the challenge

CBRE’s redevelopment of Henrietta House into its London headquarters was built around two priorities: employee wellbeing and open, collaborative workspace that would boost productivity across a 2,000-person office.

Open-plan collaborative space comes with an acoustic cost. Social and breakout areas designed to encourage interaction can just as easily turn into echo chambers, where noise builds up, stress levels rise, and productivity drops. Lead architect MoreySmith and fit-out contractor Faithdean specified Oscar Acoustics to solve that problem without compromising the sleek, minimal interior the design called for.

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SonaSpray K-13 acoustic ceiling spray in grey throughout Henrietta House offices. Credit to Morey Smith, CBRE Offices London ©Hufton+Crow 2023.

the SonaSpray solution

SonaSpray K-13 was applied throughout the building’s ceilings in grey, chosen to match the interior colour scheme rather than sit as a visible acoustic add-on. The coarse, seamless spray finish absorbs sound energy directly at the ceiling plane, damping excessive noise in the reverberant open-plan areas without deadening the space.

Sustainability and fire safety were both part of the brief. SonaSpray is GREENGUARD Gold Certified for indoor air quality and M1 Classified as a low-emitting building material, contributing up to 17 points toward a project’s LEED rating and supporting SKA and Living Building Challenge targets. It also surpasses Approved Document B fire requirements, achieving a Class 0 rating to BS476 and B-s1, d0.

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SonaSpray K-13 acoustic ceiling spray in grey throughout Henrietta House offices. Morey Smith, CBRE Offices London. ©Philip Durrant Photography.

the result

Henrietta House has since been awarded Platinum status under the WELL Building Standard, recognition of its user-centric design, and SonaSpray’s air quality and emissions performance directly supported that certification.

The building now houses CBRE’s EMEA headquarters across roughly 148,000 sq ft, with open, acoustically comfortable spaces that support the collaborative culture the redesign was built around.

speak to an expert

Commenting on the success of the project, Oscar Acoustics’ Managing Director Ben Hancock said:

“Henrietta House stands as a testament to how our SonaSpray range of acoustic sprays integrates sustainability, acoustic comfort and innovative design to create calmer, safer office spaces that employees love spending time in.”

“By specifying Oscar Acoustics’ SonaSpray range, the project not only achieved its environmental and user-centric goals, but also set a high standard for future developments in sustainable office spaces. Seeing it come to life and being able to contribute to its success has been a real pleasure.”

Ben Hancock – Managing Director