Acoustic Comfort at Athénée Royal de Chênée in Liège
We were able to improve the acoustic comfort in the school canteen of the secondary school Athénée Royal de Chênée. The educational institution underwent a complete renovation and deliberately chose a sleek and modern design. At the same time, they did not want to overlook the acoustics. For an aesthetic acoustic solution, they came to us.
Birgit Brinks
The School Room and the Challenge
The converted school canteen, an open space of 612 m², has been redesigned in a sleek, industrial style, with concrete floors and walls. This creates a bold look but also presents acoustic challenges. Especially in an environment where large groups of teenagers gather daily to lunch, chat, and relax. With this combination of factors:
- Hard materials such as concrete
- Few sound-absorbing surfaces
- A large open space
- A lively function (chatting, laughing, moving)
A situation with poor speech intelligibility and many unnecessary stimuli quickly develops.
What happens without acoustic solutions?
In spaces with many hard materials and few acoustic materials, the Lombard effect occurs: users automatically speak louder to be heard above the background noise. The result is that the sound level further increases and the number of stimuli grows. For pupils, this can lead to:
- More unrest
- Less concentration
- Faster over-stimulation
And yet, a relatively calm break environment actually helps to focus again on the learning material afterwards.
Our contribution
To ensure that breaks genuinely function as relaxation moments for the pupils, and do not serve as a source of over-stimulation that later reduces their concentration during the day, optimal acoustics are essential. Therefore, the architect designed the school canteen from the outset with acoustic ceiling panels as a permanent part of the interior. We were then able to fully implement this acoustic solution. In total, we installed 128 EASYceiling Plus panels. These panels measure 120 × 120 cm, are coloured Silver Stone, and are finished with an anodised frame. The panels are neatly and precisely installed by our EASY Noise Control installation team. As a result, they complement the modern, industrial style of the school canteen nicely. They not only improve the acoustics but also contribute to a calm and stylish appearance of the space.
Why choose acoustic ceiling panels?
There are several options to improve the acoustics in a school canteen. In this situation, a conscious choice was made for acoustic ceiling panels. Below, we clearly explain why.
Why no wall panels?
In this school canteen of 612 m², there are only a few walls available. As a result, there is simply relatively little space to install wall panels. Additionally, wall panels in a busy space like a school canteen are much more vulnerable than ceiling panels. Consider, for example, situations in which:
- Students leaning against the walls
- Backpacks are placed down
- Furniture against the walls may get bumped
Due to these daily movements, the risk of quick damage to the wall panels is higher. Ceiling panels, on the other hand, are hung high and safely, which keeps them looking good and ensures they last longer. Because of this combination of factors in this situation, the architect deliberately chose not to install wall panels.
Why not have acoustic material under tables?
Sometimes it seems logical to place acoustic material beneath tables to reduce echo. However, in practice, this does not work and there are a few clear reasons: students talk above the table, and that's where the sound waves originate; these sound waves hardly come under the table, instead, the sound is mostly reflected through:
- The ceiling
- The floor
- The top of the table
- The walls
Because almost no sound waves reach beneath the table, material applied there can hardly absorb anything. Therefore, a solution under the tables does not result in a noticeable reduction in noise.
The logical choice: acoustic ceiling panels
Ceiling panels can be precisely placed at the spot where most sound waves are reflected in this room: the ceiling. As a result, they work very effectively. They provide the following benefits:
- They capture reflected sound waves, reducing echo in the space
- They directly improve speech intelligibility, so people can hear each other better
- They reduce the overall sound pressure level, making it sound less loud and chaotic
- They create a quieter and more pleasant environment, which is important in a school canteen
In a large and lively space with few walls, such as this school canteen, acoustic ceiling panels are therefore generally the most efficient and effective solution.
Athénée Royal de Chênée is very pleased with the final result. The school not only experiences a clear improvement in acoustic comfort, but is also very satisfied with the tidy and modern appearance of the ceiling panels. The combination of a quiet sound environment and a stylish interior makes the renovated school canteen a pleasant place where students can enjoy their breaks.
