One of the stunning Hunter Douglas solid wood grill ceiling and wall systems has helped to transform a premium office space in the heart of London’s West End.
The global architectural products company was specified by Bluebottle Architecture & Design to supply its world-class ceiling and wall system in the reception areas, corridors, main staircase and lecture theatre hall of 265 The Strand, a seven-storey, 7,000m2 office complex that was being refurbished into an educational campus facility.
In total, the project comprised 344m2 of solid wood grill wall in European Oak, with 30mm wide x 60mm high slat, with 90mm and 30mm gaps. This was complemented with 40m2 of European Oak slats for the ceiling.
The 30mm wide x 80mm high slats were installed with 90mm and 30mm gaps.
Maeve Contractors Ltd handled the installation, fixing the slats to a PET felt backer. The result was a sophisticated contemporary design that combined aesthetic appeal with acoustic functionality.
The main contractor of the 265 The Strand was Collins Construction, which is targeting BREEAM Excellent rating for the building, which was originally built in 1983 and has a ground floor and seven stories surrounding a courtyard and pitched roof.
The beauty of the Hunter Douglas solid wood system is that it is the environmentally friendly choice. It is the only building material that is 100% CO2 neutral and totally recyclable, while supporting FSC and PEFC-certified wood positively supports developers’ LEED or BREEAM certification aims.
A made-to-measure solution, there is no waste as the materials are cut off site, resulting in no cutting adjustments, significantly reduces the installation time and cost.
Cradle to Cradle Certified® Silver, the Hunter Douglas solid wood grill system offers high acoustic performance with or without rock wool and it meets fire classification B-s2,d0 according to EN 13501-1, although a higher classification can be met. Designers have maximum freedom when choosing the solid wood grill system because the panel and gap size is fully customisable.
The wooden slats connect to each other with an anodised black aluminium dowel and the grill panels are inserted into each other using a half-lap wooden dowel joint creating a continuous looking surface.
Hunter Douglas wood ceilings feature an unparalleled selection of finishes and natural tones, designed to elevate any project with timeless elegance. Focusing on quality throughout the production process, it delivers a superior and durable product.