School Circulation Acoustics
Creating calmer learning environments

School Circulation Areas
School corridors and stairwells are busy, high-traffic areas that can become excessively noisy without proper acoustic treatment.
Sound easily travels through these spaces, disrupting nearby classrooms and learning environments. New schools must comply with BB93 regulations, which set noise level standards not only for classrooms but also for adjoining spaces like corridors and stairwells to minimise disruptions.
The Benefits of Good Acoustics
Reduces noise transmission between classrooms, minimising external distractions.
Reduces background noise, allowing teachers to be heard clearly and students can focus more effectively.
School buildings must adhere to strict acoustic regulations to ensure optimal learning conditions.
Creates a calmer atmosphere, supporting both teachers and students.


Reducing Noise in Circulation Areas
Excessive noise in circulation spaces can negatively impact nearby classrooms, making it difficult for students and teachers to maintain focus and effective communication.
To control noise levels, acoustic solutions can be installed to reduce sound transmission, ensuring quieter learning environments and improved concentration.
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Our work in circulation areas
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Consultation
Our acoustic consultants assess your space on-site (or remotely) and provide a detailed proposal. Every consultation includes acoustic design recommendations, product specifications, and reverberation analysis to ensure measurable improvements.

Assessment
We don’t just identify noise issues — we provide solutions that are cost-effective, design-conscious, and performance-led. Whether reducing echo, improving clarity, or addressing speech privacy, our expert guidance ensures the right acoustic fit for your space.

Design & Planning
Every project includes a tailored acoustic design with a free CAD proposal, showing product placement, specifications, and performance ratings. Our designs can blend seamlessly into interiors or become bold architectural features — always balancing form with function.

Supply & Installation
With over 5,000 projects completed nationwide, our in-house installation teams handle even the most complex acoustic projects. We work to strict health and safety standards, with IPAF-certified specialists, SSSTS/SMSTS-trained supervisors, and all installers CSCS accredited.
FAQs & tips for selecting the right acoustic products
Not usually. While it’s tempting to think “the more panels the better”, effective acoustic design is about strategic placement rather than full coverage. The goal is to control reverberation time and echo — once you reach the optimal level, adding more panels won’t improve performance and can make a room sound “dead”.
Our consultants calculate exactly how much treatment is needed based on room size, materials, and usage. Dependent on the existing room surfaces, often 15–25% of the wall and ceiling surfaces is enough. This allows you to integrate acoustic treatment without compromising aesthetics, using panels as design features, artwork, or ceiling elements.
These terms are often confused, but they do very different jobs.
- Soundproofing means stopping sound from leaving or entering a room. This requires heavy, dense construction methods such as insulated walls, double glazing, and specialist membranes.
- Sound absorption (acoustic treatment) means reducing echo and improving sound quality inside a room. This is what acoustic panels, baffles and rafts achieve — they don’t block sound, they control it.
If you want privacy between rooms, you need soundproofing, or sound masking. If you want better speech clarity and comfort within a room, you need sound absorption. Often the best acoustic designs use a combination of both, depending on the space and its use.
Almost anywhere. We install acoustic solutions in:
- Offices and boardrooms
- Classrooms and lecture halls
- Restaurants and cafés
- Village halls and community centres
- Recording studios and performance spaces
- Homes and residential developments
- Swimming pools
Any space with hard, reflective surfaces can benefit. We’ve delivered over 5,000 installations across the UK and Europe — proving there’s no environment where good acoustics don’t matter.
The best placement depends on how the room is used:
- Offices/meeting rooms: first reflection points (side walls and ceiling above desks). Ideally on 2 perpendicular walls to reduce flutter echo.
- Restaurants/classrooms: spread evenly across walls and ceilings to avoid “hot spots”. Ideally above 50% of the ceiling area using Class A products.
- Studios: direct reflection points behind and beside speakers/microphones.
Ceilings are often the most effective surface because they are large, open, and unobstructed. Our free CAD proposals include detailed layouts showing the exact recommended panel placement for maximum performance.
The number of panels required depends on the size, shape, and materials in the room, as well as the intended use. A small meeting room might need as few as 6–8 wall panels to one wall, while an open-plan office could require dozens of ceiling baffles or rafts. The aim is to reduce the reverberation time to a comfortable level, not to cover every surface.
Walls: Good practise is to apply panelling from skirting to ceiling to 2no. perpendicular walls to reduce flutter echoes.
Ceilings: In accordance with new BS ISO 22955:2021 guidelines, the ceiling is the most important treatment area, and should feature approximately 50-60% Class A coverage in open plan office spaces.
Resonics provides a free acoustic survey and CAD layout to determine exactly how many panels you need and where they should go. This ensures you invest only in what’s necessary to achieve measurable results.
It depends on the type of panel and the space. Wall panels can often be bonded directly with adhesives or mounted using concealed clips, making them relatively straightforward. Where full coverage is needed, panels will require cutting/trimming which is where experience and skill is required. Ceiling rafts and baffles require suspension kits and safe access equipment — meaning professional installation is recommended.
At Resonics, our in-house fitting teams have completed over 5,000 installations, ranging from single-room projects to large corporate offices. All staff carry CSCS cards, and our supervisors are SSSTS/SMSTS certified. We also have IPAF specialists for high-level access. While DIY installation is possible for small projects, professional fitting ensures safety, compliance, and the best acoustic results.
Prices vary depending on size, material, and finish, but as a very rough guide:
- Wall panels: from £80–£200 each
- Ceiling rafts: from £150–£400 each
- Baffles: from £60–£120 each
Installation costs are additional and depend on project complexity. The best way to get an accurate price is through our free site survey and quotation.
While acoustic treatment is an investment, it quickly pays back in improved productivity, wellbeing, and customer satisfaction. In offices, better acoustics reduce distractions and boost concentration. In restaurants, they improve ambience and encourage repeat visits.
Yes. Acoustic panels are proven to work — they absorb sound energy, reducing echo and controlling reverberation in a room. Without acoustic treatment, sound bounces around hard surfaces such as glass, plaster, concrete, or wood, creating a noisy and tiring environment. Panels are made from sound-absorbent materials that trap and dissipate this energy. The result is speech clarity, calmer background noise levels, and a more productive atmosphere. At Resonics, we only use panels tested in independent acoustic laboratories, ensuring their performance is certified and measurable. With more than 5,000 completed projects across the UK and Europe, we’ve seen first-hand how transformative they can be in offices, schools, restaurants, and community spaces.
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