The Oscar Innovation Centre is officially open. Designed by Urban & Rural, the building is the new HQ for Oscar Acoustics Kent and showcases the company’s leading acoustic products in a real-life setting.
The Oscar Innovation Centre (photo: Hufton+Crow).
Following several years of planning, architectural acoustic specialists Oscar Acoustics has reached a major milestone: its new headquarters and product show home, the Oscar Innovation Centre, is officially open for business.
Designed by RIBA chartered practice Urban & Rural, the state-of-the-art structure is spread over 16,200 square feet and situated on a former cement works site in Medway Valley, Kent. The purpose-built facility is primed to accommodate the company’s continued expansion and uphold its mission of providing sustainable acoustic solutions across Great Britain.
Every space has been meticulously treated using its products to create the perfect acoustic environment and showcases the company’s class-leading SonaSpray range in a real-life setting. These decorative acoustic sprays absorb sound energy, creating calm, distraction-free spaces where people can thrive. Tours of the facility now allow architects and designers to get a real sense of how SonaSpray can visually and acoustically transform a project.
SonaSpray K-13 black acoustic ceiling spray in welcome lobby (photo: Hufton+Crow).
A ‘net zero emissions’ building
With the company’s SonaSpray range being made from rapidly renewable resources that sequester carbon, sustainability is at the core of all its operations. Oscar Acoustics is proud to announce that the Oscar Innovation Centre, has recently been awarded the prestigious ‘Green Plaque’ status, a third-party new-build assessment that is independently peer-reviewed and administered by Lifecycle Design. This award is given to buildings that meet only the highest sustainability and environmental standards in the UK.
This follows the company’s achievement of an A+ EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) rating, placing the project in the top 0.35 per cent of the most energy-efficient schemes in England, which independent assessors flagged as a ‘net zero emissions’ building.
Andrew Pook, Environmental Consultant from Green Plaque, said: “Sometimes a project comes along that just ticks all the boxes. Though the Green Plaque assessment is not simply about describing exemplary developments, this one is really quite exciting and just shows what can be achieved when the commitment, enthusiasm, and expertise is there.”
SonaSpray fc acoustic ceiling spray in white (photo: Hufton+Crow).
Ben Hancock, managing director of Oscar Acoustics, said: “Our new A+ EPC-rated, net zero emissions HQ isn’t just a building; it’s a testament to our unwavering commitment to environmental excellence. We’ve built on our sustainability goals year-on-year so we’re extremely proud to be recognised at this level.”
The company became ISO 14001 certified in 2020 and achieved its independently certified carbon-neutral status in 2023. This milestone marks the latest step in the company’s ongoing sustainability journey, with goal-oriented objectives to achieve net zero by 2050.
SonaSpray K-13 Special light grey in open plan offices (photo: Hufton+Crow).
SonaSpray – the sound of sustainability
Oscar Acoustics’ SonaSpray range has been used on some of the UK’s greenest construction projects, including the Enterprise Centre at the University of East Anglia. Made from fire-treated recycled paper, SonaSpray helps building designers to achieve acoustic excellence, as well as a string of sustainable design and health certification systems. These include WELL, BREEAM, SKA, Living Building Challenge, and can add up to 17 points towards the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating of a project. SonaSpray also boasts GREENGUARD Gold certification – for optimal Indoor Air Quality.
SonaSpray fc grey in SonaSpray training academy (photo: Hufton+Crow).
Book a tour of the Oscar Innovation Centre
Ben Hancock, Managing Director of Oscar Acoustics, commented on the new headquarters: “Our new HQ showcases the transformative power of SonaSpray in action, demonstrating how these versatile finishes can create superior acoustic environments in any space.
From our open-plan office spaces to expansive warehousing facilities, it’s been amazing to see SonaSpray help us to achieve all of the outcomes we set out for our clients’ projects: reduce noise levels, enhance productivity and support employee wellbeing.
Adopting what I’ve learned from my 20-plus years with my family’s company, I set out to practice what I’ve been preaching by creating a workspace that sounds as good as it looks.”
Click here to book a tour for yourself, your design teams and potential clients to view the full SonaSpray range insitu and see the products come to life.
