Kaiser Permanente Chooses Stone Wool for Berkeley Medical Office Ceilings

The right ceiling panel can dramatically improve the longevity and functionality of a building while elevating its appearance. That’s why, for Kaiser Permanente’s first medical office building in Berkeley, California, KMD Architects chose stone wool from Rockfon’s extensive tiles and panels selection, including products from their healthcare product offerings. These products help ensure strong performance throughout the building’s lifetime.

The three-story, 60,670-square-foot Kaiser Permanente – East Bay Berkeley Medical Office Building reflects the organization’s next-generation approach to healthcare building design, creating an environment that offers patients, visitors and staff a calm, comforting, welcoming and supportive space. It also earned LEED® Gold certification standards of environmental and sustainable building through the U.S. Green Building Council and was recognized as a LEED Top Ten 2021 project.

“Elements of the interior aesthetic were chosen because they evoke a feeling of comfort, creating an environment for exchange and dialogue,” said Alvin Tang, MD, assistant physician-in-chief for Kaiser Permanente – East Bay. “Berkley is a great healing space. We have built-in rest and refresh spaces so staff can take a break and regenerate. There are lots of large windows that provide wide, panoramic views of our beautiful Berkeley neighborhood.”

San Francisco-based KMD Architects led the interior design and planning for the East Bay Berkeley Medical Office Building. KMD design professionals specified three types of Rockfon acoustic stone wool ceiling panels to help achieve the project’s aesthetic, performance and sustainability design goals. Westside Building Material supplied the Rockfon products, and Spacetone Acoustics installed them.

From patient rooms to high-traffic areas, our ceiling panels provide enduring strength and reliability. Join us on a quick tour of Kaiser Permanente East Bay’s state-of-the-art healthcare facility to see how Rockfon’s stone wool ceiling panels provide durability and resilience, with properties tailored to meet the demands of healthcare settings. 

Stone Wool as a Durable Acoustic Ceiling Solution for Healthcare Environments

Rockfon offers a wide array of stone wool ceiling tiles and panels that cater to the varying performance needs of different areas within commercial facilities. Manufactured with stone wool, a material produced from abundant basalt rock and recycled content, the panels provided Kaiser Permanente with a durable and well-being-promoting solution, ensuring the maintenance of high standards of cleanliness and safety within the facility. Without the use of added chemicals, stone wool inherently resists fire, water, moisture and humidity, ensuring lasting durability and performance as strong as the day it was installed.

For example, Rockfon Medical Plus acoustic ceiling tiles are designed specifically for spaces with essential hygiene and cleaning requirements. This type of tile, along with Arctic and Alaska, is designed to not support the growth of mold, mildew or other potentially harmful microorganisms, thereby contributing to a clean and safe environment for building occupants.

Rockfon Medical Plus ceiling tiles also are resistant to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and meet Bacteriological Class B1 and Clean Room Classification ISO Class 4. 

The durability of stone wool also extends to acoustics: Acoustics are important in any environment, and sound absorption plays a critical role in healthcare settings.

Along with a calmer, quieter environment, acoustic comfort helps support patient privacy and clear communication between doctors and patients. This is especially important for patients who require assistance or interpretive services.

Acoustic standards for healthcare facilities are detailed in LEED v4, the National Institutes of Health Design Requirements Manual, and the Facility Guidelines Institute, the healthcare industry’s authoritative source for guidance on facility planning, design and construction. Rockfon ceiling panels comply with all acoustic ceiling requirements in building standards, including those from the NIH, FGI, and LEED.

But how does it work? Sound absorption of ceiling panels is measured with the noise reduction coefficient. Rockfon® Medical™ Plus and Alaska® acoustic stone wool ceiling panels have a high NRC of 0.90 for excellent sound absorption with a smooth, modern aesthetic. The Center for Health Design categorizes the use of high-performing, sound-absorptive, acoustic ceilings with a 0.90 NRC or higher as a priority design recommendation base on the strength of evidence available and the impact on safety, quality and cost.

Providing optimal acoustic performance with best-level sound absorption, KMD selected Rockfon Medical Plus acoustic stone wool ceiling panels for the patient exam rooms, where clear communication and privacy are essential to quality care. In spaces where conversation and concentration were needed — such as the lobbies, provider offices, staff refresh spaces and a collaborative “touchdown” zone for the clinical team — KMD specified Rockfon Alaska acoustic stone wool ceiling panels.

For the East Bay Berkeley Medical Office Building’s hallways, waiting areas and other non-treatment multifunctional spaces, where a quieter environment is not critical, KMD chose products appropriate to the rooms’ uses. Rockfon Artic® ceiling panels, which have a 0.75 NRC, were installed.

Improving Interior Lighting Uniformity With Reflectant Stone Wool Ceiling Panels

The white surface of Rockfon’s Medical Plus, Artic and Alaska stone wool panels provide high light reflectance. The higher the ceiling’s light reflectance, the more effective natural and electrical light sources are in illuminating the room.

Along with the abundant daylight, LED lights were integrated within Rockfon’s Chicago Metallic® 4000 Tempra™ ceiling suspension system. Up to 86% of light is reflected and diffused by Rockfon’s ceiling panels in the East Bay Berkeley Medical Office Building. Diffused light reduces glare on screens and monitors. This, in turn, reduces eye strain and stress-associated health issues and contributes to clarity, accuracy and well-being.

Supporting healthy interior air quality, Rockfon stone wool products have also earned UL® GREENGUARD® Gold Certification for low chemical emissions. Gold-level certification considers safety factors to account for sensitive individuals, such as children, the elderly and those with compromised health. GREENGUARD Gold–certified products are recognized by LEED v4 as contributing to indoor environmental quality.

“This new facility will allow us to not only better care for our existing members but also provide greater community access that is nestled in a well-established west Berkeley neighborhood,” said Edmund D. Chan, senior vice president and area manager for Kaiser Permanente – East Bay. “It will also allow us to grow and serve new members in the region.”

The natural robustness and hygienic properties of stone wool make Rockfon products an ideal choice for any space that demands both performance and aesthetics.

Need to see how our products can contribute to your building’s environment while withstanding the rigors of daily use? Request a free sample tailored to your specific project needs and experience the difference Rockfon can make.