New open workspace a paragon of peacefulness for Dutch Defence Ministry staff

Hunter Douglas and Amsterdam’s Sander Architects have developed a new type of Techstyle ceiling panel for the recently renovated building of the Netherlands’ Defence Ministry. The flat, light-weight Techstyle panels with a  plaster like surface have a clean-cut, attractive look. Their cellular structure and non-woven material means they absorb both high and low frequencies, producing effective noise resistance. Project architect Jeroen Steenvoorden of Sander Architects was involved in this unusual office makeover. “The government has fairly strict acoustic and comfort requirements for its buildings”, says Steenvoorden. “After comparing several ceiling systems, we opted for Techstyle. We then joined forces with Hunter Douglas to develop a ceiling panel that would fit into this monumental building as perfectly and subtly as possible.” Says Mariëtte Poll, the Defence Ministry’s project leader renovation, “Our staff were used to working in small, closed workspaces with a lot of corridors. The switch to 40% open workspaces was quite a change. The first thing they noticed after the renovation was the quiet, soundproof environment.”

Jeroen van Steenvoorden: “The Defence Ministry originally had beautiful stucco ceilings, but they were lost and replaced by a ceiling system in a previous renovation. We wanted to return to that stucco style. Technically, it is very difficult to mount flexible modern lighting and installation systems in a stucco ceiling, while still complying with the requirements for office spaces in terms of building physics. But it works with Techstyle panels. On top of that, they have a pleasant, clean-cut appeal without the usual ugly ceiling grid. The subtle lining of the ceiling components makes them resemble monolith stucco ceilings,” says van Steenvoorden.

Hunter Douglas adapted the Techstyle panels specifically for this application. The result is a system with which a workspace can be made larger or smaller without too much trouble. Thanks to an invisible click-fastening mechanism, the panels can easily be replaced for the installing of partitions. A partition can be attached to an extra profile, which can be clicked in to the ceiling’s narrow seam. “The partitions connect seamlessly with the ceiling panels, without affecting acoustic quality. The Techstyle panels’ soft material considerably dampens sound – far more so than a conventional stucco ceiling”, explains Steenvoorden.

Mariëtte Poll, project leader renovation at the Ministry of Defence, spent six years supervising the makeover. “Supervising a major and complex renovation project like this one was a special experience,” says Poll. “The operating phase centred on an integrated approach. The goal was to achieve a sober look, without it being drab. Functional effectiveness was another key issue. This building has to be kept in good shape for another thirty years at minimal cost.”

Poll explains that good acoustics and flexibility are vital to the new work spaces. “Our organisation was used to working in small, closed workspaces with a lot of corridors. The switch to 40% open workspaces was quite a change for our staff.” She says that working for a large organisation is not something static. “The government’s space norm is steadily going down. It’s crucial to be able to redesign office spaces quickly, at low cost and without loss of acoustic value.” The Techstyle panels match these needs perfectly. Prior to the renovation, acoustics were poor due to the presence of hard materials. After the job was done, the first thing many staff members noticed was how quiet and soundproof their working environment had become. “I heard people saying there is an atmosphere of pleasant peacefulness. Which is pretty remarkable for a heavily staffed office”, says Poll.