The Heradesign customer and partner journal Issue 5 • Spring/Summer 2010

Acoustic solutions hit the right tone

McDonald’s Austria with Heradesign Sophisticated café atmosphere in cosy lounges 2

Jena Tourist InformationCombination of modern style and tradition 3

Klinikum Rostock day care centre for childrenPlaying and learning where parents work 4

Erasmus University Rotterdam The ceiling as an objet d’art 5

Students’ hall of residence in the NetherlandsJan Decker on perfect room acoustics 6/7

Pestalozzi School in Leonberg Property report and interview with SOMAA. 8-11

Heradesign innovationsBaffles, ceiling panels and acoustics consultants 12-16

Campus in Ferndorf Professional acoustics training 15

Besides the overall positive market de-velopment, I am pleased about two

other trends. Although the phenomenon of acoustics is still relatively unknown, there is a visible trend that more and more people are becoming aware of the positive influ-ences of good acoustics, namely improved concentration, increased speech intelligibi-lity and the increase in overall well-being.

The second trend which confirms the Heradesign product development can be seen in the fact that ceilings are increasingly reverting to their original function again, na-mely of being a design element. ‘Technical functions’ of the ceiling, such as enclosing the ventilation system, temperature con-trol and cable ducts, are taken over by the building envelope or are altogether solved differently through technical innovations.

Heradesign Ceiling Systems develops to-wards being a system provider of acoustic solutions. In order to advance this develop-ment, which will be consistently continued in the coming years, we have developed

a range of new products such as wall and ceiling panels, baffles and a T-track system. The trend on the market is clear: only pro-viders that offer complete system solutions for acoustics will be successful in the end.

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Matthias FranckeGeneral Manager Heradesign

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2 Property report Spring/Summer 2010

Through a completely new interior design, McDonald’s Austria aims to put the character of the restaurant in

the foreground. Top quality materials and special colour schemes in Austria’s largest family restaurant encourage guests to stay longer: taking time for a good meal and/or a tasty coffee, this is what is important.

For the new design of feel-good rooms, McDonald’s Aus-tria trusts in wood wool acoustic solutions by the Carin-thian company, Heradesign, for some of the eight restau-rant designs developed by the famous French architect, Philippe Avanzi. The designers have chosen the Heradesign acoustic so-lutions because of their fine and exceptional wood fibre appearance and the outstanding sound absorption va-lues of the Heradesign panels that consist of wood wool, magnesite and water. Ursula Riegler, press spokeswo-man of McDonald’s Austria, emphasises the excellent cooperation. “We have been cooperating very well with Heradesign throughout Europe for many years. Consis-tently high and reliable product standards as well as the very strong reliability as regards delivery make Heradesign an important partner for us.”

Guests at McDonald’s Austria can test for themselves at any time how the restaurants and McCafés ‘sound’ with their new look – the acoustic solutions produced by Heradesign in Austria have already been installed in McDonald’s res-taurants, for example in Innsbruck and Klagenfurt. In this context it is worth mentioning that Heradesign uses exclusively high quality spruce wood from Carinthia – so the Austrian countryside contributes to the special atmo-sphere in the new McDonald’s restaurants.“We are very pleased and proud that our products are not

The Heradesign acoustic solutions were chosen as the official product for modernising McDonald’s restaurants – coloured in choco-late brown, they fit extremely well into the concept of fine materials and warm colours.

Heradesign’s acoustic solutions make a considerable contribution to the atmosphere in the new McDonald’s restaurants. “Cosy lounges in the restaurant” – this is what McDonald’s Austria call their new McCafés, which are an inherent part of their modernisation campaign. The new appearance of McDonald’s Austria is not only limited to high quality coffee specialities and delicious international and typical Austrian cakes. No, it’s about a lot more than that.

Sophisticated café atmosphere: McDonald’s Austria trusts Heradesign

only used in McDonald’s restaurants in Germany, Switzer-land and Spain, but also provide a pleasant atmosphere here in Austria,” says Matthias Francke, General Manager of Heradesign. “The new design is paying off; we are re-cording a clear increase in turnover in these restaurants, and our guests feel good,” explains Ursula Riegler. “And also Austria’s economy profits from this: in every redesign we try to work together with regional and local partners – from architects to electricians. This way our investments in Austria also create and protect jobs with our partners and suppliers,” stresses Riegler.

Not only McDonald’s guests love the Heradesign acoustic solutions. Also the installers are enthusiastic about them. “I prefer installing Heradesign acoustic solutions a lot more than other materials. It is a clean product that can be installed really easily. You get the feel of it very quickly which makes handling even better. These solutions offer varied design options as well as extremely good looking re-sults,” says Michael Hentsch from the company Katholnig. In other words: the feel-good ambience is already created upon installation.

Thanks to the sound-absorbing properties, the wood wool panels provide for good acoustics and thus contribute to a pleasant atmos-phere for all guests of this gastronomic market leader.

Michael Hentsch from the company Katholnig whilst enjoying a relaxed coffee at the new McCafé in Klagenfurt, Austria. “Heradesign is a clean product that can be installed really easily.”

