The FACTORY Beauty Tech Campus was developed to bring together L’Oréal’s Beauty Tech teams, previously spread across several sites, into a single shared workplace environment in Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine, France. More than a standard office relocation, the project was conceived as a pilot for L’Oréal’s CSR ambitions, integrating circularity principles, demountable construction and sustainable design strategies from the outset. At 19,500 sqm, the campus combines a wide range of uses from collaborative areas and focus rooms to wellness spaces, cafés and event venues, each carrying distinct acoustic design requirements in terms of reverberation, speech privacy and background noise.
The main acoustic challenge stemmed directly from the project’s sustainability commitments. A significant part of the partition systems was designed to be demountable and recyclable, which limited the acoustic performance typically achievable with fixed construction. This required close coordination between architecture, technical detailing and acoustic treatment to find solutions that maintained workplace acoustics standards without compromising the circularity agenda. The fast-track programme and the need to preserve the architectural identity of the campus added further complexity, as acoustic integration had to happen continuously throughout design and execution rather than as a separate discipline.
We supported Factory, L’Oréal and Hyloh throughout the development of the campus, embedding acoustic performance into both the workplace experience and the broader sustainable strategy from the earliest design stages.
Our scope covered acoustic zoning strategy, 3D modelling, contribution to the acoustic chapter of the project’s internal CSR scorecard, and detailed studies of the separating systems selected as part of the circular design approach. Particular attention was given to the acoustic behaviour and implementation details of the demountable partitions, identifying transmission weaknesses and proposing targeted reinforcements that remained compatible with the recyclability requirements. We carried out acoustic design for offices recommendations covering reverberation control and absorbing material selection adapted to the different activity zones and atmospheres across the campus. Materials included bituminous mass layers, double-glazed glass assemblies, textured acoustic panels and perforated metal ceilings. During the later construction phases, we assisted the teams through mock-up validation and construction follow-up to verify that expected building noise regulations and internal comfort targets were maintained through execution.
Our acoustic design work helped create a workplace where collaboration, focus and informal exchange could coexist comfortably across the activity-based layout. By addressing reverberation, acoustic separation and noise propagation between zones, the project achieved comfort levels adapted to each programmed area while preserving the open visual identity and flexible character of the campus.
The integration of acoustic considerations into the RSE and circularity framework supported L’Oréal’s ambition to develop a workplace that was both environmentally responsible and experience-driven. Through continuous coordination with Factory and Hyloh across design and execution, we helped ensure that workplace acoustics performance remained aligned with the architectural, technical and environmental ambitions of the project throughout its delivery.
