Project summary
| Application | Educational facilities |
| Location |
Hard , Austria |
| Product(s) used | Heraklith® Tektalan A2-SD panels |
| Building: | Schule am See (School at the lake) |
| Client: | The town of Hard, Austria and Baumschlager Hutter Partners (Architects) Dornbirn |
Heraklith® Panels provide superb acoustics for an innovative new school
When the Mayor of Hard, a town bordering Lake Constance in the westernmost Austrian state of Vorarlberg, decided to build a new elementary and middle school for 680 international pupils, he wanted it to be very special. Not only are the teaching methods unlike most other schools, but he also wanted to provide a learning environment that provides optimal space for children to develop.
The extraordinary location of the new school provides unobstructed view of the lakeshore and it has been designed so that the buildings open up to the direction of the water, giving the impression of absorbing the space leading to the lake.
The Challenge
The impressive-looking school consists of nine smaller clusters of three or four classrooms in each to provide a spatial concept with sensory outdoor spaces, workshops and space for play and movement. The building offers everything that young people need for a good social life, including retreats, a stage, workshops, rooms for group work, kitchens and canteen, music room, and abundant sports facilities.
The futuristic buildings are constructed mainly from concrete and glass and the rooms were deliberately designed with high ceilings of 3.2 metres. Combined with many halls and hallways, a high degree of insulation and extremely efficient soundproofing was therefore necessary.
The challenge was to provide long-lasting materials that offer good sound absorption and pleasing, natural looking aesthetics that complement the very futuristic look and feel of the school.
The solution
The solution was to install Heraklith® Tektalan A2-SD roof panels as an integral part of the project. The panels were bonded directly with the concrete and placed without the need for any additional anchoring dowels. The panels were afterwards cross-sprayed in white.
Tektalan A2 combines wood wool with a rock mineral wool insulation. This panel combines excellent fire-resistant properties with outstanding thermal and acoustic performance. The panels used have resulted in ceilings with an 80% sound absorption.
“We are very happy with the choice we made,” says Dr Ralf Bernhardt from Architects Baumschlager Hutter Partners. “Insulation with Tektalan has provided exactly the benefits we had hoped for.”
Made from certified wood, Tektalan panels fully meet sustainability requirements.
