The inclusion of expansive glass walls and windows in offices, conference rooms, and flexwork/gathering spaces has become increasingly common as a means of enhancing aesthetics and visual connections between spaces, and providing ‘daylighting’ – the practice of allowing natural light into interior spaces to improve ambience and reduce the need for artificial lighting.
But there can be a downside, acoustically. Specifically, an increase in echoes and reverberation and a corresponding negative impact on speech intelligibility and privacy.
That was the case in a recent Primacoustic project, in which a customer required a means of absorbing sonic reflections, without modifying the glass elements themselves or detracting from the benefits they provided.
To address those issues, Primacoustic delivered an elegant and functional solution utilizing our EcoScapes line of PET acoustic treatments.
Case Study: Solving Reflections by Hanging EcoScapes in Front of Glass
For this customer, a Boston-based pharmaceutical company, the central issue was reverberation in a teleconferencing room caused by two parallel glass walls running the entire length of the space.
As noted by the client’s Massachusetts-based AV integrator, DGI Communications, the room’s existing ceiling acoustic treatment was insufficient on its own, making the space uncomfortably reverberant for staff meetings. However, suspending additional treatments from the ceiling was not an option, nor was any fix that would negatively impact the room’s atmosphere.
To address this, EcoScapes PET panels were cut on-site to match the angle and footprint of the glass walls. They were then suspended using hardware anchored in the drywall above the glass line, and hung close to, but not against, the surface of the glass.
In all, eight 4×8’ panels (four per side) were placed in front of each glass wall to provide the required level of sound absorption and enhance the room’s clean, modern design palette.
Additionally, by suspending the panels in front of the glass – and leaving an air gap between the treatments and the surface – the panel’s effectiveness, NRC rating, and ability to absorb low-frequency sound, were increased.
Here, Primacoustic’s EcoScapes PET panels were an ideal solution: lightweight enough to be anchored in drywall and rigid, yet flexible enough to be cut to the appropriate shape and size, while still offering ample absorption. Resulting in a significant reduction in sound reflections from the hard glass surfaces, the elimination of flutter echoes and reverberation, and far superior speech intelligibility.
Why PET Works for These Types of Installs
Primacoustic’s EcoScapes line of PET panels is ideal for this type of install and for any project in which a fine balance between sound control, form, and function is important.
Constructed from PET sourced from recycled plastic bottles, EcoScapes panels are highly durable and yet can be easily precision-cut to create unique shapes and patterns. EcoScapes panels are also available in a wide range of custom colours and finishes, allowing them to be seamlessly incorporated into any design scheme.
PET, or Polyethylene Terephthalate, is made from recycled plastic bottles and widely used as a sustainable material for acoustic panels owing to its ability to effectively absorb mid- and high-frequency sounds.
EcoScapes PET panels are lightweight, easy to clean and maintain and are fire-rated, non-toxic, fully recyclable, and contribute to LEED Certification.
PET can be manufactured in virtually any shape and thickness, providing maximum absorption while ensuring seamless integration into any design scheme.
Creative PET Applications Dealers Can Offer
PET acoustic treatments are a flexible, high-performance solution for controlling sound sustainably. Ideal in situations where highly reflective surfaces, such as glass, metal, and concrete, require flexible non-destructive mounting solutions. Particularly in environments featuring open-concept designs, and where maximum sound control and limited visual impact are desirable.
Among those applications:
- Suspension from cable systems in atriums, lobbies, and other high-ceiling, high-traffic spaces to diminish noise overall or in specific acoustic zones without impacting architectural features, lighting and HVAC infrastructure.
- Wrapping structural columns with acoustic ‘sleeves,’ transforming existing and often highly reflective, structural elements into sound-absorbing elements.
- As lightweight acoustic partitions/privacy screens, mounted on ceiling track systems, to create quiet zones, eliminate reverberation and unwanted reflections overall and increase comfort and clarity in open office spaces.
- To create feature or focus walls by applying precision-cut PET in various shapes and patterns over highly reflective and/or uneven surfaces, such as brick and concrete or in heritage spaces, where the application of adhesives or drilling for hardware mounting is undesirable, impossible, or restricted.
How Primacoustic Supports Custom PET Solutions
With our background in acoustic control for recording studios and critical listening spaces, and over 20 years of providing high-performance, highly customizable solutions for facilities of all descriptions, Primacoustic brings a wealth of expertise, experience, and innovative solutions to the table.
We pride ourselves on providing personalized support from the initial sketch to final installation, enabling customers to achieve their goals fluidly, easily, and to the letter, both acoustically and aesthetically.
Our ability to engineer install-ready solutions for any environment, regardless of the challenges and requirements, is rooted in our expertise and reflected in our wide-ranging product lines.
From studio-grade solutions, including our Broadway line of glass wool panels, to our highly customizable EcoScapes and Archadia panels, we continue to innovate. Adding additional flexibility across all our lines, as well as custom colours, finishes, and designer-grade fabrics via our new Signature Suite, to better serve our customers’ needs, whatever they may be.
For over 20 years, Primacoustic has provided high-performance, highly customizable acoustic treatments for a range of environments. Our responsive team is always ready to help you create exceptional sounding spaces that meet your needs, sonically and visually, to the letter.
Have a unique acoustic challenge? Primacoustic can help: Download our EcoScapes technical documents or contact us directly at Primacoustic.com to request additional information, samples, or to book a consultation with a member of our team.
