Listen to the Ask the Expert podcast, in partnership with Zentia, exploring the key technical and performance aspects of the company’s new Sonify discontinuous ceiling system.

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Recently launched by Zentia, Sonify is an innovative discontinuous ceiling system that embraces the principles of parametric design to deliver high-quality, design-led solutions with ease and accuracy. Conceived as a ‘kit-of-parts’ that can be configured online using Sonify 3D Studio, the system provides numerous benefits for architects, interior designers and specifiers. In the third of three Ask the Expert podcasts on ceiling design, John Spicer, Head of New Product Development at Zentia, and Michael Anderson, Head of Architectural and Design Consultancy, discuss the key technical and performance aspects of Sonify, as well as the feedback received so far, with AT’s Technical Editor John Ramshaw.

Could you explain why Zentia has adopted a ‘kit of parts’ approach to Sonify and how it impacts on the design, delivery and installation processes?

JS Sonify’s kit of parts approach provides the flexibility to use standard, preconfigured, and pre-engineered components in a variety of different ways. Well known examples of this methodology include Lego and Meccano. One of the best examples in construction terms are kitchens. Here, specifiers design a layout from standard cabinets and are then able to change the doors, handles, trims, etc. This is what we’re trying to do with the Sonify system.

From a design perspective, what does Sonify offer in terms of the different types and shapes of ceiling installation available?

JS Our focus is on panels: either canopies or baffles. There are 17 shapes as standard, as well as a degree of variability in terms of how they’re laid out – whether that is multiples of the same shape or size, or a mix of different shapes and sizes in the same configuration. So we’ll have a baffle configuration that might be a standard rectangle, or it may be an angled or curved version. And then for the canopies we’ll have squares, rectangles circles and hexagons.

Could you tell us why Sonify was developed and how it differs from traditional discontinuous ceiling systems?

GT Zentia has evolved from Armstrong Ceiling Solutions, and while we retained many of the standard products that specifiers will be familiar with, we also recognised that there was a gap in our product offering for something that could allow architects to be creative and put their own personal stamp on ceiling design. Sonify also responds to the growing trend towards discontinuous ceiling options and the specific needs of clients, specifiers, designers, acousticians and installers in this respect.

What about colours and finishes for the components? How many standard shades are there?

JS We have a palette of 35 standard colours that can be applied to the panels. But designers are not limited to just choosing one tone, they can specify as many colours as they want. We can also offer the same 35 colours for the Sonify Create Grid capping (the visual part that’s seen from below). There are three colours to choose from for the body of the grid: silver, black or white.

There are clearly a lot of design variables. What specification tools and advice do architects have at their disposal?

MS Specifiers have access to our online 3D design studio, which is available via the Zentia website. This acts as an inspirational design tool initially, but then forms part of the golden thread of information. The platform itself has a number of pre-designed rooms and suggested layouts as a starting point. However, we’ve recently launched a bespoke feature where the specifier can input the room dimensions of the project they’re working on. Once the room is formed, they are free to create a bespoke ceiling solution. The designs can be saved to the specifier’s account, and from here they can request an MBS document via the studio. The Sonify range can also be downloaded directly from the MBS platform. Added to this, we have a dedicated team of experts who can engage on a one-to-one level, providing guidance, advice and support.

Can you tell us what to expect next for the Sonify range in terms of new developments?

JS We’ve got some new physical features and some new styles, so we can change the layout of the panels, which will also translate into the 3D studio. This will allow specifiers to manipulate the design at concept phase, and then follow it through to the order stage and installation on site. We’ve also introduced angled panels, allowing specifiers to add little bit of ‘topography’ to their baffle or the canopy solution. The other application will be a wall absorber, which is a complementary vertical solution to the existing horizontal solution..

And what does this mean for your customers?

MS Simply put, it gives specifiers a vast array of design options to choose from, allowing them to express themselves creatively using a mixture of shape, colour, height, variation, and angle.

How quick and easy is Sonify to install on site, and how does it compare with ‘traditional’ discontinuous ceiling systems?

JS Before we launched Sonify, we undertook two identical installations: one employed a traditional cabled solution, while the other used the same configuration of ceiling panels but on the Sonify Create grid. The latter was more than 50 per cent quicker to install, due mainly to a reduction in setting out times, ease of levelling the ceiling, and increased flexibility in where the hanging points can be located. The latter is particularly useful when it comes to accommodating any changes relating to M&E services. Installers working on live projects have confirmed the overall speed of the system. A further benefit of Sonify is accessibility. If anything needs changing or inspecting above the ceiling line, it is a case of simply unhooking the panel and then putting it back when the work is done. There are no fiddly clutch mechanisms to navigate or the need to re-level panels.

So what elements would you say are critical to its success in this aspect?

JS Without doubt it’s the 3D Design Studio. This contains all of the ‘rules’ of the system and is starting point for specifier’s creativity. It allows architects to play with the design, decide whether they want baffles or canopies, the colour of the scheme, spacing, and configuration. And when they’re ready, they can create their own space and then use that as a tool to generate the raft or kit that is required. 3D Design Studio effectively eliminates on site surprises. The installer receives a document pack and then everything they need in kit form to build the system.

How do you ensure good results on site in terms of both the system itself and installer know-how?

MS Good results on site start with using the 3D Design Studio to explore the parameters of the project. We’ve also spent a lot of time with tendering contractors to make sure that they understand how the system works and what the commitments are from an installer’s point of view. This has helped them to price the system correctly. When Sonify arrives on site, it is in the form of a kit of parts with a step-by-step instruction guide that makes it absolutely clear how the components go together to create the end result. And of course, our A&D specification team or commercial colleagues can attend site and support the initial layout and installation of the system with the contractor.

Looking back over the last 10 months, what has Zentia done as business to promote Sonify?

MS We’ve promoted the Sonify system extensively across all of our customer channels from engaging with our end client partners to architects, specifiers and acousticians. We have a number of main contract supply chain partners that we’ve promoted the system to, and then of course our distribution and installer partners as well. The majority of this activity has been in person with our commercial and A&D specification teams. The latter has conducted more than 80 ‘lunch and learn’ sessions with design practises, relaying the Sonify story to well over 200 individuals in the first six months of 2023. We’ve also promoted Sonify across all of our digital and social platforms.

And what has been the reaction to Sonify from specifiers?

MS From day one, there’s been immediate interest in the Sonify system from our historical base of specifiers. I think they found it encouraging and refreshing that Zentia had launched an extensive range of canopies and baffles that provide multiple design and colour solutions rather than ‘flat and white’. What continually comes back to us though, in terms of feedback, is the overarching package of support that we offer around the system, including the 3D design studio, technical  advice, product data sheets, user videos, and how to guides. With other products on the market, specifiers have to make do with downloadable data sheets and their own assumptions around design and performance. Sonfiy’s support package has started to make a real difference.

Lastly, has Sonify been specified on any significant projects to date?

MS Within weeks of launching Sonify, we secured our first order, which was for a Premier League football club. This was followed by a number of projects, including several university lecture theatres. We’ve also picked up a lot of project inquiries on the back of our lunch and learn’ sessions, covering a wide range of sectors from restaurants and hotels to offices, schools and hospitals. It is worth noting that with all of these projects, there are elements of what we would refer to as continuous ceilings or our core product offering as well. So it’s providing specifiers with a single manufacturer source for their scheme.

Contact Details
Click here to listen to the podcast in full. To find out more about Sonify please call 0191 497 1000, email, or visit the Zentia website.