Cundall Offices

Project: Cundall Offices

Country/city: Uk / Manchester

Architect: Robert Turner, Cundall

Main contractor: Workspace Interiors

Photographer: Faraday Fotographic Ltd

Project size: 100 m²

When the time came for Cundall, the engineering consultancy, to refurbish their Manchester Office, Ecophon’s acoustic solutions were their first choice. Martin Keogh of Ecophon explained: "We already have a good working relationship with Cundall’s acoustic department, so they called on us to supply the best product for meeting their acoustic and aesthetic requirements."

A sound solution for a highly reverberant space

Robert Turner of Cundall explained their decision to install Ecophon’s Master Matrix raft system: "Once we decided to remove the suspended ceilings in our office the Ecophon Master Matrix raft system was an obvious choice for us.  The office lent itself to a very regular and efficient desk arrangement which benefited from cross-sided natural ventilation.  The challenge for us was to maximise the fresh air exposure of the slab whilst providing adequate acoustic absorption to the space."

Martin described the acoustic challenge: "An exposed soffit creates a very reverberant space, so a raft or baffle solution is essential for controlling the acoustics. Master Matrix was the ideal choice being a flexible rigid system, with natural ventilation as there was a concern over ‘sway’ of wire suspended panels. There are also less fixings into the soffit and the system lines up the panels effortlessly, creating an easier and more cost-effective installation."

Master Matrix chosen for acoustic, aesthetic and practical reasons

It’s proven to be the right choice for Cundall for acoustic, aesthetic and practical reasons.
"The Master Matrix system gave us the acoustic performance we required on a fixed grid system that tied in perfectly with the furniture solution", said Robert.  "The innovative hinge system allows us to maintain access to Landlord building services equipment which is situated directly above the rafts.  As we carried out the design of the space without an architect the technical guidance Cundall and our fit-out contractor received from Ecophon was invaluable." 

He added: "We are extremely pleased with the resultant acoustic performance of the space and use it as a showcase for our engineering design capabilities.  We would have no hesitation in proposing the Master Matrix system in similar client projects."