Improving acoustic clarity in a specialist healthcare environment
With this in mind it was important to create flexible space so that the rooms could be reconfigured with ease, opening them out into an expansive space, or creating a number of smaller classes. Specified by Barr Gazetas Architects, Style was appointed to provide a moveable wall solution on both the first and fourth floors, […]
With this in mind it was important to create flexible space so that the rooms could be reconfigured with ease, opening them out into an expansive space, or creating a number of smaller classes.
Specified by Barr Gazetas Architects, Style was appointed to provide a moveable wall solution on both the first and fourth floors, working with Virtus Contracts.
Four partitioning walls were required, and due to the low ceiling height, DORMA Variflex was deemed the most suitable option due to its ability to accommodate tighter vertical spaces; an acoustic performance of Rw55dB selected.
One of the Variflex manual operable walls had to provide an interface with a Mansard roof; the client wishing to retain this feature rather than seal it off – all in order to maximise floor space and provide a more attractive interior design in keeping with the building. A bespoke panel was provided with an angle to match the building’s. The layout was also designed to have the flexibility of using the wall in 2 positions, and with 3 stacking options!
“We’ve been specified by Barr Gazetas a number of times”, said Julian Sargent, Style’s managing director, “and it’s always pleasing to know that we are delivering such quality products, people and processes that an architect turns to us for installations time and again.
“We also often work with Virtus Contracts too, and we are acutely aware of our important role in ensuring projects are delivered professionally, on time and within budget which is something we have an enviable reputation for.”
“The Variflex is an excellent product, (available up to Rw60dB) and with its high pressure laminate finish it was not only a very practical solution for a learning environment, but also a stylish one too.”
Talk to us about your acoustic goals — we’ll help you design a solution that sounds as good as it looks.
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HBN 00-09 sets out these surface characteristics because unsealed joints are a recognised place for moisture and micro-organisms to collect. A genuinely joint-free edge is designed to address that specific detail.
This is a surface and edge specification, not a clinical claim. Zero-joint technology has not been evaluated or certified by NHS England, and does not claim to reduce infection rates.
Food-service and guest-facing areas are typically inspected under hygiene and housekeeping standards that look closely at surfaces and joints. A seamless, moisture-resistant edge is designed with exactly that kind of scrutiny in mind.
Every one of these sectors shares the same underlying surface problem: a bonded-strip edge is a seam, and a seam is a place where dirt, moisture or wear can concentrate in a way a continuous surface can't. Zero-joint technology addresses that one structural detail across offices, schools, healthcare and hospitality settings alike — one construction detail, one shared weak point removed, four sectors that each care about it for their own reasons.
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