Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Toronto Junior Middle School Installs New Acoustic Panels

  • By Matt Jones
  • 01/10/22

Islington Junior Middle School in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, which serves students in grades PreK–8, recently announced that it has installed new acoustic ceiling and wall tiles in four of its classrooms. The school opted for SONEX Valueline panels from pinta acoustic, inc., as a solution to help establish quieter classrooms as a means of boosting performance and reducing stress.

Previously, according to a news release, Islington JMS had been using fabric-wrapped fiberglass panels installed on walls and ceilings to dampen sound. Many of the panels were starting to come loose and fall from the ceiling. In the name of safety, the school’s administration removed the panels and began hunting for alternatives.

Rakesh Rana, interior sales manager for Sound Solutions, Inc., recommended the SONEX Valueline panels to the school. According to a press release, the SONEX panels are lightweight, flexible and are easy to attach to walls and ceilings using a specially designed adhesive.

“We have been working with the Toronto District School Board for over 50 years,” said Rana. “They wanted to mimic the original design in appearance. Offered in custom sizes and colors, SONEX Valueline panels were the best choice. Additionally, SONEX provides better sound absorption than the previous panels.”

The school saw a total of 5,664 square feet of new panels installed. The panels are 1-7/8” thick. Each classroom has 144 SONEX Valueline panels on the ceiling, each of them 24”x48” and installed with pinta’s acouSTIC adhesive to match the contours of the curved ceiling. Likewise, each classroom saw the installation of 30 more 48”x96” panels to cover the walls, again using the adhesive.

“The previous, fabric-wrapped fiberglass panels had to be split on the back before installation to follow the contour of the ceilings,” said Rana. “They were mechanically fastened to the walls and ceilings using clips attached to rails. SONEX panels were much easier to install in this application. A team of people from the school board installed the panels to walls and ceilings in all four classrooms.”

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Deferred Maintenance Issues Growing at Universities, Gordian Reports

    U.S. colleges and universities are falling increasingly behind on facilities maintenance and repair, according to Gordian’s 13th annual State of Facilities in Higher Education report. The deferred capital renewal burden has reached $156 per gross square foot, an 8% increase over the previous year.

  • Rhode Island Boarding School Completes Student Dorm Renovations

    St. George’s School in Middletown, R.I., recently announced the completion of a $26-million renovation project on Arden-Diman-Eccles Dormitory, according to a news release. The school partnered with Voith & Mactavish Architects (VMA) on the new space, which places a new focus on collaborative community spaces open to both boarding students and day students.

  • abstract illustration of school gym

    How the Gymnasium Can Serve as a Model for Learning Space Design

    Multipurpose gyms work because flexibility was built into the brief from the start, not retrofitted later. The same logic applies to academic spaces.

  • Wold Architects & Engineers Acquires VPS Architecture

    Full-service planning, architecture, and engineering firm Wold Architects & Engineers recently announced that it has acquired VPS Architecture, according to a news release. The move will help strengthen Wold’s education and public-sector design expertise, industries in which both companies have strong pre-existing ties and relationships.