Improving acoustic clarity in a specialist healthcare environment
Like many schools, the main hall at St. Peter’s is used for a multitude of purposes each and every day. Working with Carillion, Style was asked to replace an old moveable wall, from a historic supplier, as staff were struggling to open and close it. The opening wall height is 7 metres, yet upon inspection, […]
Like many schools, the main hall at St. Peter’s is used for a multitude of purposes each and every day.
Working with Carillion, Style was asked to replace an old moveable wall, from a historic supplier, as staff were struggling to open and close it. The opening wall height is 7 metres, yet upon inspection, the old moveable wall had tracks suited to only 4 metres. As a result, it couldn’t effectively carry the weight and had been deteriorating with use.
“The school enjoys huge benefit from its flexible space,” said Julian Sargent, Style’s group managing director, “however a room of this height needs panels that are extremely large, therefore requiring specialist tracks.
“We advised they replace their old wall with DORMA Variflex, a semi-automatic partitioning system and one that is ideal for a room of this height. In fact, Variflex is perfect for school halls, churches, theatres, conference centres and anywhere with a very high ceiling as it offers solutions up to an incredible 14.5m high.
“By installing the correct tracks means the partitioning wall feels so light it can be opened by the gentle push of one hand. It also means its longevity is protected, and walls of this quality can be operational for 25 years or longer with the correct servicing.”
With a 55dB Rw acoustic rating, St. Peter’s new moveable wall system was finished in a chic beech finish, with the central panels in white so that they could be used as a projector screen for assemblies, presentations and teaching.
“This is a superb system that, considering its height and weight, is effortless to operate and complements any interior design with a range of finishes,” Julian comments.
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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