Sesco Group's Boardroom Renovation

Introduced to the North American market in 2023, Rockfon® Mono® Acoustic, Rockfon’s stone wool monolithic ceiling solution creates a smooth, seamless, uninterrupted surface with high-level sound-absorption. For years, these products have inspired European architects, design professionals and their clients. Now, they are available in select regions of North America supported with qualified, certified installers, including Sesco Group in Ontario.

Sesco Group of companies, founded in 1983, remains a family owned and operated business providing Ontario commercial and high-end residential customers with interior and design-build services. Sesco Group’s companies include Sesco Interiors, Sesco Design Build and Sesco Luxury Homes. Sesco was among the earliest to install Rockfon acoustic stone ceiling products in North America. This trusted partnership spans more than a decade.

Leading by example, Sesco Group recently designed and renovated its boardroom to feature Rockfon® Mono® Acoustic ceiling systems – presenting the first installation of the product in Ontario.

“We are one of the first to see Rockfon’s products and are proud to be one of the exclusive certified installers of the Mono Acoustic ceiling system. They make great products,” shared Sesco’s owner, Frank DeFrancesco. “When we saw Rockfon Mono Acoustic, we knew it would make a nice impact and a good impression in our boardroom and be implemented in some of our upcoming design build projects.”

“It performs great and looks stunning!” DeFrancesco continued, “Everyone says it looks beautiful, but they think it’s drywall. That’s the idea. With Rockfon Mono Acoustic it’s supposed to look like drywall, but the difference is the acoustics. It has a much better sound rating.” Rockfon Mono Acoustic systems can achieve a Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC) up to 0.95.

Capitalizing on Mono Acoustic’s premium, smooth, flowing appearance, Sesco’s team including Pamela Milenkovic, Domenic DeFrancesco and Nick DeFrancesco, designed the boardroom’s elevated ceiling treatment as a compelling visual focus with deep sweeping curves. Its smooth white surface reflects and gently diffuses the illumination from the suspended linear light fixtures, custom-designed by Salex. The play of shadow and light makes it appear to ripple above the polished white table.

In addition to its high-end aesthetic and high sound absorption, Rockfon Mono Acoustic provides Class A fire protection, healthy indoor air quality, high light reflectance, sag resistance and long-lasting durability. Stone wool also naturally resists moisture, mold and mildew, and gives no sustenance to microorganisms. Rockfon Mono Acoustic ceiling panels have earned UL® Environment GREENGUARD® certification for low VOC emissions. Rockfon Mono Acoustic ceiling systems are backed with a 15-year limited product warranty.

To ensure Rockfon Mono Acoustic ceiling solutions achieve each project’s goals for elevated aesthetics, optimized acoustics and high performance, installers are trained and certified by Rockfon.

Rockfon invested in educating Sesco’s top-level associates at its training facility in Antwerp, Belgium. Frank was joined by his partner, Nick, and two other Sesco team members for hands-on instruction by Rockfon’s European technicians and craftspeople who have been involved with Rockfon Mono Acoustic ceiling installations on world-renown architectural projects.

Returning to Ontario, the four Sesco associates began passing their knowledge to their local colleagues, supplementing their union training programs. The Sesco Group of companies are proud union members – Drywall, Acoustic Lathing & Insulation, Local 675 of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, and Local 1891 of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades Ontario Council. They also are members of the Interior Systems Contractors Association of Ontario and the Toronto Construction Association.

“There’s a lot of training involved to get the Mono Acoustic just right,” said DeFrancesco. “Nick and I have to be engaged throughout the entire process. Putting up the Mono Acoustic can be installed relatively easy. It’s no problem at all for us. It’s the taping where you have to be really careful and experienced, especially with the radius we had. Once the framing, installing and taping are done, the painters are good to go.”

For its first installation and exemplary showpiece, Sesco’s associates dedicated three weeks to install the boardroom ceiling. “Our qualified team of on-site experts enables us to deliver our customers quality workmanship, organization and a job done right and on time,” noted DeFrancesco. “We pride ourselves with maintaining our clients’ schedules, working as a team with other trades and sharing our insights with the project team.”

The modern, clean, visually continuous Rockfon Mono Acoustic ceilings are well-suited for both flat or curved applications with direct-mount or suspended installations in either newly built or renovated commercial interiors. They also may be used for angled and arched transitions and also on sloped or vertical walls.

To create the swooping curves in its boardroom, Sesco installed Rockfon Mono Acoustic TE Flecto, supplied by A Line Acoustics. Sesco has relied on A Line’s Ryan Hillier-Spurr for more than 25 years and for more than 10 as its Rockfon distributor. Located adjacent to the newly updated boardroom, Sesco previously installed Rockfon® Island™ acoustic stone wool ceiling panels for its open-plan client and employee lounge.

“Rockfon products are part of our standard spec in all our design-build projects,” said DeFrancesco. For typical acoustic ceiling tile and suspension grid projects, Sesco recommends Rockfon Artic® stone wool ceiling panels with Chicago Metallic® Ultraline™ bolt-slot suspension. The FedEx facility in Woodbridge, Plexxis Software offices in Brampton, General Motors’ plant in St. Catherines and numerous luxury car dealerships throughout Ontario showcase more examples of Sesco’s projects featuring Rockfon products.

“After installing stone wool, it makes the standard mineral wool installation look very dated and inefficient. When we install Rockfon’s products, everybody loves how great they look and our clients are happy with the performance,” said DeFrancesco.

He concluded, “I’m looking forward to our next installation with Rockfon Mono Acoustic. I’d like to see it as a smooth, flat ceiling with cove lighting around the perimeter of a boardroom or with a small radius for a subtle wave-like effect in a lobby. We look forward to the possibilities our clients decide to pursue for their design-build projects.”