Improving acoustic clarity in a specialist healthcare environment
As a repeat client of Style, Kaplan already appreciated the quality of Style’s moveable partitioning walls and requested flexible space in another of its classrooms at its London Bridge training centre. DORMA Variflex was agreed as the best solution; a hugely flexible and popular system which has its panels manufactured separately to the frame. This […]
As a repeat client of Style, Kaplan already appreciated the quality of Style’s moveable partitioning walls and requested flexible space in another of its classrooms at its London Bridge training centre.
DORMA Variflex was agreed as the best solution; a hugely flexible and popular system which has its panels manufactured separately to the frame. This makes them easy and cost-effective to change if one is damaged, because you do not have to replace the entire operable wall.
To further ensure students were not tempted to open or close it themselves, Style installed a stacking system adjacent to a fixed wall. Operating points were then included to both sides of each panel enabling it to be locked down in both positions, preventing unauthorised use and damage.
“One of the challenges of installing moveable partitioning walls in public areas is non-authorised people attempting to open and close it,” said Julian Sargent, Style’s group managing director.
“We cater for this in a number of ways. Some of our walls are fully automatic, which means they cannot be activated without a key. With others, such as the Variflex installed for Kaplan, we can implement ways of locking the wall into place so that it cannot be operated by anyone apart from approved staff.”
With an impressive 57dB acoustic rating, and a stylish white board finish, Kaplan’s moveable wall also provided privacy and functionality.
“The white board finish is a great feature in classrooms, training areas and meeting rooms as it can be used for making notes,” said Julian, “and the 57dB acoustics means you can be teaching on one side of the wall while an exam takes place on the other – such is the level of privacy this partitioning wall provides.”
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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