NEW ORLEANS, JUNE 2, 2016 – When the Ceilings & Interior Systems Construction Association (CISCA) announced its 2016 award winners in New Orleans, Acoustigreen, a leading manufacturer of beautiful and innovative acoustical wall and ceiling systems, was among the victors in the acoustical solutions category for its notable work on the Prudential Center’s new company headquarters in Newark, New Jersey. Awarded with a CISCA Gold in 2015 for its participation in the renovation at the Lord Livingston Library in Minnesota, Acoustigreen has now won a CISCA Award two years in a row.
This year’s CISCA Award was granted to Acoustigreen for its acoustical design for the new Prudential Corporate Headquarters Tower. When the company was looking to install a massive amount of acoustical elements, Acoustigreen, was called upon to deliver high-quality custom wall and ceiling panels. Working with the contractor, Structuretone, located in Woodbridge, New Jersey, and the architect from Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates, based in New York, Acoustigreen supplied its Microperf Acousticore Wall and Ceiling Panels in key locations throughout the facility to provide state-of-the-art acoustics.
The new headquarters required solutions in several areas, including the Main Conference Hall (Kiyo Sakaguchi Hall), the Executive Dining Room, the Cafeteria and multiple bridges. The project called for 30,000-square-feet of custom acoustic panels, and a project of this scope does not come without challenges. The main obstacle was color-matching all of the wood veneer panels. The veneer was chosen in the Midwest, shipped two states away to be cut to size, sent to the Southeast for acoustical micro-perforation, transported back to the Midwest for lamination and finishing, and finally delivered to the job site on the East Coast. When the panels arrived on site, not a single one, out of approximately 1,500 custom panels, needed to be replaced.
“It was fantastic working with the folks at Acoustigreen for this project,” says Chris Mills, vice president at Structuretone. “The sheer size of this project required a great relationship with the other companies involved. When all of the panels arrived perfectly, we were ecstatic. It really showed the care and concern that Acoustigreen has for their customers, and for the end result.”
The final panels consisted of a clear-finish micro-perforated veneer laid over 8mm diagonally-perforated FSC-certified core. The architect and company representative were flown to the supplier’s warehouse to select the Main Conference Hall and Executive Dining Room veneers. Coordinating veneers to match consistently across a large number of panels typically proves to be difficult, but in this special case the wood filtches (bundles of veneers arranged exactly as they are when cut from a log) were matched throughout the manufacturing process, providing a smooth transition from production to completion.
The Cafeteria and Bridge panels chosen were rift-sawn white oak veneer and the Main Conference Hall and Executive Dining Room were steamed beech veneer. The design called for additional acoustical insulation behind the Main Conference Hall panels to provide increased sound absorption. All of the panels were installed on a T-grid using a patented “lift & twist” concealed fastening system. The products were FSC-certified and helped achieve the targeted LEED Gold certification for the finished project.
“We were happy to work with Structuretone and Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates to provide high-end acoustical products to cover the needs of this space,” says Mark Stender, Director of Manufacturing for Acoustigreen. “Our company prides itself in the solutions we produce and this project was no different. With many moving parts, it was terrific to work with companies that desire the same outcome as we do: a system that sounds as good as it looks.”
Acoustigreen’s Micro-Perforated Acoustical Wood Panels for Ceilings and Walls are available with standard and custom-made veneers, plastic laminates or foils, and core options of sintered resin-reinforced glass-wool Acousticore™ or 8mm diagonally-perforated solid core. A greater than .7 Noise Reduction Coefficient rating can be achieved upon proper installation. A higher coefficient can be achieved with an optional backer for rooms that require more absorption. The micro-perforated panels are Class A Fire Rated and obtain certain LEED points for projects requiring certification for best-in-class building strategies.
About Acoustigreen
Acoustigreen is a leading manufacturer of beautiful and innovative acoustical wall and ceiling systems, featuring custom designs in coordination with architects, designers, project managers, and high-value décor contractors. These sophisticated wall and ceiling systems are made in the USA, with FSC Certified Product options and no added urea formaldehyde. Acoustigreen’s highly-skilled and experienced staff, some with over 30 years of wood wall/ceiling system expertise, includes a LEED AP and very knowledgeable Project Managers. For more information, please visit www.acoustigreen.com.