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How Heradesign superfine combines tradition and modern styleHeradesign Ceiling Systems meets many requirements. Combining old and new – this often constitutes a challenge for the client as well as the planner. A sen-sitive handling of the existing structure of the building and its character is required, and in doing so nevertheless using modern, functional materials in order to satisfy modern day demands.

The realisation of the property “Jena Tourist Informati-on” proves that this balancing act can work. The ticket

and souvenir shop, where a high customer frequency is to be expected, trusts in a Heradesign ceiling system to meet the demands on good acoustics. Here, the wood wool pa-nels blend perfectly with the mix of materials in the excep-tional building in the old town of Jena.

The monument as a challengeA very special building project has been carried out in the centre of Jena which now houses the tourist informa-tion centre of the town. The building, which was already constructed in the Middle Ages, is made up of two buil-ding parts: the front building, whose front faces towards the market, was built in 1384 and served as a storehouse; the back part of the house is a residential annex dating from 1435. The property, which had been unused for a long time and was already dilapidated, was reverted to its ori-ginal mediaeval state in 2002 and statically secured before structural alteration work began. In 2006 the town council decided to put the property to a new use by using funds for the promotion of urban development and for the pre-servation of historic buildings and monuments and with help from the new owner, Kommunale Immobilien Jena (KIJ) [Municipal Real Estate, Jena].

But how could old and new, the existing buildings and today’s needs be combined? The concept of the Limmer + Otto architect’s office focused on contemporary architec-ture that would accentuate the old house in its full size and historic importance. Glass and reinforced concrete were chosen as the characterising materials. “The architectural concept is based on a delicate hand-ling of the late-medieval building fabric and the creation of an unobtrusive, pleasant contrast with the new mate-rials,” says architect Frank Otto. The two building parts

were connected by an atrium of glass and reinforced con-crete, thereby creating a high, light-flooded room. A very striking highlight on the outside towards the market is a steel and glass façade with ‘holographic optical elements’ (HOE), which not only results in a light interior, but also offers views from the outside to the inside.

Function and designIt was particularly the utilisation of the historic building as a place to go for tourists and residents with daily atten-dance by a considerable number of visitors that made high demands on the design. Jena Tourist Information is the central information and service point for guests and locals and can be visited from the market square or through the ticket and souvenir shop on Oberlauengasse lane. In order to guarantee good acoustics in the sales area, a wood wool ceiling system by Heradesign was installed.

With a sound absorption value αW of up to 0.95, the ceiling elements stand out with their excellent acoustic properties, and are also impressive with their design and naturalness: the designers intentionally relied on the structured char-acter of wood wool panels on the ceiling since this way they created a beautiful contrast with the smooth frieze. Furthermore, the Heradesign superfine 25 mm with a

straight edge fits perfectly into the modern impression of the material concept of steel, glass, exposed concrete and plasterboard, which was deliberately kept unobtrusively simple in order to not compete with the monument. In ad-dition, the ceiling panels are an ecological building mate-rial because they are exclusively made of wood, water and magnesite. With this, Jena has a very special showpiece – not only for tourists.

Thanks to the good acoustic properties of the Heradesign superfine decorative panels used, the ceiling system offers a pleasant atmos-phere at the ticket area – even with crowds of people.

PROJECT DATA

Architect: Architekturbüro LIMMER + OTTO, Jena

Execution of construction work on the hologram façade:Architekturbüro robarchitects, Dresden Execution of construction work on the interior design: Architekturbüro Kehr, Erfurt

Client: Kommunale Immobilien Jena

Products: Heradesign® superfine

Jena Tourist Information is an outstanding combination of old and new and is, at the same time, an architectural gem in the heart of the old town of Jena.

Property report Spring/Summer 2010

4 Property report Spring/Summer 2010

A spacious move in terms of work-life balance: The Faculty of Medicine at the University of Rostock has been offering its employees an in-house day care centre for children since November 2009 – and what a centre it is! Not only are there long opening hours and the possibility to discover a foreign language in a playful way; also the indoor climate has been made perfect – with Heradesign.

Playing and learning where parents work

The day care centre for children in the immediate vicinity of the Faculty of

Medicine offers just over 100 places for three crèche groups and three kindergarten

groups and was designed as a new buil-ding at the listed front part of a greenhouse constructed in 1936. The greenhouse was pulled down in 1999; only the clinkered entrance structure with architectural de-sign elements in the style of art deco was preserved. The structural requirements were particularly high. For the outside it was necessary to preserve the listed entran-ce area and to incorporate the original form of the greenhouse.

It was the overall goal to find an outer buil-ding form that would be distinctive and unmistakable for children. In the building’s interior it was important to the client not to divide the premises into circulation are-as and useful areas, but to make all open areas ‘playable’ and include them in the utilisation for all the children. This was enabled by the installation of two evacua-tion slides from the upper floor, which – to the children’s great delight – can not only be used in an emergency, but are toys at the same time. As a consequence, an extremely open room structure could be created which, however, required good soundproofing (at the same time this is a very important re-quirement of the kindergarten guidelines).

