With targeted acoustic solutions, aesthetics and acoustics don’t have to compete. In fact, they can coordinate. Beautifully.
But how do you maintain design interest and acoustic performance beyond the lobby and other high-priority spaces – extending the aesthetic throughout open office workstations, collaborative spaces, phone and training rooms?
Visual design and acoustics don’t have to compete for budget dollars. The CertainTeed/Saint-Gobain North American headquarters is a living demonstration of using acoustic products to elevate visual impact and occupant comfort – without compromising either one.
For the 119,000 sq. ft. open office space at CertainTeed headquarters, the designer’s original plan called for Symphony® f fiberglass panels in a floating island configuration over the work stations. The contrast of smooth, white panels against the black-painted plenum and exposed ductwork would be dramatic. But the realities of low frequency noise from an existing HVAC system required our team to rethink the approach. We needed a solution to block the HVAC noise from reaching the work stations below, and while the original plan of fiberglass would provide excellent sound absorption, it's a poor sound blocker. In this type of situation, most would default to a single-product solution.
There is an alternative: a multi-product solution that leverages strategic use of acoustic products to enhance occupant comfort without compromising visual impact or budget.
This targeted acoustics approach is what the Jacobs team chose for the CertainTeed headquarters – with outstanding results. True to the original plan, the Symphony f fiberglass panels NRC of 0.95 are ideal for absorbing background speech noise in the open office. Directly below the heat pumps, premium Adagio composite ceilings perform a dual acoustic function. A fiberglass face absorbs sound, while a mineral fiber backer blocks the mechanical noise from above. Most importantly from an aesthetic perspective, the difference in tiles is invisible to the occupant, because Symphony f and Adagio share the same clean, minimally textured surface and edge detail for a perfect match. The look also matches the Symphony m mineral fiber tiles chosen for the smaller conference and meeting rooms. Instead of an open plenum painted black, Theatre Black f fiberglass panels were installed around the perimeter to create the visual effect of free-floating islands while providing additional sound absorption.
Learn how acoustic solutions can complement your visual design
Download Whitepaper: Maximum Impact Meets Maximum Comfort
Go to the Case Study: 3 Keys To Productive Office Design
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