The Audiophiles: acousticpearls

The clue is the name. acousticpearls.

When the German-based acoustic-products specialists went into business over a decade ago, their mission was not only to be become the leading manufacturer of premium sound-managing architectural elements for interiors, but also to become the go-to consulting partner for architects and planners – to turn grit into pearls, by helping their clients transform troubling, noisy spaces into acoustically and optically pleasing environments.

“Most spaces suffer from less-than-optimal acoustics,” explains acousticpearls CEO Clemens Lünig. “Our role is a transformative one – to improve the quality of experience for users of spaces by tackling badly managed sound in an effective way that also has an added visual benefit. It’s ultimately about people.”

Hear clear

Every project acousticpearls undertakes is strongly underpinned by robust research. The process starts with an in-depth analysis of the architect’s plans and photographs. Special software is used to identify how the current space operates acoustically, with various factors considered: the material make-up of the space, the number of occupants, what kind of activities they engage in the space, how they circulate through it, and so on. Reverberation times are of particular importance, especially in open-plan offices. Too fast – and, indeed, too slow – and they can have a major negative impact on users’ comprehension levels within the workplace. Materials play a vital role here.

Site visits are regularly conducted to obtain additional metrics. It’s about finding the best solution with the least amount of complexity – and, of course, always on budget. Sometimes, it’s simply a case of reconsidering the layout of the room in terms of furniture and furnishings. As Lünig explains, “An easy solution for clients can often be to remove the hard doors from storage units, making sure the shelving is filled with books and files. This has an immediate sound-absorbing benefit.” This is how acousticpearls, as a company that’s confident about its core competencies, has chosen to operate; it shares its expert knowledge with clients, professionals and other specialists, running, for example, special seminars on acoustic management.

What colour sounds like

Often a more architectural invention is necessary to achieve an acoustically optimised space. acousticpearls’ confidently graphic and chromatically expressive modular wall-panel systems and stand-alone space-dividers, as well as their suspended ceiling elements and even space-within-space pods, can be deployed to bring unruly sound behaviour under control.

“We work extremely closely with the client throughout the whole process,” says Lünig. “For example, what are they trying to achieve with a particular colour concept? Is the aim to stimulate the users of the space, or, rather, create a calming atmosphere? Our implementation of colour is always a highly considered and judicious one.”

The acousticpearls modus operandi is no different from that of the interior-architectural professional. The user experience is key. So determining a colour palette – consisting of primary and secondary hues – will depend on how the space is used, by how many, and, of course, its size. “We present clients with spatial visualisations and with references, so they get a true understanding of how the project will look and feel. Acoustics are always there, whether they function well or badly. The goal is to make the user unaware of them, while, at the same time, enhancing well-being throughout the space via its visual effect.”

Whatever colour, it’s always green

Sustainability has long been a watchword within the design industry. But some brands are able to evidence their commitment to it more clearly than others. acousticpearls is one such brand. Beyond the fact that its products possess an extremely long lifespan with no material degradation over time – and concomitantly no reduction in their acoustic performance – they are also Greenguard-certified. This means that they have been rigorously third-party-tested for low chemical emissions, resulting in a healthier working environment for users.

Greenguard certification also means that acousticpearls products are compliant when it comes to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), the internationally used, increasingly popular green-building programme. You see, acousticpearls is not only in the business of being a sustainable, profitable company, it’s in the business of being an indispensable, long-term expert partner to architects, planners and end-clients for sustainable projects – ones that place the well-being of their users centre-stage.

Now, doesn’t that sound good?

© Architonic