You may not have heard of Pierre Guerin, but the chances are you will have used one of their products, or will have consumed something that was made with the help of one of their products. They are experts in stainless steel equipment, specifically for use in the life sciences, food & beverage and cosmetics industries. They design and produce vats, tanks, mixers, turnkey installations, cookers, bioreactors and more. A truly international company, they have offices in Europe, the US and in China.
In 2021, Pierre Guerin renovated a factory of theirs in Jiaxing, a city not far from Shanghai in Zhejiang province. More specifically, they renovated the office that was attached to the factory, a place where their staff could conveniently manage their part of the company, a hair’s-breadth away from production. After renovation, they noticed that the sound within the office was not particularly comfortable. In the meeting rooms, private offices, open spaces, and even the pantry / tea room, something felt a bit off.
What was the problem?
The renovation had involved aesthetically pleasing, but acoustically non-ideal, materials. The spaces had plain, flat walls with hard surfaces, and many of the areas featured standard false ceilings. This meant that each space featured a high degree of reverberation. That is, the flat surfaces bounced sound back into and around the room, without absorbing much of it at all.
For an idea of how this feels, consider the experience of being in a café or restaurant where you can hear everyone else’s conversation, and you feel that they can hear yours too. Where the espresso machine or the clang of cutlery interrupts your thoughts. Somehow, sometimes, it feels as though sound in a room is being amplified. This is the result of high reverberation. In an office environment, where peace, quiet and privacy are essential, this is far from an ideal situation.
What was the solution?
Pierre Guerin enlisted the help of ZENFEEL in February 2021 for the whole acoustic process – from creating specifications, to production of custom acoustic products, to installation. All in all, it took one month. We installed three types of acoustic product, each designed to absorb a certain amount of sound. The aim was not to absorb as much sound as possible – this can lead to an equal and opposite problem of the air feeling ‘dead’ – but rather, to achieve a balance, where sound can travel at comfortable levels.
Solution 1: Acoustic Panels
On walls, we installed custom ‘Groove Cut’ acoustic panels. They are made up of two layers: a back layer of Eco-Fiber, made of coconut fiber and latex, and a front-layer of groove-cut polyester.
Here you can see the panels seamlessly integrated underneath the windowsill.
Here you can see panels integrated with the wall. By providing an uneven, densely fibrous surface, these panels effectively absorb sound. In this case, the groove cuts were made vertically at even intervals. They can be cut into virtually any pattern, however, so as to compliment the existing aesthetics of whatever space they’re installed in.
Solution 2: Suspended Smart Panels
Also utilizing two layers of sound absorbing materials – Eco-Fiber and polyester – these stylish Smart Panels are hung from ceilings, and are especially useful in areas where there is a lot of space between floor and ceiling. For Pierre Guerin, we installed them in meeting rooms and in the reception area.
Solution 3: Smart Panel Ceiling Tiles
Common false ceilings are beautiful in office spaces, allowing for flexible lighting and ventilation, but they’re usually not wonderful for acoustic comfort, given their hard, flat tiles. This is where Smart Panel ceiling tiles come in handy. Also utilising double layers, these colourful files can blend seamlessly in with existing ceilings. In the pictures below, the coloured tiles are in fact ZENFEEL Smart Panel ceiling tiles. They were installed in the open office area, private offices, and in the pantry.
The response
The feedback from the client was very positive. Mr Ghislain Dousset, Director of Operations for Pierre Guerin China, had this to say: “The use of [ZENFEEL’s] ‘Smart Panels’ has totally solved our reverberation problems. Every day our employees appreciate the acoustic comfort and colourful design of these workspaces.” He also thanked ZENFEEL for their professionalism, quality of work, and efficiency.
It’s a great honor for the Zenfeel team to participate in this project.
We will continue to offer a comfortable acoustic environment for our clients with enthusiasm and responsibility.
For more information about creating acoustically comfortable work environments, or to see more samples of our work, reach out to ZENFEEL today.