Enigma Square Residential

Enigma Square is a new set of residential apartments created by Grainger in the heart of Milton Keynes, England. Interior design firm ‘74’ were tasked with the design of the residential amenity space for the development. The overall design theme was centered around the color palette inspired by the surrounding green and natural spaces, patterns that nod to the city’s famous grid system, and lastly, motifs and material finishes that pay tribute to the development’s historic namesake “Enigma”.

The building’s amenity spaces feature facilities including a residents’ TV lounge, a game room, 24-hour gym, private dining room and a co-working space with integrated meeting booths. With such a mix of spaces, getting the acoustics right for quiet, focus areas like the co-working zone was of particular importance.

The co-working zone features a variety of seating types, including individual booths and a shared partition desk. Senior Interior Designer at 74, Megan Jones, explains “we wanted to keep the co-working zone open plan so that it could be used on occasion, as additional space for socializing, but this meant minimizing noise disruption for those working in the area”.

“We achieved this by incorporating Acoufelt’s acoustic Fracture panels between the booth seating, which had the added benefit of helping the booths feel more private. We specifically selected the Fracture Trellis pattern to thematically tie back to the grid system used in Milton Keynes town planning,” said Megan.

Working closely with the Acoufelt team, Fracture Trellis panels in neutral Ivory were custom cut to exact dimensions, including a rounded corner to match circular lighting and neighboring curved countertops. Achieving an NRC of 0.45, Fracture panels act to absorb excess sound from surrounding areas, as well as block noise transmission between booths to promote privacy.

The finished space is relaxed with luxurious touches, delivered through a rich color palette with elements of brass, glass, and tiling. Acoufelt’s Fracture panels add a natural and textural softness to the space, while adding functional value through their soundscaping properties.