Quiet with Heradesign

The Heradesign superfine acoustic solutions were used in all circulation areas, group

rooms as well as secondary group rooms. The wood wool based products were not only impressive due to their excel-lent sound absorption values; also the fire protection properties and the fact that the Heradesign products are made up of pure-ly ecological components were convincing aspects. The wood wool appearance played an important role when it came to choosing a product. “The wood wool structure ful-ly corresponds to the client’s wish that the used materials should not have a bland ‘of-fice character’,” says architect Hass from the HASS+BRIESE Architekten architect’s office and stresses the importance of pro-duct and colour selection for the ceiling. “Small children spend a lot of time lying on the floor and looking upwards – there-fore we not only implemented the complex colour scheme on the floor, but also on the ceiling and we also suggested floor hea-ting.” Carefully chosen lights installed in the suspended ceiling complete the child-friendly appearance. All in all, the suspen-ded ceilings were placed on the solid cei-ling like ‘carpets’.

Of course, in a feel-good day care centre for children it is not only the building that counts. Great importance was also attached to the purchase of modern toys that stimu-late children’s creativity as well as sophis-ticated play equipment for outdoors. The little earthlings can even let off steam in a children’s sauna located in the outside area.

Klinikum Rostock day care centre for children at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Rostock, Germany.

PROJECT DATA

Architect: HASS+BRIESE Architekten, Dipl.-Ing. Barbara Hass

Execution of construction work: HASS+BRIESE Architekten

Client: der Betrieb für Bau und Liegenschaften Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

Products: Heradesign® superfine

5Property report Spring/Summer 2010

Hear, hear!

The auditorium is the showpiece of the Erasmus Uni-versity. Not only has it witnessed teaching at the high-

est academic level for about forty years; also well-known Dutch politicians and even members of the royal family have given lectures here. The colour and the special design of the auditorium make the room a unique place. As the auditorium is a listed property, it was a requirement of the renovation work that no changes be made to the original concept.

Thus the colouring was one of the defined goals and ob-jectives in the renovation: the new ceiling was to have ex-actly the same colour as before. Rob Taminiau, Technical Manager of Heradesign Nederland, explains how it was possible to define the colour. “We scanned panels of the old ceiling and measured the colour. Only this way could we be sure of using exactly the same colour.”

As it was no longer possible to order the panels of the ori-ginal ceiling, the acoustic solution of Heradesign superfine turned out to be the best alternative when it came to choo-sing the material and won the commission.

With that, the obstacle of ‘visual appearance’ could be successful-ly overcome

“But each building has its own architectural history, even if it is protected,” adds architect Gerard Frishert who was responsible for the renovation work. In an earlier phase of renovation, rows of seats in the auditorium were ex-changed, which caused a change in the course of the floor.

“This and also other changes brought about completely new acoustics that did not meet today’s requirements,” says Frishert. In particular in an auditorium, speakers and the audience profit from outstanding acoustics as the au-dibility and concentration are considerably increased here.

Architect Gerard Frishert sums it up: “It was the special challenge, after all previous renovation work, to get the acoustics under control again. For me, the ceiling now per-fectly unites the architectural and acoustic ‘values’ of the room.”

The ceiling as an objet d’art: Heradesign enables successful renovation of the ceiling in the auditorium of the Erasmus University Rotterdamm. And the special feature of this achievement: the auditorium is a protected monument. Therefore, strict regulations applied for all the renovation work.

Colouring and design of the ceiling make the auditorium of the Erasmus University Rotterdam a special place.

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Among studentsIn the Dutch city of Nijmegen, students have been living in the new students’ hall of residence “De Gouverneur” since the end of 2009. The client attached great importance to fresh, modern architecture, which should at the same time convey a feeling of warmth and security. A challenge which the architect Jan Decker solved in a unique way. Perfect room acoustics by means of the character-rich Heradesign natural materials.

You can imagine it like a small village. At different times people come and go,

meanwhile they learn, work, but also relax and communicate – social networks are created and cultivated. On the one hand the occupants need peace and quiet so that they can concentrate while learning and working; but on the other hand they need movement, atmosphere and – inevitably – the noise level increases.

Across the entire height of the building, the residential units are docked to a tri-angular, glass-roofed atrium. The three principal pillars of the atrium are linked to each other as well as to all circulation areas through a system of bridges. Thus a structure with an open appearance that at the same time offers privacy was created. Most residential units in the De Gouver-neur hall of residence have a size of 42 square metres, some are even 72 square metres, and they are so flexibly designed that smaller units can be joined together without too much effort and cost.

Property report Spring/Summer 2010

7Property report Spring/Summer 2010

195 student apartments

The planners relied on acoustic solutions from Heradesign for the panelling of the ceilings in the atrium (corridors and bridges) as well as in the staircases for sev-eral reasons. The Heradesign panels were not only able to meet the very high de-mands regarding fire behaviour and acous-tic effect particularly in these areas which serve as escape routes; also the flexibility of the panels was a clear advantage becau-se most acoustic solutions available on the market are exclusively suited for use in sys- tem ceilings, which were not a possibility due to the storey height in the De Gouver-neur hall of residence. Another argument

in favour of Heradesign is the impact resist- ance of the wood wool panels.

