The previous year enhanced the role of acoustics in the area of arrangement of interiors in public utility buildings. The problem of creating friendly acoustics is currently in the spotlight of investors from the office industry as well as architects who realize company areas. However, a new trend has appeared within recent months – selection of proper materials in order to make a room acoustically friendly – concerning not only private investments on the office market but also public structures. It is noticeable in hospitals where suspended ceiling is not perceived as an element that covers technical installations any more. Directors of hospitals want all patients to recover in a peaceful surrounding without noise and burdensome hospital turmoil coming from corridors – admits Maciej Kiepal, Sales Manager in the Polish department of the company in Amsterdam.
A good example is a pediatric hospital of the Warsaw Medical University commissioned in 2015. Armstrong installed metal suspended ceiling in other structure built from public means in 2015 founded within the AGH University of Science and Technology. In AGH the interior design was important and the ceiling was supposed to be an element that visually dominates in a neutral and grey interior – explains Maciej Kiepal. According to the expert, it is a new trend of the passing year. Formerly universities often allowed interior designers to play with the form.
Ecological renovations of offices
The market experienced a new ecological wave in offices in the previous year. After the realization stage of office investment in accordance with the principles of sustainable development and increase in popularity of ecological certifications LEED and BREEM, now it is high time for ecological renovations. Many office buildings as well as headquarters of companies require thorough modernization works. Old structures are modernized. However, the newly realized building are becoming even more friendly to people and environment. The example of such activity is a general renovation of the Warsaw PwC office conducted in autumn. Old ceiling was replaced with a new one by Armstrong within the first ceiling recycling program in the country. It consists in receiving and re-using of old ceiling boards in a new production cycle which contributes to the fact that new products are more ecological. Additionally, new ceiling mounted in the headquarters of PwC has Cradle to Cradle® certificate – a symbol of one of the most advanced and global ideas of sustainable production, that is production in the form of „cradle to cradle” – adds Maciej Kiepal.
It is worth mentioning that Armstrong also assisted in ecological renovation of 7 offices mainly in Warsaw and one in Gdańsk. The year 2015 is definitely a breakthrough. Investors and chairmen of companies notice benefits in realization of renovation within our ceiling recycling program. So far it has been the best result since the moment of the program's implementation in Poland – convinces the representative of Armstrong.
Shopping in silence
Armstrong delivered ceiling to the newest shopping center in Warsaw – MODO Domy Mody opened in Warsaw in autumn. The care about silence during shopping became a determinant of the quality of a shopping center. The more aware is a developer, the more they care about it. We believe that this trend will maintain in 2016 – says Maciej Kiepal.