St Mary's Voluntary Catholic Academy in Derby is the first completed school in the UK to meet the Department for Education’s new GenZero specification and biophilic brief. Here, architects Hawkins\Brown have designed a beautiful combined nursery and primary school following passive design principles comprising five buildings along a central canopy for each age group coupled with amenity blocks for learning resources. They utilised natural materials wherever possible to complement the natural aesthetic and each classroom is open to the outdoors, allowing the children to connect with the natural landscape. The school is net zero carbon in operation and has won the AJ100 Award 2024 Sustainability Initiative of the Year.
As part of the design, Hawkins\Brown worked with acoustic consultants Mach Acoustics and specified Troldtekt’s wood wool acoustic panels across many of the ceilings to help comply with ‘BB93 Standard: Acoustics in Schools’ which sets out the minimum standards for school acoustics in terms of sound reverberation time and internal ambient noise levels. Procured in an unpainted finish, the panels complement the building’s timber cladding and frame, contribute to the biophilic design and, importantly, control the acoustics in the building to provide a quiet environment for learning.
Troldtekt wood wool acoustic panels are frequently specified to help transform educational spaces. Available in a wide variety of different structures and colours, they combine optimal sound absorption with an award-winning design. The Troldtekt range has a minimum expected life cycle of 50 years coupled with excellent resistance to humidity and tested to meet ball impact standards. Panels can be supplied as natural wood, unpainted based on FUTURECEM™ offering a reduced carbon footprint or finished in almost any RAL or NCS colour.
Depending on the panel specified, reaction to fire is classed in accordance with EN 13501 as B-s1,d0 or A2-s1,d0 respectively. Cradle to Cradle Certified® at Gold level, Troldtekt wood wool acoustic panels are manufactured using wood from certified forests (PEFC/09-31-030 and FSC®C115450) and can contribute positively to a building’s BREEAM, WELL or LEED points.
Samples, case studies and technical guidance are available from www.troldtekt.co.uk or see our product listings on NBS (https://bit.ly/3vxoTfq) or Material Bank (www.materialbank.eu).
