High-performance acoustic ceiling boards from British Gypsum are helping to maintain a calm environment in various areas adjoining the Student Union facilities at Winchester University’s new £9.5³¾ university centre – a regional award winner in the 2008 RIBA Awards.

The flagship building provides a gateway to the campus and hosts a range of staff and student facilities, including a learning café, bookshop and boardroom, as well as a new student union complete with cinema and 1,200-capacity concert hall.

The plasterboard-based, perforated ceiling boards can also be redecorated without impacting on acoustic performance.

British Gypsum worked closely with the university to develop a range of ceiling options. The sloping panel design of the food hall ceiling presented a particular challenge, as perforated acoustic boards had to be jointed seamlessly in large triangular panels.

British Gypsum’s Rigitone 15/30 boards were chosen as their regular perforations provide good sound absorption, while allowing invisible jointing to meet design requirements. Interiors specialist PAN Interiors treated the panels using the Rigitone Vario 60 jointing system to achieve an uninterrupted pattern across joints and create the angled look at cut board edges.

Gyptone Line 4 boards were installed in the reception and boardroom ceilings. Their regular elongated line pattern worked in harmony with furniture and tapestry artwork to meet sound attenuation and reverberation requirements.

Project: Ceiling board installation

Client: Winchester University

Total value of scheme: £9.5³¾

Main contractor: Osborne

Interiors specialist: PAN Interiors

Architect: Design Engine Architects

Manufacturer: British Gypsum

Postscript

Enquiry number E212