Founded in 1976, Omroep Brabant is the regional public broadcaster for the North Brabant province in the Netherlands. In 2024, the interior design and architecture firm TenBrasWestinga renovated three floors of its Eindhoven headquarters, undertaking a much-needed transformation of the existing spaces into contemporary, human-centric offices. For their design concept, TenBrasWestinga drew inspiration from the region’s natural landscape, using it as a "colourful mosaic" to define the palette and materiality.
Office acoustics were a key priority – particularly in the recording studios – leading to the installation of Rockfon Color-all and Rockfon Blanka ceiling tiles, both providing Class A acoustic performance. Installed by Element Breda, the ceilings feature exposed designs in some areas, while interplaying with the existing ductwork in others.
A Host of Interior Structural Changes
The renovation entailed significant structural changes. Interior walls were removed in various spaces, and new windows were added to increase natural daylight penetration. On the first floor, double metal stud walls were installed, acoustically decoupled from each other.
“What could be saved has been saved. Existing walls were retained where possible. The old glass façades and soundproof doors were reused within new configurations, and no plaster was applied", explains Iwan Petersen, project leader at Element Breda.
The different rooms are colourful and material-rich "without being lavish", according to the design studio. In one of the meeting rooms, seventies-style prints across the walls and a two-tone ceiling create a playful effect. Natural greenery, maintained by an external company, injects brightness and completes a biophilic office approach.
The Dynamism of Exposed Ceiling Design
Omroep Brabant set ambitious requirements for acoustics, particularly considering their broadcasting needs. “We proposed various Rockfon ceiling tiles with the highest possible sound absorption value", explains Rockfon Area Sales Manager Corné van Meer. "This is expressed with an Alpha W value. The Rockfon ceiling tiles selected have an Alpha W that is between 0.95 and 1.00".
A total of 1000 square metres of Rockfon Blanka premium white ceiling tiles and 370 square metres of Rockfon Color-all tiles in Charcoal were installed throughout the headquarters – optimising comfort across the editorial, recording, editing studios and perfecting meeting room acoustics.
Since the existing pipes and air ducts had to be retained, installing the office ceilings presented unique challenges. However, the exposed pipes and ductwork, painted in various colours, created compelling industrial design looks that change from room to room, allowing for a dynamic journey throughout the spaces.
In some spaces, bright-orange exposed pipes contrast against the black suspended ceilings, creating a bold visual effect. In a meeting room, the air treatment systems were painted white, resulting in a sleek, modern aesthetic. In circulation spaces, Rockfon Color-all acoustic ceiling tiles in Charcoal were directly glued to the soffit without a grid, creating a seamless ceiling appearance.
The Rockfon Blanka white ceiling tiles, with their smooth, deep matte surfaces, offer high light reflection and diffusion, contributing to energy savings and a bright, comfortable indoor environment. At Omroep Brabant, they were installed in various configurations and edge types – some as floating raft ceilings, while others spanned the full perimeter of rooms.
Besides their Class A acoustic performance, the Rockfon ceiling solutions were selected for their closed-loop recyclability, durability, and Cradle to Cradle certification. "We opted for as much reuse as possible, supplemented with circular products that are sustainable in terms of production, maintenance, and lifespan", explains TenBrasWestinga director Maaike Westinga.
