Kelsey Rogers
Principal
At the same time of Sir Issac Newton’s experiments with gravity, of Galileo’s insistence that the earth moves around the sun (and not the other way around), Saint-Gobain opened its doors.
In 1665, it started off as a mirror manufacturer on the outskirts of Paris. Today, it is a multinational corporation trusted by millions as the producer of a wide spectrum of high performance construction materials. When this tech giant needed to revamp its North American presence, it looked directly to Acentech for two things: to help with a major office renovation and to create predictive model listening tools (3DListening®) for their clients.
As a globally recognized source of building materials, Saint-Gobain’s office renovation needed to be more than a change in paint color: it needed to reflect how it impacts the world of modern corporate interiors. Considering their extensive history such a project may seem daunting, but much of this company’s influence on offices can be seen in their pursuit of creating acoustically comfortable environments with absorptive room finishes. Assisted by Acentech, designers focused on utilizing proper sound absorption and isolation techniques within breakout spaces, including the use of acoustical ceiling panel ‘clouds’ to mitigate the tendency for conversations to travel across open office spaces.
In addition to the major renovations to their headquarters, Saint-Gobain also wanted to rethink their methods of educating potential clients on the impacts their products can have on a given space. After all, telling a people about different STC ratings for acoustic panels can be effective, but allowing them to hear the difference with their own ears is much more powerful. Acentech developed 3DListening® programs (our predictive listening simulation tool used for everything from residential aircraft noise to concert hall design) for Saint- Gobain to allow its staff to give end users the ability to truly experience how a change in acoustic panels can make a huge impact on the end user’s experience. These simulations included busy restaurants and conference rooms. The ability to assist Saint-Gobain in its ongoing efforts to push the boundaries on the accessibility of building materials is a truly exciting endeavor for Acentech and the future of 3DListening®.
