Flexible acoustics for a future-ready university
How Tengbom kept acoustic comfort flexible across a 65,000m² LEED Gold campus that has to change with the times.
Corridors at Linnaeus University are supported by acoustic ceilings that enhance speech clarity, well-being, and energy-efficient design.
Built to keep changing
Linnaeus University's new campus in Kalmar, Sweden spans 65,000m², built by Skanska and designed by Tengbom to a LEED Gold standard. The guiding idea wasn't just to build for today's students, but to create a campus that can be reconfigured as university programmes evolve.
"It is important to consider how to stay flexible over time, and that it must be easy to adapt to the changing university programs. It is intended to create the possibility for both planned and spontaneous meetings to take place everywhere," said Linda Camara, architect at Tengbom.
That ambition for openness and adaptability came with a specific acoustic challenge.
Open, flexible spaces are hard to keep quiet
A campus built around large open areas and informal meeting spaces is, by design, full of the conditions that make acoustics difficult. Sound travels freely across open floors, and the more adaptable a space is, the harder it is to treat with a fixed solution.
"When it comes to acoustics, there are many large open areas here, which can be a challenge. To ensure a good sound and study environment, we have chosen several acoustic solutions," said Per Becker, project buyer at Skanska.
On top of the acoustic performance, the ceiling had to fit a clean, minimalist architectural vision, without the standard grid dictating how each space looked.
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The Rockfon Blanka tiles in a recessed grid complement the clean, minimalist interior of the university corridors.
Class A acoustic tiles improve sound conditions in busy corridors with hard floors and glass surfaces.
A close up of the Rockfon Blanka tiles, enabling easy integration with lighting and ventilation systems.
Acoustics tailored to the architecture
Rockfon Blanka was installed across a wide range of spaces, from classrooms to shared open zones, delivering Class A sound absorption to support speech clarity and concentration throughout the building. Its matte white surface also reflects daylight deep into the spaces, contributing to the campus's LEED Gold rating.
What made the difference for the design team was the ability to customise. Grid colours, tile colours, sizes and formats could all be adjusted to fit each space, so the acoustic solution integrated discreetly rather than imposing itself on the interior.
"With Rockfon, we have been able to tailor the solutions, change the colour of both grid systems and tiles, adjust the size and format. This has been of great value to us as the suspended ceilings are very important," said Camara.
In the laboratories, Rockfon CleanSpace Pro was used for its durable, cleanable surface, meeting the health and safety requirements of those spaces while keeping the acoustic performance consistent with the rest of the campus.
The Rockfon Blanka tiles in a recessed grid complement the clean, minimalist interior of the university corridors.
“With Rockfon, we have been able to tailor the solutions, change the colour of both grid systems and tiles, adjust the size and format.”
Linda Camara
— Architect at Tengbom
A campus ready for whatever comes next
The result is a flexible, comfortable campus where acoustic performance supports both focused study and spontaneous collaboration, integrated so cleanly it stays out of the way of the architecture.
Also designing a space that needs to stay flexible over time without compromising on acoustics? Get in touch, and we'll help you find a solution that fits.
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