DFID, London

Project Details

The Problem

The DFID is a busy Governmental department with a offices in beautiful Whitehall, Central London. The breakout space and cafeteria for the building consist of lofty ceilings, glass partitioning and tall windows, a potent mix for an acoustically poor environment.

Add to that the high levels of activity noise from conversation and groups enjoying their lunch breaks and you have an uncomfortable sound environment in a space where comfort and the need to de-stress.

The Solution

Our Solution mainly targeted the ceiling, with a patterned installation of Class A absorptive panels. Where seating areas had lower ceilings, we used similar circular panels more sporadically.

To reduce reverberation from large Television units on opposite walls, we installed a series of acoustic wall panels with the intention of allowing them to blend into the pre-existing wall. Additionally, this reduced the number of untreated adjacent surfaces in what was a very noisy environment.

The Result

Acoustically, a resounding success, with the reverberation time reduced to an acceptable level – from 3.34 seconds to 1.2 seconds; allowing the space to be comfortably used.

Visually, the wall panels blended into the room and the ceiling panels allowed the space to retain the character created by the ornate ceiling and skirtings.