“Students are on the move; in particular at universities with an international orienta-tion this phenomenon is very distinct. To sum up: there is a lot of moving in and out, which leaves its mark. Wood wool panels cope with that a lot better and are not so delicate,” says Jan Decker, AGS Architekten en Planners. Also the design was a decisive factor. “When directly mounted on the con-crete ceiling, in most ceiling systems the screws remain prominently visible. Thanks to the open wood wool structure this is not the case with the Heradesign solution,” ex-plains Decker.

INFO BOX

Client: Stichting SSHN

Architect: Jan Decker, AGS architekten en planners

Installation: MVT Binnenmontage BV, Puiflijk

Construction period: 22 Monate

Heradesign products: Heradesign® fine, 1200 x 600 mm, 25 mm thick, AK01 edge, 3560 m²

EXPRESSION: Which trends do you notice in the materials?

Decker: “Architects always curiously and critically search for new materials, thereby focussing strongly on technical functiona-lity and design. An important trend that we notice is that also with the materials for the interior design the relation between sustai-nability on the one hand and the environ-ment/ecology on the other hand is increas- ingly becoming the focus of attention.“

EXPRESSION: How important are the aspects of environment and sustainability to you?

Decker: “From our point of view, this so-cietal development offers a new chance. A chance to make our buildings even better. The materialisation is, of course, also an essential form of expression in interior de-sign and the communication of identity.“

EXPRESSION: Which role does the ceiling play in the overall design of a building?

Decker: “The ceiling is one of the essential areas that determine the shape of a room and is therefore an important element for architecture.The ceiling as an architectural means can certainly keep pace with the floors and the walls as regards aesthetics and spatial features. Over the years, however, we have steadily mutated the ceiling into a ‘technol- ogy shelter’ – it houses almost all the tech-

nology in a building. In the past, the ceiling was literally the high point of rooms; won-derful paintings or stucco adorned a room.In the course of history, however, the cei-ling could no longer play this role, as func-tionality and flexibility of the building be-came very important factors influencing design.We see though that a different trend is slowly developing and that more and more functions of the ceiling are being transfer-red to other elements of the building, for example to the building shell, or ceilings and floors that are thermally activated as a transmission and storage medium. This way the ceiling becomes an architectur-al design element again, which gives the room its acoustic and aesthetic identity. Products from Heradesign make this pos-sible in a unique way!“

Interview with Jan Decker:

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Pestalozzi School in LeonbergA pleasant learning atmosphere is very important for children. Instead of the temporary classroom solution of 40 years ago, which was a makeshift addition to the main building from the period of promoterism, the approxi-mately 60 pupils with learning disabilities of the Pesta-lozzi school in Leonberg are happy about classrooms with a great and inviting atmosphere.

The SOMAA. architect’s office designed a new building that houses three classrooms and a specialist room and

this way put an end to the existing cramped space.

The architectural team, Tandawardaja and Bochmann, cre-ated a strong pavilion of exposed concrete, which presents itself as powerful and protecting towards the public. It is not reminiscent of a school building and completely opens out towards the existing old building on the side to the valley. The building, which is built into a slope, keeps a respectful distance from the existing old building; on the side of the street it is completely closed and not perceptible as such. The rough exposed concrete shell protects the core and the roof becomes a green space that enables a view of the valley and over the building.

When planning these premises, good acoustics that have a positive influence on the concentration and speech intel-ligibility were essential. Furthermore, it was an important concern to not only design suitable rooms for learning, but

to create an inviting, pleasant environment for the children in what after all will make up the children’s centre of life for some years. To achieve this, Hadi Tandawardaja and Tobias Bochmann increasingly relied on colours in the in-terior – in a strong contrast with the shell of exposed con-crete. As regards colours, the classrooms were designed more unobtrusively than the corridors, which were given special significance as important common areas. This is emphasised by the spacious size and the large amount of daylight there.

Heradesign – this is what acoustics look like!

To achieve an optimum atmosphere for learning, the Heradesign acoustic solutions were used in the class-rooms. As an overall appearance that is as homogenous as possible was desired, the panels were installed in stag-gered layers in a neutral white paint. The rough and na-tural looking acoustic panels form a contrast to the bright green linoleum floor and the varnished and latex painted smooth and colourful walls. The contrast with the very smooth surfaces emphasises the haptic charm of the wood wool acoustic panels.In addition, the material also relates to the outside of the school building, the rough casing of exposed concrete. “The Heradesign acoustic solution not only meets all the

client’s requirements as regards sound absorption, fire protection and sustainability, but also our wishes in terms of design and architecture. And best of all, this solution fit-ted in well with the very tight budget,” explains architect Hadi Tandawardaja, obviously satisfied.

PROJECT DATAArchitect: SOMAA. Architekten + Gabi Dongus

Planning & design: SOMAA. Tobias Bochmann, Hadi A. Tandawardaja

Construction management & coordination:Gabi Dongus

Architectural team: Serpil ErdenClient: Stadt LeonbergInstallation : Fa. Hofstetter, Stuttgart-Botnang

Heradesign products:Typ: Heradesign® superfine; colour: white; format: 1200 x 600 x 25 mm; installed in staggered layers (transverse joints staggered); height of suspension: approx. 80-100 mm; installation height: approx. 2.90 m; edges: straight edges, right-angled without bevel on all sides; joints: butt joint without a gap.

