Durable, long-lasting, and design-flexible acoustic solutions for ceilings and walls. These are the hallmarks of solutions provided by DAMPA for institutions such as schools.

As the nation’s schoolchildren have finally returned to a semblance of normality in their daily lives, they are likely unaware that the ceilings in many of their classrooms are enduring acoustic solutions from DAMPA. Yet, this is precisely the case:

“Many schools and institutions built back in the 1960s and 1970s still have our solutions in place—and they continue to perform well. They have proven their value in terms of durability and functionality,” says Mogens Kjærgaard, Product Manager at DAMPA, before discussing today’s solutions:

Nowadays, there are stricter requirements for aspects such as sound absorption and reverberation time, which means that walls are increasingly being used with robust metal solutions featuring perforations that provide effective sound absorption. Additionally, walls play a decorative, aesthetic role, with customisable designs and dimensions, and they also offer new functionalities, such as being used as bulletin boards due to the magnetic properties of the steel.

Durability and Longevity for Modern Schools

The company, a leading specialist in bespoke metal ceiling and wall solutions with acoustic and indoor climate benefits, has a long history dating back to 1951. DAMPA has contributed to environments such as schools, offices, hospitals, and commercial spaces for several decades. Today, DAMPA’s solutions have evolved to meet the needs of a new era, with a strong focus on sustainability—while continuing to uphold the flexible design philosophy of “Form Follows Function” as a foundation.

In modern school constructions or renovations, there are entirely different requirements for functionality. Often, rooms are used for various purposes throughout the day—for example, classroom teaching in the morning and music lessons in the afternoon.

 

Therefore, it’s also about integrating different functions into the ceiling and wall solutions, and there are many possibilities. We can adjust the additional insulation behind the panels for the sake of acoustics and indoor climate, use surfaces in new ways, or aesthetically incorporate colours and expressions as desired.

 

These are bespoke solutions in terms of functionality, design, and indoor climate.

Consider Standardisation and Sustainability from the Start

For DAMPA, sustainability is not just about words and signals but about concrete actions, documentation, facts, and ongoing self-criticism. The company has Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for steel, aluminium, and climate ceilings and focuses on environmental friendliness throughout:

“For instance, our aluminium is produced using hydropower in Norway and Sweden. 25-30% of the steel we use is recycled, while 75% of our aluminium is recycled. This is generally the way to use metals in the future. The raw materials are not exhausted—they can be reused, possibly through re-coating—or recycled again and again,” says Mogens Kjærgaard, concluding:

In general, we increasingly encourage builders and architects to think in terms of modular solutions right from the start of a project. For example, a polygonal building makes recycling more difficult, but if you use modular formats, the elements can easily be reused in, for instance, new constructions—even 50 years from now.

 

Overall, metal offers unique enduring robustness, long life, and great design flexibility when it comes to integrating other functionalities, and all in all, creates better indoor climates and acoustics—well into the future.”

This article was originally published in Byggeri + Arkitektur.