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The University of Minnesota’s Landscape Arboretum
recently installed the Sonex™
Contour Ceiling Tiles in the facility’s learning
center interactive exhibit area and throughout the hallways
leading to the various activity rooms and offices. The
tiles blend with the interior and improve the acoustical
quality of instructor-led classes and interactive activities.
The Learning Center exhibit area is used to educate
children, typically ages five to twelve, about the natural
world. Exhibits and classes include dissecting flowers,
viewing tiny objects through a microscope and growing
their own “garden snacks.” The Learning
Center also provides teachers with resources to be utilized
while guiding children along the paths of the arboretum.
With as many as two school bus loads of kids in the
exhibit area at once, acoustics became a priority. The
echo caused by the sound of children’s interactions
bouncing off the marble and other hard, flat surfaces
prevented teachers and guides from communicating clearly.
When speech is distorted, it is more difficult for children
to pay attention and they have a harder time than adults
deciphering the language. The noise and subsequent sound
distortions in the Learning Center diminished the educational
experience and made it more difficult to manage the
kids.
“The echo was terrible,” said Sandy Tanck,
Manager of Youth, Family and Teacher Education. “The
building just wasn’t designed to control the noise
generated by all the kids.”
The Learning Center’s interior design features,
such as marble floors, white walls and peaked ceilings,
actually added to the echo problem. These features required
an acoustical material to blend in so they didn’t
attract attention from the exhibits or diminish the
beautiful decor.
“As soon as they started to go up, I knew they’d
make a difference,” said Tanck. “You could
tell the difference in the acoustics before even half
of the tiles were installed. And they matched the décor
perfectly. They were exactly what we needed.”
Sonex™
Contour Ceiling Tiles are available in two different
styles: one adheres directly to any ceiling or wall
surface using panel foam adhesive; the other fits into
any standard drop-ceiling grid. Depending on the style
selected, the noise reduction coefficients (NRCs) range
is 0.65 to 1.20. CONTOUR
tiles are made of illbruck’s exclusive willtec®
foam core and feature a Hypalon® coating for durability
and easy cleaning with a damp cloth.
Sonex™
Contour Ceiling Tiles are available in colors that
can be mixed and matched to complement any decorating
requirements. Sonex™
Contour Ceiling Tiles add style to offices, call
centers, lobbies, retail stores, conference and boardrooms,
among many other locations.
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