How is acoustics addressed in offices that have won the prestigious Office of the Year award? We asked Stanislav Beránek from ACUTEC to reveal more about the winning project.
Publisher
Tisková zpráva
20.07.2023 23:00
Tisková zpráva
20.07.2023 23:00
The seventh edition of the Office of the Year competition has highlighted the high quality of domestic interiors. It has been evident for a long time that corporate spaces are experiencing good times again. Because this year there was indeed a lot to choose from. Offices are no longer gray and white. Today, they are vibrant with all colors and materials that not only have to look good but also serve even better. And it is clear that acoustics is one of the areas that needs attention. We asked Stanislav Beránek, the founder of ACUTEC, about how to approach this, as his company was involved in the winning interior in the category of large offices, which was won by HEUREKA Group.
How did you get involved in the project that won a prestigious award?
We have been long-term efforts to be available to our partners and architects throughout the duration of the project, including its design. Where there is an opportunity to recommend suitable acoustic measures. The design and fit-out for Heureka Group was handled by the international company Tetris db, for which we are grateful for the excellent collaboration.
Where to start when there are so many options available?
While we are specialists in spatial acoustics (i.e., echo), everyone expects that we will recommend "foam pyramids" everywhere. However, having been involved in interiors for over 15 years, we look at acoustics from a completely opposite angle. First, we focus on aesthetics and then seek suitable materials.
You must have utilized this in this project where the motif of corrugated metal is used.
We were invited to Heureka precisely from the perspective of function and appearance. The interior is dominated by a classic corrugated metal element in funky colors that runs throughout the space. This presents quite a nightmare from the standpoint of resonance and sound reflection (i.e., high echo). Our portfolio of manufacturers we represent is continuously growing, and we currently have over thirty. After discussions with the architects, we chose boards made from recycled PET, which were custom-modified to match the profile and format of the metal sheets. These boards have excellent absorption properties, allowing them to be applied in all meeting rooms, conference rooms, and phone booths. There, they function as traditional acoustic panels. The color matching was a bit of an alchemy, but I think it worked out well, and the panels complement the colorful corrugated metal nicely.
It’s interesting that we hadn’t seen this material anywhere before.
For Czech standards, this was the largest scale of this material. Well, it’s no coincidence that it is the winner in the large office category.
What surprised you during the implementation?
We have a bit of a disadvantage because our elements are scheduled to come in at the very end along with the furniture installers. So there is no room for errors or delays. It is up to us to sometimes catch up on what was missed somewhere. However, here we were pleasantly surprised by the organization of the entire construction by Tereis db (the general contractor for the interiors), where everything went according to schedule, giving us plenty of time to finalize details and connections.
Can you also be approached by those interested in smaller projects?
Yes, of course. Although we practically do not take private clients and recommend our partners who deal with acoustically treated spaces instead, we strive to share our expertise primarily with architects and designers, where we see great interest. Our clients are specialists in fit-out, construction, and interior firms from the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Our long-term goal is to assist and improve interiors and work environments. Although we are currently facing staffing limitations.
And what to conclude with?
Congratulations on the valuable award, and I am glad that we could participate in such an interesting project, which has brought us many experiences that we can pass on. Such challenges show us new possibilities in the field of spatial acoustics.
If you are currently working on a project that requires acoustic measures, you can contact the experts from ACUTEC, who will be happy to assist you. They also offer services of measurement and acoustic studies concurrently. They exclusively represent and import European manufacturers who are leaders in the field. You can choose from heraklit boards, wooden slats, metal ceilings, to award-winning boards made from recycled PET. Their products have received numerous accolades. Their unique expertise allows them to provide suitable advice.
We have been long-term efforts to be available to our partners and architects throughout the duration of the project, including its design. Where there is an opportunity to recommend suitable acoustic measures. The design and fit-out for Heureka Group was handled by the international company Tetris db, for which we are grateful for the excellent collaboration.
Where to start when there are so many options available?
While we are specialists in spatial acoustics (i.e., echo), everyone expects that we will recommend "foam pyramids" everywhere. However, having been involved in interiors for over 15 years, we look at acoustics from a completely opposite angle. First, we focus on aesthetics and then seek suitable materials.
You must have utilized this in this project where the motif of corrugated metal is used.
We were invited to Heureka precisely from the perspective of function and appearance. The interior is dominated by a classic corrugated metal element in funky colors that runs throughout the space. This presents quite a nightmare from the standpoint of resonance and sound reflection (i.e., high echo). Our portfolio of manufacturers we represent is continuously growing, and we currently have over thirty. After discussions with the architects, we chose boards made from recycled PET, which were custom-modified to match the profile and format of the metal sheets. These boards have excellent absorption properties, allowing them to be applied in all meeting rooms, conference rooms, and phone booths. There, they function as traditional acoustic panels. The color matching was a bit of an alchemy, but I think it worked out well, and the panels complement the colorful corrugated metal nicely.
It’s interesting that we hadn’t seen this material anywhere before.
For Czech standards, this was the largest scale of this material. Well, it’s no coincidence that it is the winner in the large office category.
What surprised you during the implementation?
We have a bit of a disadvantage because our elements are scheduled to come in at the very end along with the furniture installers. So there is no room for errors or delays. It is up to us to sometimes catch up on what was missed somewhere. However, here we were pleasantly surprised by the organization of the entire construction by Tereis db (the general contractor for the interiors), where everything went according to schedule, giving us plenty of time to finalize details and connections.
Can you also be approached by those interested in smaller projects?
Yes, of course. Although we practically do not take private clients and recommend our partners who deal with acoustically treated spaces instead, we strive to share our expertise primarily with architects and designers, where we see great interest. Our clients are specialists in fit-out, construction, and interior firms from the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Our long-term goal is to assist and improve interiors and work environments. Although we are currently facing staffing limitations.
And what to conclude with?
Congratulations on the valuable award, and I am glad that we could participate in such an interesting project, which has brought us many experiences that we can pass on. Such challenges show us new possibilities in the field of spatial acoustics.
If you are currently working on a project that requires acoustic measures, you can contact the experts from ACUTEC, who will be happy to assist you. They also offer services of measurement and acoustic studies concurrently. They exclusively represent and import European manufacturers who are leaders in the field. You can choose from heraklit boards, wooden slats, metal ceilings, to award-winning boards made from recycled PET. Their products have received numerous accolades. Their unique expertise allows them to provide suitable advice.
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