France is a country with a big influence on European culture which has made great contributions to humanity in many fields of knowledge. And education is one of them.
At the beginning of 20th century, with the explosion of Art Noveau and Modernism, the training and study centers were designed with a great creativity and aesthetic. However, the percentage of population that had Access to education was very low, basically limited to the most favoured classes.
Entering the 20th century, with the advance of public, inclusive and mandatory education, it was necessary to build appropriate buildings to receive the large masses of students who overnight started to demand a place to study.
That’s why functionality and practicality when building and conditioning the new schools, institutes and universities took such an importance that in many cases the aesthetic and design were sacrificed.
However, reaching the 21st century at Metrowall we respond to that dilemma since we are specialized in the design of wooden solutions that respond to the needs of acoustic absorption and acoustic insulation, combining functionality and design so that the educational venues are more comfortable.
Today we will address two success cases in two French educational centers where we have installed the insulation and acoustic improvement with an attractive deco. We are referring to the Vallon Institute of Toulouse and The Claude Delorme University City of Marseille.
Common characteristics of these educational venues in France
Academic centers and schools are environments with a large movement of people, especially children and teenagers. Anyway, even if they are adults, when they are big groups or areas with continuous circulation it is logical that acoustic pollution is high.
All of this can cause inconvenience to both give teachers and students in their classroom spaces, when the acoustic conditioning of these areas does not it’s well solved.
To achieve that an educational space is comfortable, acoustically speaking, the incorporation of sound-absorbing material is necessary, since absorbs noise and prevents its spread the in the classroom, dining room or any other stay, creating a pleasant environment for its occupants.
The installation of this sound-absorbing acoustic coverings makes the noise decrease dramatically, allowing users to perform their activities without uncomfortable interference, making easier the degree of understanding and communication between participants.
Toulouse Vallon Institute
The Vallon Institute is located in Toulouse in the south of France, close to Spain. This city, with a large History and antiquity is known as “the pink city”, due to the terracotta tone of the bricks with which it is built most of its buildings.
Functional and aesthetic objectives of the project
The target of this type of project in educational venues is to avoid the excess of noise.
To do this we must differentiate between the two main sounds that hinder environmental quality: the direct and the reflected sound.
We perceive the direct one from the acoustic source that causes it. His origin and intensity are clear.
On the other hand, the reflected sound comes from the bounce off walls, floors, ceilings and furniture, among other elements, giving rise to reverberation, which is the reflection of sound through the space.
All this makes the sound lasts in the classroom, dining room or any other space, generating a little comfortable environment in terms of acoustic perspective. So, it’s essential that the reflected sound be controlled to achieve the comfort we seek in an educational center.
The consequences of poor acoustic conditioning is translated into a detriment to the activities carried out. Reverberation time increases, producing a lot of background noise and making the receiver not listen to the message in the right way.
In educational surroundings, clarity of communication is essential because if not listening well, deficiencies in learning occur.
Is more than proved that connexion between the improvement of the acoustic conditions in educational venues and the increase in school performance by create a healthier learning environment.
Metrowall solution for Toulouse Vallon Institute
The project developed for the Lycée Vallon in Toulouse, France, is a clear example of how our wooden acoustic and decorative coatings can be applied in educational centers, schools and universities.
Given the spaciousness of the venue and its construction with structural materials poorly permeable to sound, it was necessary to introduce absorbent materials that provide acoustic comfort.
One of the challenges has been to get a comfortable space in a large multipurpose room and with a glazed side façade of considerable height, where the surrounding materials had low noise absorption atmosphere.
Both there and in other areas of the institute, wooden Metrowall Acoustic Lines 15 panels have been installed in its application for walls and ceilings.
We installed Metrowall Acoustic Lines 15 on a ceiling of about 500 m2 with invisible joints to give continuity to the space.
Likewise, Metrowall Acoustic Lines 15 was used for the coating, of both the walls and the ceiling of the auditorium with a surface approximately 600 m2, achieving a magnificent decorative appearance, as well as a pleasant acoustic comfort. Lightning was later integrated and also the cooling and heating.
Claude Delorme University City in Marseille
Bathed by the Mediterranean Sea, Marseille has been the epicenter of numerous historical facts. Its port is one of the most important in Europe and it’s an ancient city founded by the Greeks.
The Claude Delorme University City is located in this here, the second largest in France with about 860,000 inhabitants.
This university complex is named Pierre Claude François Delorme, a French neoclassical painter who was especially dedicated to historical painting and specialized in religious and mythological.
It is logical that in a city with so much tradition its universities are prestigious and the level of comfort inside them plays an important role.
