23 April 2009
CMS Acoustics Provides Super Solution for School
CMS Acoustic Solutions’ high performance SuperPhon Acoustic Wall Panels have been used to improve the acoustics in the dining room at St. Nicholas Priory Junior School, Norfolk. Selected by architects Manalo & White, as part of an overall review of the school’s facilities, the SuperPhon panels reduced reverberation times within the room, eliminating the cacophony of sound associated with such spaces.
Situated in Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, St. Nicholas Priory Junior School accommodates over 380 pupils. To improve the quality of the shared spaces in the school, architects Manalo & White assessed the areas of the building that could be improved or expanded. During the review, the 100-seat dining room was identified as a key area which could be enhanced. As such, the architects specified CMS SuperPhon panels, a high performance retrospective acoustic treatment, to reduce the noise generated by the metal cutlery and general conversations in the dining room.
Manufactured by CMS Acoustic Solutions, SuperPhon panels comprise sound-absorbing, non-combustible mineral board, covered with a high quality open weave fabric. With the option of standard or bespoke sizes and thickness, Manalo & White selected 1.2m x 0.5m size panels at 25mm thick to achieve the level of reverberation control required within the dining room. Installed in a band around the top perimeter of the wall and in the light-wells in the ceiling, the SuperPhon panels were fixed onto timber battens, creating an air gap for additional sound absorption properties.
As a versatile acoustic system, CMS SuperPhon panels can be designed to either complement the existing décor or be used as an attractive feature or focal point, which is particularly useful when the treatment is to be applied retrospectively. In addition to the broad range of standard fabric colours offered, panels can be colour matched to any chosen fabric. At St. Nicholas Priory Junior School, six colours from the standard range, Belize, Madura, Bermuda, Tortuga, Solano and Diablo, were used in a repeating pattern around the walls.
Brian Greathead, architect at Manalo & White, comments: “CMS SuperPhon panels were ideal for St. Nicholas Priory Junior School, combining excellent acoustic absorption properties with an aesthetically pleasing finish. The panels provided a functional and attractive solution for the dining room at the school.”
Part of the SuperPhon range of acoustic solutions, CMS SuperPhon panels are also available as a complete wall coverage system or suspended absorbers.
