Talente Check Berlin
Address
- Berlin North Employment Agency, 49 Koenigin-Elisabeth-Straße, Berlin, Germany
Builder
- Senate Dept. for Education, Youth and Family
- Federal Employment Agency
- Regional Directorate Berlin-Brandenburg
- Berlin Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IHK)
Planner/General Contractor
- studio klv, Berlin, Germany
Drywall Construction
- Ribnitzer Bauelemente GbR, Ribnitz-Damgarten, Germany
Finalisation
- 2021
Mounting
- System B/Screw mounting on wooden slats 60/30; 30mm insulation
Surface Area
- approx. 324m²
Photography
- © Rainer Rehfeld Fotografie, studio klv, IHK Berlin, Germany
Showtime for Effective Room Acoustics
With its “Talente Check Berlin”, the Berlin North Employment Agency has been offering, for some time now, an inspiring alternative to tedious career counselling interviews.
The project was planned and realised by studio klv, an interdisciplinary consulting and creative agency, using Knauf Ceiling Solutions’ HERADESIGN® wood wool panels ‘acoustic talents’.
The Talente Check Berlin is a collaborative effort of the Senate Department for Education, Youth and Family, the Federal Employment Agency, the Regional Directorate Berlin-Brandenburg and the Berlin Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IHK).
At this extracurricular learning place, 8th-grade students can explore their strengths and expand their potential for future career choices without performance pressure. In doing so, the concept takes up the format of a game and talent show.
First, the visitors complete the scientificallybased Federal Employment Agency career choice test in a lively atmosphere. Afterwards, the young people playfully come to know their abilities and skills better during practical checks.
Finally, their growth continues by gaining an insight into the world of dual education in the showroom for dual training under the purview of the Berlin Chamber of Industry and Commerce and the Berlin Chamber of Skilled Crafts.
From the Office Wing to the 'Talent Factory'
Creating an ambience appropriate to the target audience for such an ambitious project is paramount. As the planner and general contractor, Berlin-based studio klv was commissioned with its implementation. The former office space provided for the project is located in a side wing of the employment agency on the Koenigin-Elisabeth-Strasse.
There are 735m² of space on the first floor, on the second floor another 620m2. As a first step, for the area to be converted into a ‘Talent Factory’ (Talenschmiede), the rooms had to be completely gutted. Walls, floor coverings and suspended ceilings had to be removed to allow for studio klv to redesign the interior completely.
“Our goal was to integrate the Federal Employment Agency’s career selection test into a modern and appealing concept and expand it to include practical stations,” explains Astrid Dessel, studio klv project leader for Talente Check Berlin.
For this project, the aspect of room acoustics was essential. Therefore, a mixture of quiet and lively rooms has been created. For example, the break areas are situated beside the rooms for the career selection test of the Federal Employment Agency (BWT) and the practice check room.
The planners’ specification was to design an environment as quiet as possible for conducting the career selection test. A challenging task when multiple classes of students typically visit Talente Check Berlin simultaneously. More than 100 people on-site is a usual sight.
In most rooms, ease of cleaning and durability asked for the installation of hard surface floors. However, it created yet another “acoustic hurdle” to be overcome by studio klv to design an acoustically-sound space.
Our goal was to integrate the Federal Employment Agency’s career selection test into a modern and appealing concept and expand it to include practical stations.
Room Acoustics
Gain Importance
As Astrid Dressel says: “With 14-year and older kids, a high noise level can naturally be expected. Based on our experience, we recommended room acoustic measures for this project and also consulted an acoustician in advance.”
According to specialists, space acoustics is growing more critical in interior design. However, a significantly more extensive range of solutions is also available.
“The products today are more attractive and integrable into the design. There was very little to choose from in the past, and the perforated plasterboards appeared out-of-place and foreign in many places,” explains the project manager.
At Talente Check Berlin, studio klv opted for HERADESIGN® Superfine 1200 x 600mm wood wool acoustic ceiling panels. They ensured that the young talent-seekers could concentrate even in heavily occupied rooms due to the excellent sound-absorbing properties of the panels.
Thanks to the main natural components of these panels – wood, water and magnesite – the rooms’ indoor climate remains very pleasant. Moreover, as a natural product, wood wool elements are perfectly suitable for application in all types of rooms.
Corporate Colours Ceiling Panels
In line with Talente Check Berlin corporate colours, ceiling panels were installed in grey (166.6m²), yellow (115.2m²) and white (42.12m²). The studio opted for white from the standard assortment. In addition, yellow (RAL 1023) and grey (NCS S 7005-G80Y) were requested as special colours. The wood wool panel structure, which corresponds with the contemporary industrial style, perfectly fits the design concept. “The acoustic elements match our unconventional approach with this project and the overall design style: a rough backstage character and young design”, finds Astrid Dressel. Of course, the trendy look was an argument in choosing a robust material for the creative team. Still, the acoustic quality and variability of the product were also important factors.
“HERADESIGN® panels can be designed relatively freely in terms of colour and mounting – directly to the ceiling or as a canopy. This makes them attractive for usage in all kind of projects.”
Equally pleasing to the designers’ creative nature was the consistently positive feedback for the concept throughout the project with Talente Check Berlin. The partners of this ambitious joint project and the young students appear to be enthusiastic about the cheerful, comfortable atmosphere. An environment conducive to bringing them closer to the answer to the question “What can I do and what do I want to do?” in an entertaining way.
studio klv is an interdisciplinary consulting and creative firm headquartered in Berlin that offers implementation of all project phases – from inception to the turnkey handover.
The team of experts specialises in project development and feasibility studies, conception, scenography and design, planning with subsequent project management, and the overall realisation and implementation as general contractor.