Functional and aesthetic objectives for the project
As in the case of the Vallon Institute, the main objective in The Claude Delorme University City project has been to mitigate excess noise.
As we have been insisting, differentiate and control the sounds that make difficult the environmental quality – the direct and the reflected – is very important when we design a space so that it’s acoustically comfortable.
In the case of an educational center, the importance of this issue is crutial, since the message that is given must be received rightly by the audience for optimal learning.
The improvement of acoustic conditions within student centers is requisite to get increased academic performance of students and that the ambient is healthier with less environmental stress for them and their teachers.
Metrowall solution for Claude University City Delorme of Marseille
For the Claude Delorme University City project the solution prescribed has been the installation of the Metrowall Acoustic wood panels Lines 10 in its application for ceilings.
This interior design project met the objective of mitigating the reverberation, providing at the same time an aesthetic very consistent with the other existing elements in the common reception and lobby areas major.
The installation of Metrowall sound-absorbing panels on ceilings and walls has resulting in the control of noise in this space, giving it the optimal acoustic conditions required by a high traffic space and circulation.
Technical advice for Metrowall integration
Before starting any integration of our solutions in acoustic and decorative panels, it is necessary to carry out a prior diagnostic study of the space. This study allows us to verify the degree of acoustics pollution of the place.
Metrowall integration can be done in two different situations:
- In the project development phase, whether new construction or rehabilitation.
- As a specific intervention to solve an acoustic problem.
Project development phase
In the case of the project development phase, the calculations are analysed carried out by the technicians and the appropriate prescriptions are made with the Metrowall solutions that we consider most convenient.
Within the study, dimensions are taken, the materials that contains the space, in order to calculate the necessary absorbent material and its optimal location to generate a healthy and comfortable space from the acoustic perspective.
Intervention to resolve an acoustic problem
If the action is in the post-work phase, when the building is already finished and functioning, and therefore, it acts as an element of solution to a declared problem, the installation of our acoustics solutions is coordinated. This can be done in a few hours, once the wood panel has been manufactured.
Our installations are carried out through very methodical work, adapting to the pre-existing space and generating the minimum impact on use from space.
Metrowall integration methodology
The recommended methodology for good solution integration Metrowall acoustics in a project, parts of a specific acoustic study that takes into account the space to be planned and the use for which it is intended.
In this way we can plan the integration of the acoustic panels of Metrowall wood in the projects, considering the needs and thus ensuring good resolution of noise problems.
All of this is part of our comprehensive advice, as well as the support that we give to our customers with the proposals of necessary solutions and alternatives, adapted and personalized to the spaces that are considered:
- Dining rooms
- Hallways
- Classrooms
- Study Rooms
- Gyms
- Others
Added plus Metrowall for projects in educational centers
Customization of products
- We propose products adapted to the measurements of the available spaces, carrying out the maximum amount of material handling in the factory, so that the implementation can be agile and defects minimal.
- We can customize the panels in terms of designs and textures with our wide collection of finishes.
- We can prepare the integration of lighting elements in our panels.
Good resistance, cleanliness and durability of the materials
Buildings for collective use always receive more intense treatment at the level of materials than those for private use. That is why the materials that we use to manufacture our panels offer the best guarantees for have a long life.
Our goal is to design and manufacture acoustic and decorative solutions with the highest quality standards and respecting the environment.
Conclusions of the intervention in acoustic conditioning projects in educational centers
Metrowall acoustic and decorative wood panels installed in classrooms, corridors, gym, dining rooms, auditoriums and in multipurpose rooms become the most effective actions to reduce noise in an educational center.
The integration of Metrowall solutions in France, both at the Vallon Institute of Toulouse, as well as in the Claude Delorme University City in Marseille, show that the installation of our acoustic sound-absorbing covering materials guarantee the right acoustic conditioning in the school spaces, achieving a considerable decrease in reverberation of sound in space.
Special attention must be paid to voluminous spaces, both due to their length and their free height. There are large concentrations and circulation of people, activities continuous and discontinuous, that cause sounds spread throughout those unique spaces. It is essential to act in them with good acoustic control.
Acoustic comfort makes easier the good learning, helps to reduce stress and improves the experience for all users, so it should be a priority objective in all types of architectural projects.
Do you want to get the best acoustic experience for your educational center, school or university architectural project?
Count on Metrowall.
At Metrowall we care about finding the right solutions for our customers transforming spaces into comfortable places, thanks to our sound-absorbing and decorative wood panels.
We accompany the entire project process from design to final delivery.
We will be happy to share our knowledge and offer you the best solution so that your design interiors project be a success.
