Knauf AMF the hero as Heradesign stars in Southwark

Knauf AMF‘s Heradesign ceilings have featured throughout the regeneration of a new school building in Southwark, London.

The building, in Albion Street, set upon the backdrop of the diverse Surrey Docks peninsula, had stringent aesthetic and acoustic criteria to meet for this innovative programme.

Haverstock architects, who worked with Morgan Sindall, were drawn to Heradesign because of its safe to use nature in semi-exposed external areas.

Associate Partner Tim Bystedt talked about Heradesign’s ‘interesting’ texture and praised the neutral colour it came in as it was ideal for the underside of the entrance canopy and outside stairwell. 

Furthermore, they were simple to install, with no need for painting or plastering, ensuring costs were low and deadlines were met. 

Heradesign is a range of ceiling tiles and wall absorbers manufactured from sustainably sourced wood-wool. The end product is a unique, organic visual, which can match any colour to produce stunning interiors. 

The ceilings and wall absorbers were the ideal specification for the school’s sports hall because the do not simply just deliver on withstanding heavy impact but offering outstanding sound absorption as well, something which can be a rarity in this type of hard surface installation.

Architect Tim Bystedt described the benefits: “Our priority was to maximise the sense of height in the space in the Hall and whilst we liked the rhythm of exposed beams and didn’t mind the exposed services, we wanted to cover the underside of the steel decking.

“By fitting the Heradesign directly to the soffit, we were able to improve the acoustics and conceal the decking but also
maximise the height.

“By having the services exposed, the access for maintenance is not compromised and it was also more cost effective as we didn’t have to cut a ceiling around all the vents, sprinkler lights and other services.”

Tim went onto talk about the colour scheme chosen, saying the whole building is ‘very neutral with flashes of colour’, with desires to make the school appear ‘grown up’. 

Call 0191 518 8600 or email [email protected] for more on how they could benefit your project.