Property report Spring/Summer 2010

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“I like it that it’s so quiet here...” (Jessica, eight years old)

“I find the ‘nets’ on the ceiling funny.” (Marvin, seven years old)

Property report Spring/Summer 2010

10 Interview Spring/Summer 2010

EXPRESSION: What philosophy do you as an architect represent regarding design, ecolo-gy and materials? Which materials do you like to use and what current trends do you see?

Tandawardaja/Bochmann: “The concept of design is often understood wrongly and is confused with ‘stylish’ or ‘trendy’. Howe-ver, we understand ‘design’ in its original meaning, namely as creation. So every cre-ative decision that we make is design. De-sign is most beautiful if it is not perceived as such and carries no trademark. Nature is therefore certainly one of the best designers of all. Correspondingly, designing with na-tural materials is again and again the same challenge as designing with absolutely new

and innovative high-tech materials. Partic-ularly in this respect we also see a big po-tential for development: using ‘traditional’, well-known materials by means of the la-test technology in a new way and modifying the materials ourselves to make them more specific, e.g. to use glass so that it can bear loads, or make concrete seem transparent, just to mention a few examples.“

EXPRESSION: Which role or which em-phasis has the ceiling when designing a pro-perty? Has this role changed over the years? If yes, how?

Tandawardaja/Bochmann: “To the disap-pointment of our built environment, the

ceiling is too often neglected in the design. An exact analysis of the ceiling mostly hap-pens much too late and merely for techni-cal reasons when planning the installations and the lights. Often the results are mere-ly functional ceilings with an awful ceiling plan, a mess of ventilation slots, lighting and smoke detectors. This topic has cer-tainly changed over the years because of the constructional options available, but also because of the increased technical re-quirements.

When planning a vaulted ceiling, more attention had, of course, to be paid to the ceiling than today when the entire ceiling can actually disappear behind plasterboard. On the other hand, the technical require-ments (installation routes, fire protection, etc.) make it considerably more difficult to handle the ‘bare’ structural ceiling in terms of design. All in all, the ceiling has lost im-portance – on the one hand this is due to

the decreasing height of rooms nowadays, which we had to experience during the last century because of economic pressure; on the other hand the ceiling lost its function as a – frequently picture covered – bearer of meaning; a function which was never ac-quired to this extent by the floor. Therefore the loss of significance appears even stron-ger today.“

EXPRESSION: Is the ceiling as a creative element underestimated? Is it still unknown as such?

Tandawardaja/Bochmann: “With the emergence of modernity, the ceiling was ‘freed’ of its function as a medium of signif-icance and thus of its decorative elements. Against the background of the aims of the Bauhaus architecture, this was a logical and completely justifiable conclusion. However, our architecture has not coped with this loss without damage since the postwar era.

THE ARCHITECTSHadi A. Tandawardaja, Dipl. Ing. [qualified engineer] architect, studied architecture at the University of Stuttgart and at the EPFL Lausanne in Switzerland. He worked in in-ternationally active offices in Spain and Germany. His works were shown, among others, in the German Architecture Museum in Frankfurt and in the Max Planck Institute in Munich. The buildings for which he was the project manager were nominated for the De-sign Award of the Federal Republic of Germany and won the DDC Good Design Award.

Tobias Bochmann, Dipl. Ing. [qualified engineer], studied architecture at the University of Stuttgart and at the EPFL Lausanne. He won the student award of the Bavarian Archi-tectural Association (ByAK) and the Baden-Württemberg Architectural Association and was a scholarship holder of the German National Merit Foundation [Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes]. As a project manager he built numerous award-winning single family houses whilst working in previous offices and is an honorary lecturer at the Institute of Housing and Design at the University of Stuttgart.

Interview with Hadi Tandawardaja and Tobias Bochmann

The room as one harmonious entity

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Within the spirit of ‘simplicity’ and ‘reduc-tion’, the spatial quality which was possible through ceiling design was not rediscovered. The ceiling as a creative element is there- fore by no means at all unknown; rather it was neglected.

Not least for labour economic aspects that aim at satisfying the wishes of a client who is mainly interested in the functional and economic floor plan organisation and, where required, in the design of the vertical areas – the walls – so unfortunately the cei-ling is often put last in the planning.“

EXPRESSION: Which trends do you noti-ce in the role the ceiling plays (functionality, purpose)?

Tandawardaja/Bochmann: “Certainly we can feel another trend for a ‘ceiling aware-ness’. Even if it limits itself to niches at first, e.g. the area of retail architecture such as the design of restaurants and bars, this trend will definitely find its way back to the living room. Besides functionality and pur-pose, which are limited to hiding wires and plumbing, integrating light and room acou-stics, but in this respect becoming more and more comprehensive and sophisticated, the ceiling as a design element is certainly beco-ming more important again. This trend can probably be less explained because of tech-nical achievements than because of cultural phenomena. Thus we are working in a time of global style which, negatively expressed, can be called a global hotchpotch that has

no more local identity. However, positively expressed it also means that we are in- spired by the achievements of other cultures where in architecture to a certain degree far more importance is attached to the ceiling than in our culture.Another aspect is the current conversion of existing buildings. Here we are required and forced to take the ceiling into account.“

EXPRESSION: Which trends do you noti-ce in the materials for ceilings? Tandawardaja/Bochmann: “Basically, we can see two trends. Reduce to the max: The ceiling is – as far as possible – reduced to its natural, two-dimensional element. It re-mains visible as a bare ceiling, the structure

and materiality remain visible and systems can be used that, despite high demands on acoustics, etc., can be absolutely flat, homo-genous and with no gaps.

