ROCKFON displays deep acoustic and aesthetic design know-how

Rawlins Academy College in Leicestershire is proud of its new Deep End Activity Centre that opened this year to huge acclaim. The Centre was formerly a swimming pool which has been converted into a multi-use fitness studio and activity space to be enjoyed by students and the public. To help create a healthy acoustic environment, ROCKFON® VertiQ® A wall absorbers and ROCKFON® Eclipse® ceiling islands were installed throughout.

The Centre was built with hard surfaces that are highly reverberant. YMD Boon architect Sharesh Setayesh specified ROCKFON acoustic solutions and explained why: “The main requirement was to ensure speech could be heard clearly when the studio is in use. ROCKFON acoustic products deliver excellent sound absorption. The ceiling rafts and wall panels are robust to withstand demanding wear and tear and provide an excellent quality of finish that supports the interior design.”

ROCKFON Eclipse are innovative suspended ceiling islands made of 40mm stone wool with smooth, durable surfaces. Eclipse offers the highest performance in sound absorption as both sides of the island absorb sound and contribute to reducing reverberation time. They are the perfect choice for buildings that feature hard materials like glass and concrete.

The islands are aesthetically pleasing and make a distinctive feature in their own right. ROCKFON Eclipse islands offer true design freedom; they’re available in square, rectangular, circular and custom formats and come in any colour you want, creating endless possibilities.

The islands are quick to install. They’re hung from wires and appear to float in mid-air. They can be positioned in any arrangement, at any height, even mounted at different angles adding distinctive visual appeal to any room. Martin Cox, Project Consultant at Vision Projects was impressed by how easy it was to fit the islands and wall panels. “One of the challenges faced was fitting the islands around the integral lights and services. ROCKFON’s Technical Serviceswere on hand to offer assistance and ensure the installation went smoothly and was ready on time. I’m now installing both products again in a new project.”

ROCKFON Eclipse islands are a truly versatile solution for combining design and acoustic performance in a wide range of applications. They adapt effortlessly in modern buildings where a traditional suspended ceiling cannot be installed or the design calls for a ceiling that is out of the ordinary. They can also enhance the acoustics of historic buildings making them an ideal choice for refurbishment projects too.

As a multi-functional space, the Deep End Centre can be divided into two separate areas using a mobile room partition. When used in this configuration, the acoustic demands are particularly challenging. Making good use of the space available on the walls, ROCKFON VertiQ A wall absorbers provide additional acoustic control to limit the transference of unwanted sound between the two areas, ensuring speech can be heard and understood in both spaces.

ROCKFON VertiQ A are 40mm thick highly sound-absorbent (Class A) wall panels. They have an attractive woven surface that is resilient enough to withstand occasional impact from ball games and tough daily use, making them the perfect choice for school classrooms, sports halls and areas of high activity. Available in four standard colours, customised designs can be achieved as the panels can be installed at full height.

CCF Birmingham supplied the islands and wall absorbers for the Centre. ROCKFON works closely with CCF to ensure their products are available in all branches across the country.

ROCKFON acoustic products offer outstanding sound control, are aesthetically pleasing and can be tailored to the individual needs of any building design. To find out how ROCKFON can help your project deliver on quality, performance and stay within budget visit www.rockfon.co.uk.