A Circular Office Design Concept
White Arkitekter has worked with Rockfon across educational projects and has specified various acoustic solutions for upcoming healthcare projects. It was this relationship that led them to ask whether Rockfon would be able to supply used second-life acoustic system elements to optimise office acoustics in the refurbishment.
“With the built environment responsible for 40 percent of global carbon emissions and commercial buildings contributing 15 percent to this figure, we recognised the need for a sustainable, energy-efficient refurbishment model”, explains Laura Davies, Architect at White Arkitekter. “Our goal was to use our office move as an opportunity to set a sustainable example, embracing a circular approach which focuses on reusing materials to minimise waste and embodied carbon. We sought solutions that reduce energy consumption and produce a space that promotes well-being”.
“As luck would have it, we did have Rockfon Contour baffles, Rockfon Eclipse islands, and Rockfon Canva Wall panels that had been used for exhibition and demonstration purposes, which proved the perfect fit for White Arkitekter”, said Specification Manager Alan Davies. “Their ethos of circularity and reuse echoes our own as a company. Rockfon products are made with up to 38 percent recycled material in production centres with priorities that include minimising and reusing water, along with negating carbon impacts in manufacture and transportation. In addition, Rockfon Systems can be dismantled and recycled”.
Reusing Rockfon Acoustic Solutions
At White Arkitekter’s London offices, Rockfon Contour acoustic baffles and Rockfon Eclipse acoustic islands are suspended on elegant wires fixed directly to the ceiling substrate. Both product ranges exhibit a frameless, minimalist style which suits the natural, unfussy, and stripped back aesthetic the practice aimed to achieve – and both solutions can be installed in a number of ways, making them ideal where a traditional suspended grid system might not be suitable.
Rockfon Canva Wall panels in different dimensions and with varying colours and designs were installed across the different office spaces, leveraging vertical spaces for additional acoustic control. Fully pre-assembled, the acoustic wall panels are easy to install, feature a washable and replaceable canvas, and can be customised with any image or design.
“Overall, the refurbishment process focused on enhancing existing conditions and working with what was already there. The outcome is a warm, naturally inspiring environment conducive to our team’s work. It now boasts a diverse array of flexible, adaptable spaces, incorporates biophilic principles, and uses natural materials where possible”, said White Arkitekter Sustainability Specialist Shreya Aneja.
Industry acknowledgement has followed in light of the outstanding results realised by White Arkitekter whilst adhering to their low-impact and circular design approach. The refurbishment has been awarded Mix Interiors’ Project of the Year 2024 for the “Workplace Interiors under 5000 sq ft” category and has quickly become a model for sustainable office refurbishment, illustrating that limiting environmental impacts through intelligent architectural and interior design, reuse, and circularity can result in stylish, contemporary workspaces where a sense of well-being is eminently achievable.
