Commercial Architecture April 2018 - 43

PROJECT

interiors

Granum. "Because the building was designed to celebrate

CAC range of 33 to 41, delivering just the right level of

A NEW WAY OF WORKING

views and bring daylight into the core, the faceted cor-

noise containment in these smaller spaces.

Walking through the new FMC headquarters, one can

ners offered more opportunities for perimeter views and

In the kitchen, the designers knew they needed to

see and hear how bright and quiet the office is-a tes-

control the acoustics, but they also wanted a solution that

tament to the power of effectively managed acoustics.

Granum employed a flexible strategy with a variety of

would address cleanliness. They selected Rx Symphony

"The high ceilings with their clean lines look great

different spaces such as team zones, huddle rooms, focus

m for its blend of acoustic performance, durability,

and perform well," noted Vince Carango, global direc-

booths, and relaxed social settings, allowing employees

cleanability, water repellency, and stain resistance-criti-

tor of facilities for FMC.

to choose the work setting in which they're most produc-

cal features in an area where food is prepared and hygiene

tive. Social space and quiet space anchor each floor, with

is a key consideration.

more interesting planning."

"Prior to the move, we heard a lot of grumbling
from employees who were worried about losing their
private offices and not being able to concentrate on

office space positioned away from the perimeter wall to

For the enclosed executive offices, privacy was the

provide plenty of access to natural light. Meeting spaces

main concern. CertainTeed's Adagio enables executives

in varying sizes and configurations support collaboration

to have confidential conversations without the worry of

"Now that we're here, it's a different story. People

and training. Even the cafeteria and café function as

being overheard in the open environment. A composite

are embracing the openness and the flexibility of hav-

work and meeting areas, serving as a crossroads for mem-

product that combines the sound-absorption properties

ing different spaces where they can work or have a

bers of different departments.

of high-density fiberglass with the sound-containment

quick meeting. It's a very positive and collaborative
environment," Carango concluded. CA

"With the open-office environment, we have more

qualities of mineral fiber, Adagio offers superior acousti-

variety in different types of spaces," said Hong. "Even a

cal comfort and privacy. Adagio shares the same smooth

corridor becomes useful, productive real estate. It's no

finish and edge detail as the Symphony line, for a seam-

longer just a tunnel; it's also used as meeting and social-

less visual aesthetic with targeted acoustic performance.

izing space. So acoustic performance matters."

their work.

With a clean, white, monolithic look that reflects the
abundant daylight, the Symphony and Adagio ceilings

Want more information? To download
the information listed below, visit
commercialarchitecturemagazine.com/1804fmc.

TARGETED ACOUSTICS

helped the design team meet one of its most important

Faced with balancing design with acoustic performance

goals and highlight the building's best feature. "We want-

in the open-office workstations, collaborative spaces,

ed to enhance the building's highest aesthetic qualities

Circle 6 on the Reader Service Card.

huddle rooms, and private offices, the Granum team

without compromising any of the functional and sustain-

Get product details, installation tips, and view videos.

turned to CertainTeed Ceilings, Malvern, PA (certain-

able decisions," Hong explained.

teed.com), for an aesthetics and acoustics solution.
Gone are the days of choosing just one ceiling tile for
an entire floor or building. Now, there's a much more
thoughtful and performance-based approach to product
selection that involves a targeted mix of solutions
throughout a building.
Granum found the design flexibility they were looking for in CertainTeed's Symphony ceilings collection-a
complete range of acoustic solutions offering targeted
performance with a consistent appearance. The line also
contributed to earning LEED credits-an important consideration in meeting FMC's sustainability goals.
Stepping in to assist Granum with the product selection, CertainTeed Ceilings sales representative Doug
Depte worked in collaboration with the designers
throughout the project to help them choose the right
ceiling panels for the right space. "We developed a
multi-product solution that would best meet the building's needs for acoustic performance without compromising the visual impact or the budget," Depte said.
In the open-office spaces, breakout rooms, quiet areas, and corridors, the goal was to manage the acoustics.
These spaces often have a lot of ambient noise and hard
surfaces that aren't conducive to sound absorption. For
these areas, Granum specified Symphony f, a fiberglass
panel with a 0.95 NRC for maximum sound absorption.
The enclosed huddle rooms, conference rooms, and
private offices presented a different challenge-how to
contain sound and maintain speech intelligibility. Here,
Symphony m provided the solution. The mineral-fiber
tiles feature a denser base board that blocks sound with a
CIRCLE 216

http://www.commercialarchitecturemagazine.com/1804fmc http://www.certainteed.com http://www.mussonrubber.com https://www.cdsreportnow.com/bgs/search?CBP0216201804

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Commercial Architecture April 2018