Product category:
Ceilings
News Release from: Ecophon | Subject: Acoustic solutions for New Woodlands School
Edited by the Buildingtalk Editorial
Team on 04 April 2008
Ecophon diffusing noise and glare at new
school
Ecophon helped develop the most appropriate acoustic solutions for New Woodlands School in south east London, enabling it to meet Part E Acoustic Conditions in Schools regulations.
With a new wing now complete, New Woodlands School in south east London is set to build on its already enviable reputation as a centre of excellence for special needs education for children with behavioural and emotional difficulties Incorporating six general classrooms, an Art Room, an ICT room and a light and airy gymnasium, the new wing will be a hive of activity once it is commissioned later this year
This article was originally published on Buildingtalk on 19 Jun 2008 at 8.00am (UK)
Related stories
Quiet start for Ruislip new high school
Academic life at Ruislip High School is very quiet because a selection of specially developed acoustic damping products from Ecophon have been employed throughout the various interior spaces.
Riding a wave with the architectural S-line tile
Architect in charge at Ashton Sixth Form College made full use of Ecophon's innovative architectural ceiling tiles.
Key to its success is the implementation of Part E Acoustic Conditions in Schools regulations.
In this instance, Ecophon, the leading supplier of acoustic ceiling systems, has played a leading role.
The company has worked with Project Architect, Malcolm Birks of Barron and Smith, and the installation company, Visual Interiors and Partitions (VIP) in developing the most appropriate solution for the school.
Further reading
Ecophon coffers display artistic qualities
Architects behind the reconfiguration of a secondary school in County Durham as an arts college have found an unusual application for the illuminated ceiling coffers manufactured by Ecophon Limited
Ecophon design team masters conical ceiling
Ecophon designed and supplied a ceiling to improve a school halls acoustics, using their Focus range of ceiling tiles which are available in seven sizes up to 2400mm long.
Ecophon ceilings revitalise council buildings
System selected by Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council's architects was Ecophon's Gedina, providing a highly robust solution, very good noise attenuation as well as crisp lines.
Two recent contracts successfully completed by Ecophon and Barron and Smith have been at the Michael Sobell Sinai School and Crowland Primary School, both in north London and the experience gained on these projects was extremely useful for the New Woodlands School installation.
Whilst the creation of large, generous teaching spaces has been a desirable design objective, the architects knew this often leads to noise and echo issues In the gym, for example - where echo can present a potentially 'difficult' environment in terms of communication and stress levels - this has been overcome by the installation of Ecophon's Super G wall panels.
This achieves the unoccupied mid frequency (Tmf) reverberation time of <1.5 seconds demanded by Building bulletin 93 (BB93).
Whilst the laminated woven glass fibre finish to the panels makes them impact resistant and well able to cope with a battering from volley balls and footballs whilst reducing noise levels to accepted levels.
Typical of Ecophon's approach to a project of this type, was the creation of a Test Room, where Super G ceiling panels were 'attacked' using hammers, fists, feet and baseball bats.
The result? No discernable damage to the panels even when the testing was carried out by a fit, strong adult.
The gym ceiling is an inverted hip, and this, too, presented Ecophon and the installers with a challenge they successfully met.
Elsewhere, throughout the ten classrooms, white and grey Super G wall boards have been installed in each room, supplemented by a series of Focus D floating ceiling rafts made-up of individual tiles.
In the latter, which is in effect a suspended ceiling, the individual tiles are easily demountable making access to services quick, easy and effective.
Ecophon Focus D is installed in a suspended grid system, creating a ceiling with a smooth appearance.
Each tile has bevelled edges creating a narrow groove between each tile.
The acoustic performance of the Glasswool panels helps to create a balanced acoustic environment, primarily by lowering the reverberation time and reducing the background noise making it more comfortable for the occupants.
Meanwhile, in the Art Room, the same floating rafts have been installed to a sloping roof, using special bracing to stop forward creep over time.
Ecophon has gone beyond the minimum requirements of Part E in this contract.
The fixtures, fittings and furnishings in the whole building has created an environment that is overwhelmingly user-friendly.
The outcome of that, combined with a low teacher: pupil ratio, will be a quality environment that will contribute to improving pupil behaviour.
In the first floor corridors Super G walls panels have been used for the first time as ceiling panels where Super G's resilience is an important factor n resisting wear and tear.
Inevitably, here too, the behavioural difficulties of many of the children presented another problem - the potential for damage as the ceiling is relatively low and well within the reach of taller pupils.
This has been overcome by the introduction of tightly woven glasswool fibre reinforcement to each of the panels.
This was not a typical situation and Ecophon trained the Visual Interiors and Partitions in installation methods and in the use of any unfamiliar components and junctions.
Handling and unloading and on site was also part of the training programme to ensure every panel retains its pristine appearance at all times. Request a free brochure from Ecophon ...
• Ecophon: contact details and other news
• Email this article to a colleague
• Register for the free Buildingtalk email newsletter
• Buildingtalk Home Page
Search the Pro-Talk network of sites
