How acoustics shapes interior design
Discover how Easyfelt makes good acoustics, liveability, sustainability and design accessible to everyone using SketchUp 3D Warehouse.
Interior designers and stylists are always seeking the right balance between form and function. No matter how beautiful a space may look, if the indoor environment (Indoor Environmental Quality, or IEQ in technical terms) is not up to standard, your carefully designed office, meeting room or living room will not be a location where people will enjoy spending time. In addition to air quality, temperature and lighting, acoustics are a key factor determining the liveability of a space.
Dutch company EASYfelt specialises in decorative acoustic products made from recycled PET felt. By publishing their entire product catalogue in the SketchUp 3D Warehouse, the company enables interior design professionals to optimise the acoustics of their projects.
The power of EASYfelt
EASYfelt is the sister company of EASY Noise Control, a company specialised in noise control and acoustics. EASYfelt believes that good acoustics and attractive design can coexist, and they prove this with their highly versatile product catalogue. Their collection provides interior design professionals colourful products and materials to design spaces that not only have great acoustics, but also inspire and feel welcoming. By offering their complete product catalogue in the 3D Warehouse, EASYfelt makes their products directly available for anyone working with SketchUp.
Sustainable and local
EASYfelt delivers sound-absorbing felt sheets made from recycled PET bottles. Because production is based in the Netherlands, the supply chain is short, keeping the carbon footprint to a minimum.
The result is a circular, flame-retardant and dimensionally stable material that is available at short notice.
Acoustics as a design feature
In the past, acoustic solutions often had to be as inconspicuous as possible; EASYfelt however uses their products as striking design elements. Their PET felt has a naturally soft, tactile texture that brings warmth to modern interiors with fundamentally solid materials such as glass, steel and concrete.
By playing with texture, cut-out patterns, facet edges and colours, these elements are transformed from purely functional sound absorbers into inspirational eye-catchers. The material is perfect for subtle tone-on-tone applications, but is equally suited for bold graphic patterns or bespoke wall decoration.
Overview of the product range
EASYfelt supplies a wide range of products and bespoke solutions for a wide variety of acoustic issues. These are available in various thicknesses (such as 9 , 18, 25 and 50 mm) and a wide range of colours:
| Product group | Descriptions and use |
|---|---|
| Wand panels & tiles | Self-adhesive wall covering, wall art, stickers, panels and ‘City Maps’ for feature walls in offices and living spaces. |
| Ceiling elements | Baffles, ceiling islands and lampshades improve the acoustics in high-ceilinged and hollow-sounding rooms. |
| Dividers | Partitions that provide privacy and immediately dampen noise around the workplace. |
| Custom design | Using cutting techniques, EASYfelt produces specific patterns, logos or bespoke 3D and parametric designs. |
Physical and mental health
Prolonged exposure to reverberation, noise and background sounds triggers your stress system without you noticing. That is why proper acoustics in living and working spaces are incredibly important.
EASYfelt’s products support health in two specific ways:
- Mental calm and focus: In open-plan offices, schools or healthcare facilities, noise pollution leads to a loss of concentration, fatigue and overstimulation. By absorbing ambient noise, you create a calmer environment. This reduces your stress levels and boosts your productivity.
- Reduction in physical strain: In noisy environments, people tend to speak louder (the Lombard effect). This can lead to voice problems, headaches and neck tension. Sound-absorbing PET felt ensures natural speech intelligibility and relaxed conversations.
Acoustics and work-related stress in numbers
The impact of poor acoustics in the workplace has been extensively studied.
- 30% drop in productivity: Research into open-plan offices shows that constant noise pollution and distracting background conversations can reduce individual productivity by almost a third.
- 66% loss of concentration: Employees who work in a noisy environment find it up to 66% harder to maintain their focus on cognitive tasks.
- 25 minutes’ recovery time: After every interruption caused by distracting ambient noise, it takes an employee an average of 23 to 25 minutes to return to the same level of concentration.
- Higher rates of sick leave: Prolonged exposure to office noise leads to a demonstrable increase in the stress hormone cortisol. This results in faster onset of fatigue, headaches and, ultimately, higher rates of sick leave.
The added value of 3D models
Integrating the EASYfelt products into the 3D Warehouse offers a number of practical benefits for the design process:
- Exact dimensions: You use the right proportions, thicknesses and dimensions in your 3D model.
- Realistic rendering: Import the actual felt texture and official colours directly into your CAD or rendering software.
- Effective communication: The realistic rendering gives customers a clear idea of the shape, colour and texture of your design, which aids decision-making and sets realistic expectations.
Ready to get started with acoustics and texture?
Would you like to incorporate acoustic solutions directly into your designs? Open SketchUp, search for ‘EASYfelt’ in the 3D Warehouse and add the elements to your project.
Would you like to experience the unique textures and high quality of EASYfelt for yourself? They make choosing the right colour and finish even easier with a range of sample options, including the luxury EASYfelt sample folder. This also contains a guidebook, in which they show you exactly which cutting techniques are possible, how bespoke work is carried out, and where you can find inspiration from stunning example projects. This way, you can immediately see and feel all the possibilities for your project.
Take control of your brand in the 3D Warehouse
Are your products already being used by professionals in SketchUp? Try searching for your brand name in the 3D Warehouse, just for fun. There’s a good chance that third parties have already recreated and uploaded your products. Unfortunately, the quality of these models often leaves a lot to be desired:
- Incorrect scale: Models that are sometimes drawn up to 10 times too large.
- Out-of-date information: Incorrect product variants or models that are no longer available.
- Poor performance: Extremely ‘heavy’ files containing an excessive number of polygons, causing SketchUp files used by designers to run slowly or even crash.
Not only does this result in a poor brand experience, it also discourages specifiers from actually including your products in their designs. Without your own catalogue, there is a good chance that your products will be used extensively by architects and designers.
Does your product portfolio deserve a professional place in the workflow of architects and designers worldwide? Let us build, certify and manage your 3D portfolio. We’d be happy to discuss all the options with you.
