Acoustic comfort in an office with low ceilings
Fitting out a 1,000m² office in a former residential building, without losing any ceiling height.
A view of the open workspace, where Rockfon Eclipse Colour islands keep the space acoustically calm without lowering the ceiling.
A residential building turned office
Recruitment company Solano Group moved into the ground floor of an existing residential building in Góra Kalwaria, Poland. AKA Studio was brought in to convert the 1,000m² space into a functional workplace, working from extensive employee workshops to shape the brief.
The plan split the office into two parts: a section with smaller rooms for focused team work, and an open-plan area for collaboration. Muted greys and blues across the working zones, energetic orange accents in the common areas to break up the palette.
But one feature of the original building dictated the entire acoustic approach.
Low ceilings rule out a standard solution
The residential origins of the building meant the ceiling height was limited. Installing a full suspended acoustic ceiling would have added acoustic performance but made every room feel too low. The opposite of the welcoming, open atmosphere AKA Studio was after.
A different approach was needed.
Project info
Project name
Solano Group Office
Location
Góra Kalwaria, Poland
Photography
Interior Design
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An area where the calm Gravel Eclipse Colour islands contrast against the blue ceiling, keeping the open feel intact.
Floating panels instead of a full ceiling
Nearly 100 Rockfon Eclipse Colour acoustic islands in Gravel were installed across the office, suspended in the open spaces, corridors, meeting rooms and individual rooms.
The islands absorb sound without closing off the ceiling, keeping the rooms visually open while delivering acoustic comfort across the whole floor. The panels can be colour matched to the soffit above for a calm, unified look, or contrasted against it for visual interest, giving designers flexibility across different rooms in the same office.
"Instead of full-width acoustic ceilings, we decided to use Rockfon acoustic islands due to the limited height of the rooms. This solution allowed us to maintain the impression of an open space while quieting the interior," said Karolina Kowalik, co-founder of AKA Studio.
In the bathrooms, Rockfon Color-all in orange was installed in a contrasting blue grid, to match Solano's brand colours. Adding energy to the common areas while keeping acoustic performance consistent.
An area where the calm Gravel Eclipse Colour islands contrast against the blue ceiling, keeping the open feel intact.
“This solution allowed us to maintain the impression of an open space while quieting the interior”
Karolina Kowalik
— Co-founder of AKA Studio
A closer view of the Rockfon Eclipse Colour island, with its smooth matte fleece and suspension in view.
A quieter section of the office, where Gravel Eclipse Colour islands sit against a matching grey ceiling.
An area where the calm Gravel Eclipse Colour islands contrast against the blue ceiling, keeping the open feel intact.
An office that fits the space and the brand
The Solano office shows what's possible when the building's constraints shape the design rather than limit it. Acoustic comfort across 1,000m², open feel intact, brand colours carried through every space.
Also fitting out an office in a building with low ceilings or other architectural constraints? Get in touch, and we'll help you find the right acoustic approach.
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