The designed ceiling: The room is under-stood as one homogenous entity. Thus the same importance is given to the ceiling as to the other areas that limit the room. Here the design of the ceiling is of importance again.No limits are set to the roles of materials. There is an absolute demand for flexible modular systems that enable a larger range of designs than the conventional 60/60 pla-sterboard grid ceiling. Thus in addition to its standard programme, the industry should strive for tailor-made solutions, follow the trends and react accordingly.“

Ceiling – quo vadis?

SOMAA.

SOMAA. works at the interface between ar-chitecture, the culture of communication and urbanism. Headquartered in Stuttgart and with a partner office in Barcelona, the office works interdisciplinarily with qualified ar-chitectural planners and an open team con-sisting of other designers and architects. For further projects, see www.somaa.de.

PARTNERS:ArchitectsDipl. Ing. Hadi A. Tandawardaja, Dipl Ing. Tobias Bochmann

Interview Spring/Summer 2010

12 Products Spring/Summer 2010

Heradesign Ceiling Systems proves its innovativeness

Trend Acoustic Plus – sound absorption up to class A

Four years ago, Heradesign was the world’s first and only supplier to bring a non-combustible wood wool

panel – Heradesign fine A2 – onto the market, which could be classified in the reaction to fire class A2-s1,d0. Now the product which perfectly combines design and function in fire-stressed wall and ceiling areas has been further de-veloped. The non-combustible design of the natural wood wool panel makes it ideal for all fields of application with a particularly high demand for design and acoustic pro-perties and where, at the same time, attention has to be paid to reliable fire protection. Airports, railway stations or large function rooms with a high noise level and strict

fire protection regulations serve as good examples for this.With the previous A2 version of the wood wool panel, plan-ners were strictly bound to defined formats, thicknesses, edge designs and colours, but the new product generation has many more options to choose from. From 2010 on, as well as the Heradesign® fine A2 version (25 mm), also the Heradesign® superfine with its fine fibrous surface struc-ture is available in A2 quality (25 mm). Furthermore, an extended range for all A2 products is available as regards edge designs and colours – also metallic colours will be possible.

The Heradesign Trend Acoustic Plus series is a new product concept with a focus on highly absorbent wood wool acoustic solutions. They are particularly well suited for areas with a very high demand on sound absorption – up to sound absorption class A. The products are installed by screw mounting on wooden laths or insertion installation in T-sections (SK 04).

Lots of colour and design versions, even bright pink, are available within the new product range of non-combusti-ble wood wool panels. New: From now on, the wood wool acoustic solutions are also available with the fine fibrous surface structure of the Heradesign superfine.A2 wood wool panels offer safe fire protection and design-oriented ceiling structures, such as in the Pestalozzi school in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany.

The product programme of non-combustible acoustic solutions has been extended: the Heradesign® superfine is now also available in A2 quality.

Heradesign®

superfine A2

There are rooms that require the acoustics to be optimised, but that are not suitable for mounting

suspended ceilings; for example, rooms in which the ceiling houses integrated heat storage systems or where various cables (air conditioning, cable trays) or cable tracks are attached to the ceiling. Or it may be desired for architectural reasons that the original ceiling remains visible.

The Heradesign baffles are an ideal compromise in this respect. Baffles have a 25 mm thick mineral wool core that is surrounded by wood wool elements on both sides. The combination of wood wool and min-eral wool allows excellent absorption values in a wide frequency range to be achieved.

Besides leaving the ceiling visible, the baffles have other advantages as well: in production halls they can be suspended selectively and relatively far down in order to ensure intense sound absorption in foc-

used areas, e.g. directly above loud machines, with-out impairing the operability of equipment. Another advantage is that the baffles have wood wool panels on both sides.

Thanks to their special shape, the baffles offer unique options for design and are therefore very po-pular among many architects for use as design ele-ments in schools and public buildings. In summary: the Heradesign baffles are “sound absorbers with an eye-catching effect”.

The baffles are available with Heradesign fine and superfine surfaces, with the dimensions 1200 x 300 and 600 x 300 mm (57 mm thickness). They are provided with a galvanised metal frame and can also be used in reaction to fire class A2-s1,d0 (non-combustible).

Acoustic solutions that create an end-to-end ceiling area are not always possible or required. Baffles – vertically suspended acoustic elements – provide a solution.

Heradesign Baffles: Sound absorbers as eye-catchers

13

Heradesign ceiling panels: The new application for the best room acoustics

Everybody who has ever worked in an open-plan office knows the following scenario: one or even more teams

work in one room together. There are phone calls, mee-tings and arguments at different volumes; doors are ope-ned and closed; people come and go. What was originally aimed to be of benefit to team work and efficiency (short communication channels) has negative effects on people’s concentration and performance. And this phenomenon is not limited to open-plan offices – also in larger meeting rooms or at advice and informa- tion points in larger halls the concentration rapidly de-clines due to ‘background noises’.The Heradesign ceiling panels have been designed espe-cially for this purpose: an individual optimisation of acou-stics by means of which speech intelligibility and concetra-tion improve considerably. However, the ceiling panels are more than just acoustic solutions.

