Designing the modern tech innovators office
How to balance a bold, modern interior with acoustic performance in a 30,000m² office building.
Rockfon Mono Acoustic on the ceiling of the entrance atrium absorbs sound that would otherwise reflect freely off the glass, stone and hard surfaces of the space.
A tech campus for the long run
In Fornebu, just outside Oslo, Aker Property Group opened Aker Tech House in 2023. Seven storeys, 30,000m², designed by Swedish architecture firm Wingårdhs as a flexible tech campus built to age well.
The design brief was not to be trend-led, not white-box corporate, but something with character that would adapt to changing tenants over time.
"It is partly through our material choices that we create an environment that is sustainable over the long run, with colour choices that are calm, light and neutral, without being white," said Sara Helder, Architect at Wingårdhs.
Natural stone, concrete, metal, plaster and wood set the tone. A strong combination. But acoustically, also a challenging one.
Hard surfaces, high ceilings, open spaces
Aker Tech House is defined by large open atriums, high ceilings, open balconies and extensive use of glass. A 31-metre spiral staircase with a golden finish defines the central atrium. With daylight flowing down the full height of the space.
Hard surfaces, high ceilings and open balconies create real acoustic complexity. In a building where people collaborate, present and move between floors all day, noise flows into workspaces and conversations carry further than intended.
The acoustic strategy had to work across different spaces, each with its own function, without compromising the visual design.
Project info
Project name
Aker Tech House
Location
Oslo, Norway
Architecture
Installation
Photography
Contractor
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Rockfon Color-all in Mercury absorbs sound across the open plan zones, giving the office its tech character.
Acoustic comfort is crucial for a flex working zone in an open space.
Rockfon Color-all reduces echo and supports speech clarity in this glass-walled meeting room.
The golden staircase coiling up through all seven floors, with Rockfon Mono Acoustic on the ceiling of each floor to keep the open space acoustically controlled.
A different solution for every space
In the atrium, Rockfon Mono Acoustic was installed in a gradient from white at ceiling level to medium grey at floor level. This accentuated the sense of natural light from above while absorbing excess sound. The balconies and staircases further break up sound paths between floors.
"The fact that we went from white on the ceiling towards medium grey at floor level reinforces the feeling of intense natural light from above," said Fredrik Lyth, Architect at Wingårdhs.
Across the open plan office floors, Rockfon Color-all in Mercury adds visual weight and reflects less light than a standard white ceiling, creating a calmer working environment without closing the space off.
"The Rockfon Color-All in Mercury gives a tech feel to the build. It's darker and reflects less light than the standard white solution, which gives the ceiling a pleasant heaviness and a certain calmness to the premises." said Lyth.
In the auditorium, Rockfon Color-all in Charcoal and Anthracite creates an immersive two-tone finish with integrated LED lighting, reducing echo and supporting speech clarity for presentations.
A café area uses Rockfon Mono Acoustic with integrated track lighting for a clean, acoustically comfortable common space.
All solutions contribute to the building's BREEAM Excellent certification target.
Rockfon Mono Acoustic with integrated lighting tracks keeping the noise levels manageable in a space with an open kitchen, hard tile floors and a busy lunchtime crowd.
Open balconies, plants and glass across multiple floors. Rockfon Mono Acoustic covering the ceiling surfaces throughout the atrium, managing unwanted reverberation.
“The Rockfon Color-All in Mercury gives a tech feel to the build. It's darker and reflects less light than the standard white solution, which gives the ceiling a pleasant heaviness and a certain calmness to the premises.”
Fredrik Lyth
— Architect at Wingårdhs
Rockfon Color-all in Charcoal and Anthracite in the auditorium.
The acoustic ceiling reduces echo and supports speech clarity for presentations.
A workplace set for growth
Aker Tech House was designed to outlast its first tenants. Neutral materials, flexible layouts and acoustic solutions designed to work regardless of how the building evolves.
Also designing a large office building that needs to work for today's tenants and tomorrow's? Get in touch, and together we'll find acoustic solutions built to last.
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