The art of sound control at Morriston Hospital

Creating a welcoming environment for hospitals

Morriston hospital in Swansea has undergone a massive £102M redevelopment as part of an ambitious plan to re-shape the way hospital services are delivered in South West Wales. Rockfon ceiling solutions are installed throughout the hospital including in the impressive main atrium in the Outpatients’ building. At Morriston Hospital, art commissioned and managed by Art in Site Ltd is used to help create a welcoming and attractive environment for patients. The art in the building was inspired by the Welsh landscape and its people, including Alan Goulbourne’s striking wall sculptures in the double height atrium

Why Rockfon acoustic solutions were chosen

Mike Sealey, Design Manager for BAM Construction explains why Rockfon was chosen for the project, “BAM had already chosen Rockfon for its outstanding acoustic performance, cost and infection control properties. The use of Rockfon Eclipse helps keep reverberation levels to a minimum in this busy area and provides a fascinating sculpture which lends patterns of light and visual variety to the large space.”

Rockfon Eclipse islands are suspended in the atrium to provide sound absorption and continue the visual theme. The islands are suspended at different heights and sizes to create a floating wave formation in the space. Patterns of fractured striated rock are printed on the visible surface of each island.

Visual impact and enhanced acoustics

Lindsey Jones, Assistant Director of Strategy who leads the project on behalf of the Health Board commented, “It was decided that the use of the Rockfon product not only provided a striking visual impact in the building but added value to the project by enhancing the acoustics within the waiting space. We have had many positive comments about the suspended sculpture and I would like to thank Rockfon for their assistance in the project.” Rockfon Eclipse islands are an ideal solution for adding visual appeal to any space while contributing to good acoustics. These versatile islands are available in a range of sizes and shapes including; squares, rectangles, circles, standard geometric shapes and custom formats and they can be ordered in any colour or printed with a pattern of your choice. The islands are easy to install and can be suspended from many structures – including concrete, wood, steel – using the Rockfon Eclipse suspension system. They can be positioned in any arrangement, at any height and angle.

Craig Tucker, Director at Bay Productions Ltd, installed the islands and was impressed with how easy they were to use, “It was straight forward to fit the islands, the spiral anchor fixings were quick and simple to fix. I think the overall result was clean and elegant. We wouldn’t have any issues using Rockfon Eclipse again.”

Fulfilling essential hygiene requirements

Rockfon MediCare Plus is installed throughout the wards, treatment rooms, corridors and dental school rooms. The tiles fulfil all the essential hygiene requirements in healthcare environments and comply with the Department of Health’s HBN and HTM guidelines. The water-repellent surface is resistant to bacteria and mould growth and can be steam cleaned. It has Bacteriological Class B1 certification and does not contribute to the growth of MRSA. Mathew Kemble of Richard Kemble Contracts Ltd installed Rockfon MediCare Plus using Chicago Metallic Click grid and found the process to be straight forward: “The whole installation went very smoothly, we use Rockfon products for all hospital projects with BAM. The client is very happy with the finished look.”