Troldtekt | Specifier Select

New Urban Oasis Created At The Natural History Museum

The previously underused 5-acre gardens around the Natural History Museum in London have been remarkably transformed in a scheme by architects Feilden Fowles. Working closely with landscape architects J & L Gibbons, and a design team including Gitta Gschwendtner, engineers HRW and Max Fordham, a new urban oasis has been created alongside a Nature Activity Centre supported by AWS and Garden Kitchen café.

People working on laptops in a sunlit café with wooden interiors and large windows. Green plants add a fresh vibe. Serene atmosphere.

The project rejuvenates the grounds of this well-loved museum and creates an immersive timeline of the evolution of the earth which is now fully accessible for the first time. Geological eras are represented in banded strata of rock and the garden now features a full-size bronze Diplodocus called Fern. The result is a tactile living laboratory called the Urban Nature Project.

Children in blue uniforms sit at wooden desks in a classroom with natural light. One child points. A teacher observes. Calm, focused mood.

The Nature Activity Centre and Garden Kitchen blend in harmony with the green space and have been designed in close association with the museum’s scientists with thought and care, using natural materials with low embodied carbon. The frame is created from UK limestone under a Douglas fir roof with cedar shingles. Douglas fir doors, windows and columns adorn the inside. Working with acoustic consultants Max Fordham, Troldtekt wood wool acoustic panels have been utilised through the ceilings to help combat reverberating sound and create a calm and welcoming atmosphere.

Children in blue uniforms play and sit outside a wooden building surrounded by trees and grass. The setting feels peaceful and lively.

Troldtekt’s wood wool acoustic panels are Cradle to Cradle Certified® at Gold level and manufactured using wood from certified forests (PEFC/09-31-030 and FSC®C115450), positively contributing to a building’s BREEAM, WELL or LEED points. Panels can also be manufactured with FUTURECEM® which achieves an approx. 30 per cent lower carbon footprint than that of Troldtekt based on white cement. Depending on the panel specified, reaction to fire is classed in accordance with EN 13501 as B-s1,d0 or A2-s1,d0 respectively.

Children and adults in a well-lit room with wooden beams, working together at tables. Everyone is wearing blue uniforms, creating a focused mood.

Available in a wide variety of different structures and colours, they combine optimal sound absorption with an award-winning design. The Troldtekt range has a minimum expected life cycle of 60 years coupled with excellent resistance to humidity and tested to meet ball impact standards. Panels can be supplied as natural wood, unpainted based on FUTURECEM™ offering a reduced carbon footprint or finished in almost any RAL or NCS colour.

Samples, case studies and technical guidance are available from www.troldtekt.co.uk or see our product listings on NBS (https://bit.ly/3vxoTfq) or Material Bank (www.materialbank.eu).

The Natural And Technological Unite At The NQCC

The new £33m National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC) in Harwell, Oxfordshire, is a landmark laboratory created to drive quantum technologies for the future. Not only is the facility state-of-the-art in terms of technology but also in design. Rated BREEAM Excellent, architects Hawkins\Brown has conceived a dynamic and versatile work environment designed to deliver transformative results.

Two people sit at a table with laptops in a bright, modern office with yellow seating, green plants, and overhead black lights.

At the building’s heart are non-laboratory spaces full of open-plan areas for collaborative working, interaction and innovation. These are centred around a high linear atrium and link off to adjacent laboratories and the 12 quantum computers. At every stage of the design and specification, careful thought and diligence was given to the choice of materials, ensuring that the building uses products which minimise its carbon footprint, harness natural energy and provide a calm and inviting space for its users. To control sound reverberation from the open areas and hard surfaces,

Modern office lounge with green sofa, round table, and stools. Sunlit space with green blinds, plant on table, and beige walls.

Troldtekt’s wood wool acoustic panels were specified as floating clouds above the open break-out spaces and within the meeting rooms. These effectively maintain acoustic levels, leading to a more productive environment and promoting a healthy indoor climate. Troldtekt’s wood wool acoustic panels are Cradle to Cradle Certified® at Gold level and manufactured using wood from certified forests (PEFC/09-31-030 and FSC®C115450), positively contributing to a building’s BREEAM, WELL or LEED points. Panels can also be manufactured with FUTURECEM® which achieves an approx. 30 per cent lower carbon footprint than that of Troldtekt based on white cement.

Two people sit at a table in a modern, sunlit office. They're surrounded by yellow chairs, plants, and soft wooden accents.

Modern conference room with a wooden table, gray chairs, a wall-mounted screen displaying instructions, and a blurred person walking outside.

Depending on the panel specified, reaction to fire is classed in accordance with EN 13501 as B-s1,d0 or A2-s1,d0 respectively. Available in a wide variety of different structures and colours, they combine optimal sound absorption with an award-winning design. The Troldtekt range has a minimum expected life cycle of 50 years coupled with excellent resistance to humidity and tested to meet ball impact standards. Panels can be supplied as natural wood, unpainted based on FUTURECEM™ offering a reduced carbon footprint or finished in almost any RAL or NCS colour. Samples, case studies and technical guidance are available from www.troldtekt.co.uk or see Troldtekt's product listings on NBS (https://bit.ly/3vxoTfq) or Material Bank (www.materialbank.eu).