Arktura’s latest featured article in Green Building and Design, How PET Material Opens a World of Wood Texture Possibilities, written by Associate Director – Architectural Systems Management Keith Berry, covers the future of sustainably sourced coffered ceilings. Traditionally made of heavy timber, Arktura is bringing a more acoustically sound take on these decorative ceilings with our SoftSpan® and SoundBar® lines. This fourth installment is a series of thought leadership articles by Arktura for GB&D, a leading resource for architects, builders, and developers with a focus on sustainability.
What draws your eye when first entering a room? Your view may travel all around a room, but how often is your gaze directed upwards to the ceiling? High vaulted ceilings can make a space feel grand and ornate but can feel cold without the right decorative touch.
While wood offers great looks and biophilic connections, alternative materials, such as PET (polyethylene terephthalate) are rising to prominence in commercial building development. Arktura utilizes this multifaceted building block to create cost-effective beams, baffles, and coffered ceilings. Made of recyclable polymers, this sustainable material is the future of acoustic insulation. “Compared to wood, PET is lighter, fire-resistant, and above all else, includes acoustic absorptive properties not found in wood,” says Berry in this insightful and educational article.
Arktura’s own, Award-Winning, SoftSpan® acoustic baffle system reaches the significant aesthetic advantages of a timber trellis without the excess weight and labor associated with wood. Thanks to its 12mm thick Soft Sound® material (available in Premium Wood Texture), this collection offers exceptional acoustic properties. In addition, SoftSpan’s® connectivity with SoundBar®’s linear acoustic and lighting systems now allows designers and architects alike to realize unique configurations previously unachievable.
Acoutstic Soft Sound® and Wood Texture ceiling systems.
Read the full article to explore all the great ways sustainable alternatives to wood are driving the future of eco-friendly commercial design.
Read the Article on GB&D Pro