborne sound insulation levels for the floors tested in various rooms ranged from 50db to 67db (minimum level to pass test is 43db) and for impact sound it was between 38db and 50db (must be below 64db).Project architect Andrew Bentley commented:“The test results were so good that the acoustician who carried out the testing of the completed installation said it was the best results he had ever seen. In the lounge of one of the flats, there was virtually no background noise detected despite sound of 107db being generated in the lounge of the flat directly above – that’s a noise level almost as loud as you would experience at a rock concert.”

When Italian architect Vincenzo De Cotiis redesigned the flagship store for this high-end fashion house, he wanted to capture the company’s refined essence in both the layout and glamorous aesthetic.He also wanted to integrate the brand’s famous and distinctive chequered pattern throughout.With the help of our Oscar Evo-Blade razor-edge trim, De Cotiis was able to create sharp, recessed lighting grids in the ceiling design that evoked the brand's signature tartan motif. This No 1 Sloane Street boutique will act as the blueprint for a new global design concept that the brand is set to roll out across its stores.Image credits - Tom D Morgan Photography.

When architects ACME designed a new landmark retail facility in Leeds, the aim was to build a shopping centre fit for luxury brands. dormakaba supplied HSW-R glass sliding shop front systems, ES200 automatic sliding door entrances & MUNDUS patch fittings, to ensure a high performance access solution with elegant appearance. 150 panels across the arcade, was installed. HSW-R systems include an ITS96 door closer, concealed within frame for discreet appearance. The system’s double glazed panels are supported by aluminium ceiling suspended track avoiding any obstructions for wheelchair users. This creates an ideal access solution for retail entrance settings.