Heinz, London

Project Description

The Problem

Heinz’s main office in London, located inside the iconic Shard, recently received a full refurbishment.

As with any considerate design, acoustics were to play a major role in the refurb. An independent acoustic assessment from Cole Jarman highlighted three spaces within the office that required special acoustic consideration: a telepresence / meeting and the office’s break-out and dining space.

To facilitate comfortable audio-visual communication in the meeting room – a reverberation time (RT) guideline was set for 0.2 seconds. For the breakout space a limit was set at 1.0 seconds and below.

The Solution

The acoustic recommendations called for 130m2 of Class A absorption in the break-out space to achieve the desired RT of < 1.0 s. We achieved this using a combination of Ecophon Solo rafts and FabricWall Print Wall, which are both Class A absorbers.

We hand cut the rafts to allow for light fittings and strategically installed them to absorb excess noise in high-use area, such as the kitchen and high-density seating areas. We also lined the seating booths in the space with FabricWall panels to allow for comfortable communication between staff.

For the telepresence room, greater density of absorption was required to push the RT down to < 0.2 s. To achieve this, we lined the walls from floor to ceiling with our FabricWall panels, which contain high-density glasswool perfect for absorbing large amounts of noise.

The Result

With over 130m2 of high performance acoustic products, we were able to meet the required RT times for the break-out space and the telepresence room. The panels complement the space well, while the discreet FabricWall panels seamlessly blended into the space.

Overall, an eye-catching and effective acoustic installation that met requisite RT times and made the office more comfortable for all.