Improving acoustic clarity in a specialist healthcare environment
Dorma Variflex is ideal in rooms with high ceilings. Not only is it hugely versatile, its range of moveable walls reaches up to 14.5m high and it is ideal for complicated room proportions where sloping ceilings or circular spaces must be accommodated. For Wyvern College it also delivered 55dB acoustics, and a stylish finish which was black on one side and white on the other.
Working with architect, Jestico and Whiles, and contractor, Kier, Style was specified to install a moveable partitioning wall to divide the college’s main auditorium and theatre, or open it up into one very large area.
DORMA Variflex is ideal in rooms with high ceilings. Not only is it hugely versatile, its range of moveable walls reaches up to 14.5m high and it is ideal for complicated room proportions where sloping ceilings or circular spaces must be accommodated. For Wyvern College it also delivered 55dB acoustics, and a stylish finish which was black on one side and white on the other.
“For the theatre, it was fundamental to have a black wall, as this acted as the backdrop for the stage,” said Julian Sargent, Style’s group managing director. “Great acoustics were also essential so that plays and concerts would not be disturbed by outside noise, nor disturb others in the building by the sound coming from the stage.
“On the auditorium side, which is used as a lecture theatre, a white finish was preferred which worked well with the blue wall surround.”
DORMA Variflex is ideal for busy schools, colleges and universities as the panels are 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.
It also means you can replace the panels if you are altering the interior design. There are also no limits to the individual surface finishes that you can incorporate, making this popular with interior designers as they can choose anything from genuine wood veneers to decor surfaces and even rugged functional finishes.
Talk to us about your acoustic goals — we’ll help you design a solution that sounds as good as it looks.
2026 © Style Group
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.
Fill in the form below and we’ll get back to you within one working day.
Fill in the form below and we’ll get back to you within one working day.
Fill in the form below and we'll get back to you as quickly as we can.
