EF Education First’s bold new US headquarters was designed by Swedish firm, Wingårdh Arkitektkontor, or Wingard, with significant support from local architects of record, Wilson Architects. Wilson chose Acentech to help create an acoustically comfortable work environment complementing the distinctive, open-air space of the building as a whole.
The 300,000 SF building includes a sweeping atrium that connects the lobby to the top floors. Its exterior features quintessentially Wingårdh-style glazed glass representative of a waterfall. EF provides its young and vibrant staff with open office workspaces and sought to enhance the acoustical conditions of these areas. They also wanted this heightened acoustics standard applied to their new auditorium for social and formal gatherings.
Acentech worked with Wilson and Wingard to make sure privacy between closed offices was not sacrificed for the sake of architectural beauty. Our consultants aimed to strengthen the acoustics for workspaces featuring high ceilings, along with similar conferencing and meeting spaces. A proper selection of room finishes was essential to control the buildup of noise in these open areas. Mechanical system noise and vibration control was also an important factor in keeping constant background sound from interrupting the productivity of employees.
Acentech also addressed concerns of exterior noise. EF’s headquarters is directly adjacent to a major highway and as well as a sand and gravel processing facility. The highway stands only twenty feet away from the fourth floor auditorium, which was of particular concern. Acentech recommended upgraded glazing for the building facade to reduce the transmission of exterior noise.
