BAUX introduces a new sustainable and innovative acoustic product: BAUX Acoustic Felt. The acoustic felt is made out of up-cycled fabric offcuts combined with a low melt polyester fibre, which gives the material a unique structure. The offcuts consist of 100% polyester-based threads, sourced from the Swedish textile industry. Designed by the award-winning design studio Form Us With Love, BAUX Acoustic Felt will be available in June 2021.
“BAUX Acoustic Felt has been on our radar since day two. The material has great absorptive qualities, is environmentally sustainable and aesthetically warm and appealing. But as always when we set our eyes on new inventions, we’re grounded in the belief that if we are going to make a product at all, it needs to be future proof,” says John Löfgren, Co-Founder of Form Us With Love and Co-Founder of BAUX.
Instead of producing new plastic materials to create the product, BAUX made the acoustic felt out of recycled textile offcuts from the well-established Swedish textile manufacturer Ludvig Svensson. The idea is to save resources by making use of waste from already manufactured materials and re-applying it in new products. The material is created by combining 100% polyester-based threads with an energy efficient polyester fibre. All material sourcing is done together with the renowned The Loop Factory. Another advantage of the environmentally efficient up-cycling process used to produce Baux Acoustic Felt is that it does not put additional pressure on the industry.
“It was hugely important for us that we produce BAUX Acoustic Felt in a way that wouldn’t generate any offcuts or excess material of our own. Our solution for BAUX Acoustic Felt in which we carefully press – never glue – the textile into a single standardized sheet manages that. From this sheet, every panel in the BAUX Acoustic Felt system is precisely cut and shaped,” says Fredrik Franzon, COO and Head of Product, BAUX.
Photo: Jonas Lindström
Customized and versatile through streamlined production
To minimise unnecessary production and streamline the assembly process, BAUX downsized their hardware kit to just four standardised and meticulously designed pieces. Made out of 100% recyclable metal and 100% recycled plastic, the pieces work for the entire BAUX Acoustic Felt system.
True to its up-cycled origins, BAUX Acoustic Felt is also naturally variegated in colour, scaling from white, grey and black. Each batch of thread is dyed locally in a closed process that follows Swedish environmental legislation, and the chemicals used are approved by REACH for the protection of human health and the environment. The resulting trio of effortless monochromatic colours complements most interiors, individually or in unison.
“The product is suitable for all types of spaces. Its flexibility enables a variety of installation possibilities facilitating the best possible sound environment. Put BAUX Acoustic Felt to work from ceiling to floor – and all the angles in between – as your interior’s function evolves,” says Fredrik Franzon.
Sustainability in the DNA
Alongside fundamental sustainability ambitions, BAUX Acoustic Felt was developed with a great emphasis on function. Install the panels within seconds using minimal hardware pieces and demount and store the product in a quick and compact fashion. The compact nature of BAUX Acoustic Felt makes it well suited for blocking sound in multi-functional spaces where social areas or noise sources need to be walled off so as not to disturb others. When sound waves encounter the panel, part of the energy gets trapped in the surface, reducing the amount that can continue traveling onward.
“The BAUX Acoustic Felt range solves most issues that an office needs to address both today and tomorrow and pushes boundaries in terms of what’s business-as-usual. And, just as with all BAUX collections, when you invest in a BAUX Felt system, you can be sure it’s going to last. We’re making it easy to update, replace and extend all the components so the system keeps up with your needs over a very long period of time,” says Lina Schleenvoigt, CEO, BAUX.
About BAUX
BAUX was founded in 2014 on the belief that building materials should be sustainable, surprisingly functional and remarkably beautiful. BAUX designs, produces and markets functional construction materials that meet the contemporary expectations of architects, engineers and builders – without compromising tomorrow’s safety and environmental standards. Since launching, BAUX has grown rapidly and with global representation in more than 30 regions the brand has partnered with brands such as Google, Amazon, Stella McCartney, WeWork, Spotify, Uber, AirBnB, Nike and many more. The company was founded by the entrepreneurs Johan Ronnestam and Fredrik Franzon, as well as the the founding team of design studio Form Us With Love: Jonas Pettersson, John Löfgren and Petrus Palmér.