Office partition walls fall into three broad families: single-glazed, double-glazed and solid. Each answers a different need — daylight, acoustics, privacy — and a good layout combines them according to the function of each room. In the ADAM Office range the three families correspond to the HERA, CRONO and DECUS systems.
What types of office partition wall are there?
The three main families differ in how the module is built and in the performance they offer.
| Criterion | Single glazing (HERA) | Double glazing (CRONO) | Solid panel (DECUS) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight | Maximum transparency | High transparency | No light through |
| Sound insulation | Lower than double glazing | The highest in the ADAM Office range | Depends on the panel make-up |
| Visual privacy | With frosted glass or films | With blinds or venetians in the cavity | Complete |
| Integrated features | Minimal joints | Blinds, venetians and services in the profile | Fitted walls and linings |
| Typical use | Open-plan areas, corridors, general offices | Meeting rooms, executive offices | Archives, private rooms, plant rooms |
When should you choose a single-glazed partition?
A single-glazed partition is the right choice when daylight is the priority. One pane, with slim profiles and minimal joints, separates spaces without breaking visual continuity: daylight reaches areas far from the windows and the office stays readable from one end to the other.
A single-glazed partition suits the boundaries of open-plan areas, corridors, working areas and offices where acoustic privacy is not decisive. In the ADAM Office range, single glazing is the HERA system.
When do you need double glazing?
Double glazing is needed when acoustics and confidentiality matter as well as daylight. Two panes separated by a cavity reduce sound transmission more than a single pane, and the cavity can house blinds or venetians: they stay protected from dust and knocks and need no cleaning.
The ADAM Office CRONO system is a double-glazed partition with a cavity, integrated blinds or venetians and services routed through the profile. It can also integrate LED lighting, as in the Dassault Offices project in the United Arab Emirates. It is the solution for meeting rooms, executive offices and rooms where confidential conversations take place.
When is a solid wall the better option?
A solid wall is the choice when complete privacy is needed or when the wall has to hold something. Archives, plant rooms, private meeting rooms and executive offices with confidentiality needs use solid modules; fitted walls turn the partition into storage, with built-in cupboards and compartments.
The ADAM Office DECUS system includes solid modules, wall linings and fitted walls made with pre-finished panels.
What really determines the sound insulation of a partition wall?
The sound insulation of a room does not depend on the wall alone. Sound also travels along flanking paths: the void above the suspended ceiling, the raised floor, the junctions with perimeter walls, ductwork and above all the door. A high-performance partition with an unsealed door, or with a continuous ceiling void shared by two rooms, insulates far less than its laboratory figures suggest.
Good office acoustic design considers wall, door, ceiling and floor together, and resolves the junctions between them.
Can glass and solid panels be combined in the same wall?
Yes. In systems designed as a single family, glazed and solid modules share profiles and construction details, so they can alternate in the same wall or on the same floor with no visual break. A meeting room can have a double-glazed front facing the corridor and solid, fitted side walls; an open-plan area can be bounded by single glazing and contain enclosed rooms in solid panels.
CRONO, HERA and DECUS can be combined with one another and share the same construction language. Doors, glazed or solid, hinged or sliding, complete the system with flush ironmongery and finishes aligned with the panels.
How does ADAM approach office partition walls?
Office partitions are the product ADAM S.r.l. started with in 1990, in Bernate Ticino, near Milan. The ADAM Office division manufactures the HERA, CRONO and DECUS systems and also offers matching doors and furniture to complete workplace fit-outs. The walls are dry systems that can be dismantled and repositioned without masonry work.
HERA, CRONO and DECUS walls are designed and manufactured at the ADAM plant. Workplace projects include KFUPM Offices in Saudi Arabia, Dassault Offices in the United Arab Emirates, the Stelios Ioannou Learning Resource Center in Cyprus, Chatila Geneva HQ and Planzer HQ Offices in Switzerland, and Private Offices Milan in Italy. The list is on the Projects page.
Anyone reorganising existing space may also want to read the article on demountable office partitions. To choose the right system for a project, contact the ADAM team.