The offices of Hesselbrand, a major architectural practice in London, have benefited from the installation of over 200 m2 of the StoSilent Direct acoustic system from Sto, which was specified for its outstanding acoustic performance, ease of installation and attractive aesthetic appearance.
The offices are located in a refurbished warehouse, where Hesselbrand shares the space with a visual art installations gallery.
“The building features brick walls, polished concrete floors and large picture windows,” explained Patrick Morris from the Hesselbrand. “During the refurbishment project we wanted to create a modern, clean, minimalist, open-plan working area, and the products in their natural form complimented my thoughts for the final aesthetic. However, they have little or no acoustic value with regards to attenuation, reverberation and other considerations like foot traffic and speech clarity, so achieving the overall acoustic design and balance within our building was a major consideration.”
The practice decided to choose the StoSilent Direct system after discussion on a number of solution and budget costs with Mike Wallace, Sto’s Technical Consultant for Acoustics. The system offers a particularly effective option for this type of project as it can be applied directly onto walls and ceilings.
The system features a porous texture and sandwich structure which provides excellent sound absorption characteristics, and it is finished in StoSilent Décor M. This classic fine-stipple finish is spray-applied and can be tinted to match a wide range of colours, a benefit to both the installer and main contractor as there is no mixing or tinting on site.
“The results were a huge success. The acoustic balance we achieved within the overall environment is very noticeable, making the space more comfortable to be in. Speech clarity is also improved, so communication between ourselves and clients is complemented, particularly with face-to-face and telephone discussions. Overall a much more relaxed atmosphere has been achieved,” said Patrick.
