sustainability meets design
SonaSpray Eco+ sets a new benchmark in sustainable acoustic treatment.
Made from fire-treated recycled newspapers, and other renewable materials, it sequesters carbon for the lifetime of the building while foregoing the standard colour refinement process. This further reduces environmental impacts, ensuring Eco+ sets a new standard for sustainability.
Like the rest of the Oscar Acoustics SonaSpray range, Eco+ supports sustainable building certifications including BREEAM, WELL, LEED, SKA, and the Living Building Challenge.
see the story in the ceiling
Oscar Acoustics’ collaboration with dMFK began with the successful application of SonaSpray K-13 Special, upstairs in dMFK’s main HQ – 76 Charlotte Street. For Downstairs at dMFK, Oscar Acoustics suggested its latest product innovation, SonaSpray Eco+, a departure from conventional acoustic finishes in both composition and aesthetic.
When you’re ‘Downstairs at dMFK’, look up – and you’ll see traces of yesterday’s news. Oscar Acoustics’ SonaSpray Eco+ transforms old headlines into a modern, high-performance acoustic finish.
Fragments of text catch the light. The natural grey shifts in tone depending on the stories, photos and adverts of those newspapers. The texture also tells a story, varying with how many times the individual pages have been recycled. This intentional choice results in a finish of distinctive character; making every application of SonaSpray Eco+ different, and every ceiling unique.
two organisations, one experiment
When dMFK set out to acquire and transform its basement space, it was looking to create a flexible contemporary workplace, supporting the shifting patterns of modern professional life. But dMFK also wanted a venue where specifiers could test out and experience new ideas and meet their suppliers.
Oscar Acoustics saw an opportunity. With SonaSpray Eco+ still in pre-launch, here was a rare chance to demonstrate an innovative product operating in a prestigious environment before its commercial release.
For dMFK, it meant exclusive early access to an innovation that helps advance sustainable design. For Oscar, it meant real-world testing with one of the industry’s most forward-thinking practices, and a showcase for next-generation acoustic finishes.
a space that works harder
Downstairs at dMFK certainly earns its keep. By day, it’s a workspace with bigger desks and better acoustics than standard offices provide. The design prioritises wellbeing; calm finishes, thoughtful zoning, and informal areas that encourage collaboration and material exploration. By evening, it can host informal suppers, industry roundtables, or function as a full-on party space. The space features a D&B Audiotechnik sound system, repurposed from its previous life at Spiritland, Royal Festival Hall. Sonaspray Eco+ creates an almost studio-like, soft acoustic quality.
The acoustic performance supports every function. When voices fill the room during design talks, the ceiling absorbs and balances the sound. When the space falls quiet for focused work, there’s no echo to break concentration. The Eco+ finish functions brilliantly, while adding the kind of character conventional acoustic treatments can’t match. Those visible newsprint flakes are proof of sustainable innovation, combining performance with personality.
living with innovation
The real test of any material goes beyond the specification sheet. It’s proven in how it performs month-after-month, in how people respond to it, and whether it still feels right after time.
At Downstairs at dMFK, SonaSpray Eco+ is being evaluated, tested, lived with and experienced by the people who are shaping the future of design. This is how innovation moves forward – through collaborations where new ideas are tested and understood in real, live environments.
Ben Hancock, Oscar Acoustics MD, said: “Downstairs at dMFK is a truly unique space, and a project that we were delighted to be a part of, building on our already successful collaboration with dMFK. With the space fulfilling different needs, we were tasked with producing an acoustic solution that would meet all requirements, providing us with the opportunity to spotlight our revolutionary SonaSpray Eco+, in what was its first installation.”
