Heradesign® offers multi-functional versatility on a grand scale

City of Glasgow College is the largest and most diverse tertiary education establishment in Scotland. Its Riverside campus opened its doors in 2015 aiming to lead the global maritime college community. City campus opened in 2016 creating twin site, flagship Super College and powerhouse of technical and professional skills.

City campus, which is currently on the shortlist for the RIAS and RIBA Awards 2017, houses a purpose built 3000m² x 10m high Construction Workshop that’s divided into smaller bespoke teaching areas. Heradesign® from Knauf AMF is installed throughout to control reverberation and enhance the industrial design aesthetic.

Controlling reverberation was the main driver for choosing Heradesign® for the multi-functional workshop. The individual teaching areas are separated by 4m high open-top walls. Loud machinery is often in use in one space whilst elsewhere at the same time tutorials are taking place. Heradesign® provides Class A sound absorption which helps control the ambient sound level, reduce reverberation and increase speech intelligibility, ensuring lessons can take place without disruption.

Heradesign® was recommended to Reiach and Hall Architects Director Angus Wilson as a cost-effective ceiling solution that satisfied the design and acoustic brief. “The acoustic performance of Heradesign® prevents the large industrial workshop from acting like an echo chamber. This was the main reason for switching products. I liked how the textured surface of Heradesign® worked well with the raw materials that are used elsewhere in the space.” Angus Wilson has specified Heradesign® since for a number of education and refurbishment projects.

Heradesign® is manufactured from sustainably sourced wood-wool and has a naturally woven surface. For the Construction Workshop, Heradesign® was specified in a natural colour, but its surface can be matched to a virtually endless range of custom colours including those using RAL,
NCS or StoColor.

Roskel Contracts Ltd carried out the ceiling installation in the workshop. Director Richard Spinelli explained how the versatility of Heradesign® ensured the work went smoothly. “Heradesign® was fixed directly to the concrete soffit using wooden battens. We left spaces between the panels to allow a metal framing grid to be inserted which the services attached to. The metal grid and Heradesign® dovetailed together to form a neat, clean finish.”

Heradesign® is ideal for educational buildings because it offers long-lasting durability, has high impact resistance and provides excellent fire safety (Class 1A).

If you’re working on an educational project, the team at Knauf AMF can provide technical support and specialist product knowledge to help you achieve your desired result. Contact info@knaufamf.co.uk or visit www.knaufamf.com for more information.