Challenge

St Leonard’s Land at the University of Edinburgh is a campus building that has a tradition in housing the university’s physical education department, with extensive facilities such as a six-lane research and teaching swimming pool, multiple gymnasiums, squash courts and a large Games Hall.

The university recently embarked upon a refurbishment project to rejuvenate the Level Three Male and Female changing rooms, seeking a comprehensive refurb that would provide a fresh and modern space that would appeal to students.

Zentia, the UK’s leading ceiling solutions provider, has an existing, historical relationship with the university, and the project team were eager to leverage Zentia’s latest innovation, the Sonify system as an all-around solution that would meet their aesthetic vision but also deliver on functionality.

Solution

The university specified a series of Sonify canopies and baffles in orange and grey in February 2023, and by the summer of 2023, Zentia’s Sonify system had been successfully installed by Howe Ceilings and Interiors, meeting the university’s timeline requirements.

Zentia’s Sonify system responded to the client’s desire for a vibrant and distinctive space, with colourful elements not only adding a zonal effect to the area but also empowering architects to enhance the creativity and individuality of the project. The entire scheme unfolded through Zentia’s Sonify approach, starting from the initial brief and colour hand samples to the Sonify 3D studio playing a pivotal role in designing solutions before materials were delivered to site in a kit format.

Senior Architectural Technologist for the project, Adrian Cavaye, said: “The canopy colour, profile, shape and orientation options Zentia offer with its Sonify range are an excellent alternative to the standard white baffle canopy, and allow any number of different design solutions to the ceiling space. The lack of minimum order quantity for colours makes then a very appealing product.”

The process was swift and efficient, and offered the university a visually appealing design, whilst also providing a secure grid system ensuring stability for years to come. Design support was provided throughout the project, with Zentia staff playing a crucial role in fine-tuning the design requirements.

Commenting, Ross Howe, Managing Director at Howe Ceilings said: “As a Pinnacle partner collaborating with Zentia, our team, freshly trained on this new product at Zentia’s Academy, were highly impressed by the efficiency and striking aesthetics of this innovative product during this project. We eagerly anticipate its widespread adoption in our ongoing initiatives, confident in its transformative impact on the project landscape.”

With the successful completion of the refurbishment project at the University of Edinburgh, students can continue their educational journey in a vibrant space that is aesthetically pleasing and has enhanced acoustic qualities, allowing the optimal environment for successful learning.