Everybody who has ever worked in an open-plan office knows the following scenario: one or even more teams work in one room together. There are phone calls, meetings and arguments at different volumes; doors are opened and clo-sed; people come and go. What was originally aimed to be of benefit to team work and efficiency (short communica-tion channels) has negative effects on people’s concentra-tion and performance.

And this phenomenon is not limited to open-plan offices – also in larger meeting rooms or at advice and information points in larger halls the concentration rapidly declines due to ‘background noises’. The Heradesign ceiling panels have

been designed especially for this purpose: an individual op-timisation of acoustics by means of which speech intelligibi-lity and concentration improve considerably. However, the ceiling panels are more than just acoustic solutions.

Heradesign now also offers its wood wool acoustic solutions in the form of ceiling panels. For pleasant working conditions in large premises whilst being able to concentrate on the essentials (again).

Products Spring/Summer 2010

14 Products Spring/Summer 2010

Heradesign shows how it worksIf you can see it you can understand it. Heradesign offers installation videos for the correct installation of the acoustic solutions.

At the end of April, Knauf Insulation and Heradesign invited architects and designers from renowned offices in Poland to an informal get-together in Tyrol.

As well as the proven Technical Manual, a Heradesign guide in booklet format with instructions for the optimum processing of its products, the manufacturer of acoustic so-lutions now also offers a series of user videos.

“The installation videos really go into detail and show steps which need to be explained a lot more clearly and understandably than would actually be possible with text and pictures,” says Stefan Königs, Head of Product Man-agement at Heradesign.

The first series of installation videos shows the professi-onal installation of acoustic panels on wooden laths, the processing with T-sections and CD-sections, the mounting of ceiling panels and the attachment of acoustic panels to the wall. The DVD, available in the formats PAL and NTSC, contains all five videos in German, English, French,

Dutch, Polish and Spanish. The installation videos can also be found at www.heradesign.com under Service & FAQ.

The DVD with the installation videos can of course also be ordered – simply send an e-mail to office@heradesign.com or call 0043 / 4245 2001 3003.

The Heradesign installation videos – this is how the professionals do it

New Heradesign T-Track System

Networking with top architecture firms

In 2010, Heradesign will extend its product range by system parts which, adapted to the Heradesign acous-

tic solutions, enable the installers to optimally process the Heradesign products. “It is important to us to offer our customers a ‘one-stop shop’ solution whereby we

not only guarantee continuous high quality, but invol-ve our advisory skills even more, too,” says Matthias Francke, General Manager of Heradesign.

Heradesign T-Track System for visible and concealed systems

From now on, Heradesign also offers a complete system solution for suspended ceilings for mounting on T-tracks. The programme is based on products by Richter System and includes CLIX main and cross sections (T24 and T35), wall angles (angles and stepped angles) and Twist vernier quick hangers and hangers.

Heradesign Screws For the optimum attachment of wood wool acoustic so-lutions Heradesign offers its own screws. These dry-wall

screws are rust protected and serve to attach one-layer acoustic panels to wooden and metal substructures (up to a wall thickness of 0.6 mm). The standard Heradesign screws are designed with blue passivation, partial thread and Torx T20 section. The 50 mm screw is also available with the screw head painted in white.

The aim was to socialise and present the Knauf Insu-lation and Heradesign options and solutions. The

social programme included skiing – the participants spent the last beautiful days of the 2010 skiing season on glaciers near Innsbruck. “The event was a real success. The mood was great, and we met some very interesting new contacts that will surely help us progress,” says Romuald Wilk, Sales Manager of Heradesign Poland.

15Campus Spring/Summer 2010

Campus at HeradesignAcoustics and design have to be learnt Heradesign has opened its training centre, Campus. Since April 2010, there have been training sessions at the Campus for Heradesign employees, partners and clients. The topics to be dealt with range from wood wool production and the product range to the correct handling of Heradesign products.

Acoustic solutions madeof wood wool are not amass product

If you not only want to provide a room with excellent acoustics but also with a

special design, then choose Heradesign Ceiling Systems with acoustic effect. A good choice!

“But to achieve an optimum effect both in room acoustics and in design, natural

products like Heradesign require certain care and attention,” says Andreas Blümel, Product and Project Manager at the new Heradesign Campus. The proper handling of the Heradesign system therefore has to be learnt. This is why Heradesign has inve-sted in a modern training centre where its own employees will be trained to become acoustic consultants and to convey a pro-found knowledge of room acoustics and the correct handling of Heradesign pro-ducts to partners and customers.

Blümel continues, “Of course, we not only pass on theoretical and practical school knowledge, but lots of tips and tricks on how to achieve perfect acoustic and design solutions with Heradesign.”

