Rockfon goes over the Rainbow for autism school

The Rainbow Charity for children with autism was founded in south west London in 2000 and runs a primary school for 18 children with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) aged 4 to 14 years. In order to extend its services to offer secondary education, the charity recently opened a new, larger school within a converted Victorian Villa that can accommodate up to 48 children from 11-19 years.

Rockfon ceilings were specified as part of the sympathetic renovation of the historic building, which had a number of architectural features that needed to be retained, as lead architect Richard Asbury of Architype explained: “The high ceilings and proportions of the rooms in the existing Victorian building meant that a high performance absorber was required. The existing ceilings also had an ornate perimeter cornice which we were keen to retain. The solution was to create a suspended ceiling with perimeter bulkhead detail that allowed for a 150mm depth, required for the absorber to work, but stopped short of the wall so the cornice could still be seen.” Richard added “We also wanted the ceiling to be as smooth as possible to avoid any ‘grid’ appearance.”

Rockfon’s Sonar D ceiling tiles were specified for their acoustic performance and visual appearance, offering a micro-textured surface and minimal, concealed edge detail. This was enhanced by using 1200 x 1200mm panels where possible, with a concealed trim between the plasterboard margin and the tile. Rockfon’s Sonar range offers Class A sound absorption and Fire Class A1 in a large range of module sizes and edge details to suit any application.

Sonar D tiles were also used throughout the new build element of the project, where two additional classrooms were constructed in the rear extension.

Made from a 100% stone wool core, Rockfon ceilings offer excellent fire resistance and acoustic performance, with the additional benefit of dimensional stability even in up to 100% relative humidity. Rockfon ceiling tiles are also 100% recyclable, helping to reduce the burden on landfill sites and limit depletion of natural resources.