Clerkenwell Green, London

Smartgames

Reducing noise and reverberation on the 2nd floor of the award winning Buckley Building.

International technology gaming company Smartgames occupied the brand new Buckley Building in Clerkenwell Green early in 2013. Acoustic Comfort were engaged by leading design and build company, Oktra, at the start of the design process to ensure that the new space provided the correct acoustic landscape to work in.

High on the agenda was incorporating the necessary levels of absorption through the meeting rooms, open plan and break out areas. The space was comprised of concrete, glass and plasterboard so it was recognised early on that the client would suffer from high levels of reverberation unless treated.

Acoustic Comfort provided all the reverberation calculations to ensure that the correct quantum of absorption was added in each of the different areas. There was a combination of standard Camira fabrics and high resolution printed graphics (1400 DPI) that mimicked the red and snow themed brickwork walls of the building, which added spectacular imagery. In the open plan, suspended acoustic ceiling islands were introduced to ensure noise and reverberation was kept to a minimum.

Working closely with the Oktra design team, Acoustic Comfort helped provide a comfortable working environment which looked fantastic.

Reverberation times (RT60) and Mid-frequency reverberation time (Tmf)

Reverberation time test results

Test results show acoustic performance before and after treatment with Reverb.

Reverberation is measured over time, using Reverberation time and Mid-frequency reverberation time scales. Optimum reverberation time depends on the use of the space. A reverberation time of between 0.8 and 1.3 seconds is considered good for speech.

Reverberation time (RT60) is defined as the time required, in seconds, for the average sound in a room to decrease by 60 decibels after a source stops generating sound.

Mid-frequency reverberation time (Tmf) is used to produce an average of the 500Hz, 1kHz and 2kHz bands.

Client testimonial

We engaged Acoustic Comfort at the pre-design stage of the project as we recognised that the fit-out would require significant acoustic treatment throughout the space. They provided us with all the technical information we needed and incorporated wall and ceiling systems into the design.

We were delighted with the finished product and continue to work closely with Acoustic Comfort on new opportunities.