Balancing aesthetics and acoustics for open plan workspaces

Architect: Designwell

Installer: Polygonomy

Categories: Design, News Article

Interior Designers: Designwell

Designer: Luke Walker

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Project spotlight: Designwell - Balancing aesthetics and acoustics for open plan workspaces

Promoting creativity and collaboration with Lanes™

Office spaces present unique challenges to designers. Often, the fit out must balance the restrictions of a pre-existing space with the practical needs of the individuals who work there. Designwell, a New Zealand-based design studio, recently sought out Autex Acoustics® to help meet these demands for their office upgrade.

Panama Square, the 1950s insurance building turned co-working space that Designwell calls home, necessitated interior solutions that inspired collaboration and creativity and highlighted and protected the building’s historic features. 

However, being an open plan space, the Designwell office design had to negate the difficulties of creating a comfortable workspace without the inherent acoustic properties that walls can provide. To do so, Designwell turned to Autex Acoustics’ new high-performance air-gap acoustic system, Lanes^™. 

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Boasting superior acoustic performance and a Group 1 fire classification, Lanes was designed with the sensitive demands of heritage retrofits and leaseholders. Each 3D, battened style panel is quickly installed without adhesives and easily disassembled for reuse. 

Designwell selected the Lanes style Peak in the Cube™ colour Opera to span the length and height of one interior wall. The repeated peaks of each Lanes profile create a striking visual on what would usually be a flat surface. With an NRC rating of 0.80 and more, Lanes helps create a space where the Designwell team can work, communicate, and design without the intrusion of excessive reverberated noise.