Acoustics made of wood wool – infinite design optionsSpeaking of seeing: The basic idea of the Campus is “to impart knowledge at the construction site”. It is a particular con-cern for Heradesign to not only convey the theory. Therefore, the participants take the things in hand themselves in the specifical-ly fitted premises: handling the wood wool panels, cutting to size, screwing together – after the training, the participants will know all these processes not only from the installation videos but also from first hand.In the Campus courses, Heradesign also

shows the large variety of design options. “Meanwhile we have a wide range of acous- tic solutions that we offer all together as a system,” explains Stefan Königs, Head of Product Management at Heradesign. “We give an overview of the different hanging and mounting systems for walls and cei-lings, and there is also a lot of busy ‘tin-kering’ going on here.” Matthias Francke, General Manager of Heradesign, adds, “At the same time we want to show how fan-tastic acoustics can look: from the kind of installation and unique design solutions such as ceiling panels which optimise the acoustics in a focused part of the room, to vertically suspended ‘baffles’ that give the acoustics a totally different appearance.”

Acoustics – what an effect a room has on the earsThe Heradesign acoustic solutions make an essential contribution to the improve-ment of the ambience of a room. This is not only ensured by the high quality and warm character of the wood wool structure of the surface, but also the outstanding sound ab-sorption values of the products. “The ques-tion of why someone feels good in a room often renders answers that have something to do with colours, light or size. However, feeling good is only seldom attributed to acoustics,” tells Blümel enthusiastically. “Acoustics and their effects are present all

the time and everywhere – but there is still need of explanation for the fact that good acoustics can have a positive influence on the ambience of a room.”

Acoustics is a highly complex science. At the Heradesign Campus we therefore aim to make acoustics visible, comprehensible and audible with the help of examples and hands-on training and to make the partici-pants sensitive to the importance of acou-stics.

Königs says, “We want to eliminate mis-understandings as well as fear as regards acoustics and thereby focus on questions such as: How do acoustics result and how are they measured? From which point are acoustics felt as being good? Afterwards we show how the acoustics in rooms can be optimised with our products. Also in this area we convey basic knowledge and some ‘rules of thumb’.”

INFO BOX

Since April 2010, the training sessions at the Heradesign Campus have been offered in English and German, and are tailored to the needs of the participants. The number of participants is limited to 20 people per training event.

More information on the Heradesign Campus is available from:Andreas Blümel, Product and Project Manager of Heradesign CampusPhone: 0043 4245 2001 3289E-mail: andreas.bluemel@heradesign.com

The participants of the first training at the Heradesign Campus – acoustics and design have to be learnt!

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Published by: Heradesign Ceiling SystemsA business unit ofKnauf Insulation GmbHFerndorf 29, A – 9702 Ferndorf Phone +43/4245-2001 3003Fax +43/4245-2001 3499www.heradesign.comoffice@heradesign.com

Edited by: Filip Miermans,Marketing and Communication

Photos by: Heradesign,Pestalozzi-School: © Patricia Neligan & SOMAA. Architects, 2010,Heradesign Ceiling Systems

Design by: Die1ns, Klagenfurt, www.die1ns.com

Typesetting and printing errors excepted.

Copyright: Heradesign Ceiling SystemsAll rights reserved.

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Course on acoustics consultancyThe new course on acoustics consultancy, which the employees of Heradesign and WeGo successfully completed, enables new customer consultations. Heradesign broadens the competence of its own sales representatives and those of WeGo Systembaustoffe GmbH, one of the most important trade partners of Heradesign in Germany, through a unique training campaign.

A course on acoustics consultancy – the ace up your sleeve in sales

These days, consultations in the field of ceiling systems are totally different to what they were in the past. In addition to design and the ‘green’ aspect, the topic of acoustics is increasingly becoming the focus of atten-tion. “And general knowledge is no lon-ger enough here,” explains Achim Nolle, Heradesign Sales Manager for Germany, Austria and Switzerland and founder of the course on acoustics consultancy.

The course on acoustics consultancy was conceived together with the acoustics con-

The participants of the first part of the course on acoustics consultancy: more competent than ever and ready to tackle the job thanks to knowledge of acoustics.

sultancy firm Müller-BBM GmbH from Planegg near Munich. Müller-BBM GmbH is one of the leading engineering compa-nies which gives consultancies, tests (for example sound absorption) and plans in the fields of infrastructural structures, buildings, environment, products, etc. The course on acoustics consultancy consists of five modules. The first four modules are taught on the premises of Müller-BBM; the last module, which is rather practice-orien-ted, is held at the Campus, the new compe-tence and training centre of Heradesign in Ferndorf (Carinthia, Austria).

Dr. Eckard Mommertz from Müller-BBM says, “We want to eliminate misunderstand-ings as well as fear as regards acoustics and

thereby focus on questions such as: How do acoustics result and how are they mea-sured? From which point are acoustics felt as being good? What influences acoustics?”

“Acoustics is a highly complex phenome-non, it is science per se and therefore a topic where there are only a few people who can join in a conversation at a professional le-vel,” continues Nolle. “It was therefore very important for us to give our sales team a de-tailed insight into acoustics for them to di-stinguish themselves from our competitors by competence and expertise for the benefit of our customers,” adds Dirk Rombach, Pro-duct Manager of Ceiling Systems at WeGo Systembaustoffe GmbH, who considerably contributed to the concept of the course.