Gemini College

Everyone has their own place

Everyone must have their own place, their own little world in which encounters are also important. This assignment was given to DP6 architecture studio, says Robert Alewijnse, architect partner at the architectural firm from Delft. “We were commissioned by a European selection to design a secondary school for vwo, havo and vmbo, the entire spectrum. Within the building, each study program had to have its own place, each with its own inspiring atmosphere. There are as few corridors as possible in the building, we have included classrooms and learning plazas in the design. The learning plazas are also mainly intended for meeting.”

Acoustics

According to Alewijnse, the first requirement for the school was good acoustics. “I'd rather have an ugly building with good acoustics than the other way around. Good acoustics are essential, especially in the high hall where students gather. In the classrooms and all corridors, the required values have been achieved with a suspended ceiling. A separate solution has been devised for this in the practice rooms and the music rooms.”

In the high void, the room where the students come together, good acoustics are absolutely essential, according to Alewijnse. “The materials used must have a high sound absorption value, otherwise all the voices will drive you crazy. In addition, the eye also wants something. We wanted to create different atmospheres in the school. A ceiling is very important for how you experience a building. Only suspended ceilings give an office-like appearance. That is why we wanted to create a different look in the large, high spaces by prescribing baffles for them. I think it is a good system to use in a room with plastic forms.”

Nearly a thousand

How do you ensure that you can easily adjust almost a thousand baffles in the right way? This question was central during the consultation between Muller Afbouwgroep and Rockfon. “Normally our system with the Contour Baffles is a fairly rigid system. By installing the system at a height and in a large open zone, you also have to deal with a certain wind load. So you have to make the system more flexible, but in such a way that no dangerous situations can arise. Obviously no baffle should come loose and fall down. So we had to come up with a solution for easy assembly with ditto adjustment because of the high number of baffles used at the school in Ridderkerk, and flexibility because of the wind load. We discussed these requirements with Muller Afbouwgroep,” explains Corné van Meer, Area Sales Manager at Rockfon.

The wood wool cement ceiling varies in thickness, adds Avinash Ramautar, work planner at the finishing company. “There was a lot of tolerance in the concrete deck. That is why we have used ceiling plates of 12 to 15 centimeters thick. Through it we had to screw the suspension system of the baffles at different heights to the constructive part of the ceiling. They are elements of 1.20 m long without steel frames and in different heights. These are specially made for this project. Rockfon's Contour Baffle is a frameless system that allows the baffles to be easily cut to size and finished on site. We made mock-ups to test the different systems. The aim was to adjust the baffles once and then hang it up.”
Van Meer: “We developed this suspension together especially for this project. The plug is fitted at the factory and we supply the wire eye. The hook attached to the Fischer rail allows the baffles to move freely should the wind load cause them to move. This hook is easy to adjust and align to the correct height in advance. This is how we have created a safe suspension. Because of the height differences, we had special dimensions of the baffles made. It's all custom.”

Different disciplines

The completion of the Gemini College in Ridderkerk was a special project for Muller Afbouwgroep. “It is a project where all our disciplines come together. For example, we also took care of the total interior finish and pantries. There were many elements in the void at a great height, where a cherry picker was not sufficient. We have therefore completely extended the space at the vide. In addition, we have applied special products. For example, a Rigitone front wall in the void to achieve the required acoustic values. The acoustic decoupling of the ceilings. The building also has an organic shape, with many round corners. But the most special thing is of course the special suspension system that we developed together with Rockfon. It's great how such a new product is created through the interaction of producer and processor," says Ramautar. Van Meer adds: “And it is not a one-off development. We will recommend this system for mounting large quantities of baffles. From now on we can roll that out. Partly because of this, the project has become a showcase for both us and for Muller Afbouwgroep.

This is an edited version of the article from Ceiling & Wall Info. Read the complete article on www.plafondenwand.info (link: https://www.plafondenwand.info/projecten/rockfon-en-muller-afbouwgroep-ontwikkelen-samen-nieuw-systeem/ ) (author: Wilbert Leistra).