Gustafs Panel System
M Moser Architects
BPC Interior Solutions
Photography by Liam Hammond
LSA worked with M Moser Architects and BPC Interiors to deliver the acoustic ceiling at the client suite areas at Standard Chartered Bank at 1 Basinghall Avenue, in 2024. The design brief required a high-performance acoustic ceiling with some visual texture and character that would work elegantly alongside the minimal aesthetic of the front of house space.
Gustafs Panel System was specified at this job for its accredited top performance fire and acoustic testing as well as our ability to supply material with a full FSC chain of custody for sustainably sourced natural timber veneer and full product Environmental Product Declaration covering the lifespan of the materials used. Here we supplied almost 200m2 of panels in natural Oak veneer with a 12% white pigmented lacquer for a bright and neutral panel finish.
The refurbishment in the client suite area is part of a multi-year refurbishment of the central London property aiming to improve their facility for a more flexible workspace for clients and employees. The building upgrade scheme aims to achieve BREEAM Excellence through sustainable sourcing and working practices for a holistic approach to improving workplace design.
With high performance acoustics being a key requirement for the space; choosing a ceiling that can achieve that without sacrificing style is a complex task. Acoustic performance is driven by absorbent materials, and exposure to these through a solid surface product. Tradititional perforated acoustic panels have through-and-through holes to give exposure to absorbing layers and whilst this can be used as a striking design feature in itself it doesn’t always fit the intent of the space or more modern visual styles.
Nano perforated panels are one of the options supplied by LSA Projects and Gustafs which achieve Class A acoustic performance on a solid timber surface panel without through-and-through holes. Nano perforations use a high-density of holes in the core material to allow maximum sound exposure to absorbent materials behind and the panels are faced with a micro-perforated veneer. This micro-perforated veneer has 0.5mm holes at less than 2mm intervals across the surface for even audio exposure across the panel and almost no visual impact from the perforations. Since it’s launch in 2013 it has become the best-selling acoustic option from Gustafs; undergoing further product development in recent years to improve the tested acoustic performance from B to A, as well as improving options for veneer manipulation including staining and routing for more design options.
In addition to acoustic performance, Gustafs panels come with their own proprietary installation grid system, Capax. This system has predesigned details which combine panel edges and mounting profiles for invisible and demountable fixing across walls and ceilings with options for corners, site-cuts, and angled installation.
For the 200m2 ceiling at Standard Chartered designers worked with the installers and LSA to create a ceiling using standard size panels and standard details for optimum system efficiency and flexibility of installation on-site. By using a standard panel module, all panels are demountable and interchangeable making them perfect for spaces with servicing and access needs in the upper soffit. The capax ceiling system clips together to form a solid suspended mounting grid for panels with space to insert acoustic mineral wool. The T-shaped supporting grid profiles run along the length of each panel and fit perfectly into veneer wrapped grooves in the panel edges for seamless installation. The stability of the gypsum particleboard core removes the need for any expansion or movement gaps between panels meaning that all panel abutments can be completely flush and millimetre perfect without the risk of panels warping over time.
In addition to making the ceiling easy to manufacture and install; using the same size panels throughout allows the veneer grain structure to be more consistent. Flitches of veneer with FSC certification are always grouped together for tracking within their chain of custody meaning veneer sheets in an order with this certification will be from the same timber mill and often the same tree or tree harvest. Veneer flitches then arrive at Gustafs and are applied to panels in these groups giving the best consistency in flitch-matching of grain structure and tone.
This ceiling installation at Standard Chartered Bank is one of our signature projects from 2024, it is a great example of what can be achieved within the framework of the standard Gustafs Panel System. It highlights the great work Gustafs and LSA have put in over the years to make the system as successful and versatile as it is now and why our installers keep coming back to us. We love working on bespoke projects and pushing the limits of what can be achieved with our products but jobs like this are a testament to the core system we champion time and time again and a real exercise in simplicity and trusting the process.
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