The acoustic liner behind this specialist hospital

Architect: Conrad Gargett and John Wardle Architects

Installer: Expoconti

Categories: Age and healthcare, Project

Builder: John Holland

Account Manager: Regan WIlliams

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Acoustic Soffit Liner: Powerful thermal and acoustic performance

The project

The Victorian Heart Hospital is Australia’s first hospital providing dedicated specialist cardiac care and procedures for the Victorian community. Based in the Clayton campus of Monash University, their focus is to provide the wider community with access to world-leading expertise in obstetrics, nephrology, intensive care, and many other specialties. This crucial part of the health community has been delivered by the Victorian Government, the Victorian Health Building Authority, and Monash University.

Designing and building a space with such a specialised purpose demands for the materials used to meet stringent requirements. Thermal design, acoustic design, environmental credentials, and fire safety requirements all play an important part in this space being not just effective, but also comfortable.

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The objective

Finding a solution that could fit the many needs of this space could be difficult. The project required a high performance soffit liner that met both the acoustic and thermal design requirements, whilst having a group 1
fire certification.

Installed in a critical care hospital environment, the performance criteria was very stringent around the functionality of the product. Thermal performance in these settings allow the hospital to have better control over the required temperature, depending on their needs.

Acoustics also need to be prioritised to protect the comfort of patients and ensure clear communication in highly sensitive areas. This all needs to be achieved while removing any potential fire hazards, protecting the lives of all inhabitants.

Additional info

The solution

Autex Acoustics’ Acoustic Soffit Liner (ASL) was selected as the best solution for this project. Meeting all of the acoustic, thermal, environmental, and
fire safety requirements, it was a perfect fit. Speaking with Autex Acoustics national development manager, Regan Williams he said “It was a privilege to be involved in Australia’s first state of the art specialist cardiac hospital. Our Acoustic Soffit Liner met the design brief around Group 1 fire compliance, acoustic absorption, and thermal compliance. The contractors quickly found how easy the pre-punched panels were to work with, creating an efficient installation process for everyone involved”.

With over 10,000 m2 being installed, the installation needed to be a smooth process. Autex Acoustics’ ASL is made from 100% polyester fibre, is carbon neutral and made with a minimum of 50% recycled content. Being thermally bonded without the use of harmful chemicals, it is safe to touch for any installer. Speaking to Expo Conti senior project manager, Shane Graham, he said “With such a large quantity of product to install there is a big focus on how efficient we can be in this process. With the ASL sheets being custom sized and pre-punched, it made getting through this job a lot easier”.