advertising feature – WOVEN IMAGE
Balancing Acoustic Performance with Design Aesthetics: A Specifier’s Guide to Decorative Acoustic Coverings
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raditionally, the term ‘acoustic coverings’ has been associated with acoustic panels that prioritise functionality over style. However, thanks to advances in technology and design thinking, today’s acoustic market abounds with solutions that both manage acoustics and contribute to the overall aesthetics within a space.
Why is acoustic control important? Noise control is crucial to functionality and occupant wellbeing, particularly within today’s high-traffic commercial spaces. Across all commercial sub-sectors, managing noise has become an increasingly pressing concern: in open plan offices, excessive noise has been identified as a key cause of worker disruption and irritation, and in healthcare environments poorly managed noise poses a significant health concern. In the latter, studies have shown that continuous background noise negatively impacts patient care by causing sleep disturbance and elevated levels of post-operative medication requirements in patients. Noise also impacts on the ability of healthcare workers to accurately hear and act on instructions, further compromising care levels. The scenario is mirrored in education spaces, where reverberation has been linked with increased teacher stress and fatigue.
What type of acoustic control do I need?
Structure-born/impact noise results from soundwaves induced directly into the ground or structure. The resulting vibration allows the sound to be heard. The two types of noise can be addressed using two different strategies. Absorption is most effective for controlling airborne noise and echo within a room. Soft and porous materials – usually textiles – absorb soundwaves and inhibit reverberation, resulting in a quieter indoor space. Blocking cuts off the path of vibrations caused by soundwaves. Dense materials affixed directly to a wall, floor, or ceiling contain sound within the space, minimising the level of sound exiting the space and preventing unwanted sound from entering. Decorative acoustic panels incorporate noise blocking and absorption properties alike, whilst also enhancing the appearance of a space.
Designing for Different Sectors
The Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) identifies two main types of noise.
Regardless of the commercial sub-sector, consider room usage, noise from outside the room, room shape and dimensions, and other surfaces within the room.
Airborne noise travels away from its source via a direct or open path in the air. The soundwaves are only stopped by a solid surface or when they fade out on their own.
In conjunction with these basic factors, designers must also take into account a number of sectorspecific considerations. In healthcare environments, for example, decorative acoustic coverings
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can be used to craft lively, uplifting spaces with positive impacts on patient mental states, while in open plan offices decorative acoustic coverings can enhance the overall environment by adding colour, texture, and shape. Similarly, appropriate acoustic management may improve levels of concentration and performance within education spaces, and can be used to enhance the visual and aural experience within retail environments.
Woven Image Since 1987, Woven Image has led the global market in sustainable, decorative acoustic management products. Ranging from wall-mounted solutions to freestanding screens, the company’s acoustic solutions deliver outstanding interior sound absorption without compromising on style. Around the world, the Woven Image brand has earned a reputation for combining cost effectiveness and high functionality with a distinctive bold, contemporary aesthetic that is perfect for today’s lively interior spaces. Modular systems mean that solutions can be tailored to fit the demands of a space, while third party sustainability certifications such as GreenTag give designers peace of mind that they are choosing a truly future-oriented product.
To download whitepaper http://bit.ly/2GczfFU
3/22/18 10:59 PM