Turf Design, the Chicago-based manufacturer of custom acoustic solutions, offers a range of ceiling baffles, tiles, and wall panels for specifiers looking for more than prefabricated products to bring exceptional form and function to commercial interiors. “We’re utilizing technology to support artistic expression with our material, and then trying to integrate that finished product into the architecture,” said Dustin Headley, director of product development.
The company recently launched its latest innovation in alignment with that mission, Timber. Developed as a sophisticated alternative to a faux wood ceiling grille, this new baffle has a wood-inspired texture on TURF’s signature PET felt, and each piece can be used to craft sculptural forms. Designers can choose from eight digitally-printed wood finishes in 30 colors, and fully customizable, Timber baffles can be configured to complement any space.
With the increased emphasis on bringing biophilic elements indoors, and wood looks dominating in every category from sheet vinyl to wallcoverings, the industry has been clamoring for products that have an organic style, even if they are not made from purely natural material. “Since the first day we opened up shop, we’ve been asked for wood grain textures in our products. The architectural community in general is always trying to get back to a natural aesthetic,” said Headley.
Yet even with lumber designs gaining in popularity each year, TURF was hesitant to bring something to market until a baffle could be produced that captured the striations of wood as realistically as possible. They initiated a dialogue about capabilities both human and technological, as a starting point, and the concept began to take shape. Every member of the design team has architecture or industrial design training, so exploration of process and materiality are intuitive. This is ideal when creating a product like Timber, for users with the same sensibilities looking to take their work to the next level.
Interestingly, rather than looking to existing ceiling treatments for ideas, they took their cues from what was underfoot. “We were taking a lot of inspiration from wood flooring and desk surfaces. Then we just tried to figure out a good way to translate that,” said Faraz Shah, product marketing manager at TURF.
That’s where any similarities end. The wood grain is created digitally, however, the algorithms are designed to produce grains that have random growth ring patterns, as in nature. “We start with fractal noise patterns and distort them using mathematics. It’s not a photograph that we’re printing like you have on a laminate. There are thousands, or more, potential grains. Every baffle or piece can be completely unique,” Shah added.
As more people seek something extra to stand out from the competition, TURF allows the user to change features to meet requirements with surprising ease. “The strength of the process is that as we get into these situations where somebody needs something specific grain-wise, it’s just an adjustment of the algorithm and some modifications to the color. We can take the inspiration or elements from the specifier and then refine the output. The product is going to actually conform to their vision,” noted Headley.
Not only are there an array of options, but Timber eliminates the problems associated with using real wood. Lumber planks can be unwieldy, and warping and water damage can cause delays or increase costs. “There are a lot of problems with wood when you get into the installation, just because it is natural. Deformation, susceptibility to moisture, or irregularities, we can get around some of those problems because of the nature of our material,” Shah explained.
TURF’s PET is composed of up to 60 percent pre-consumer recycled polyester felt. The lightweight baffles made from the material are only three to ten pounds maximum, which makes them easier to transport and place on a ceiling than real timber planks. It can also be formed into any number of shapes to create uniform or asymmetrical fixtures. “Our material is really dynamic, it can take any form and shape. It’s malleable, and that enables us to do things with it that you can’t do with wood,” Headley said.
Timber achieves noise reduction coefficient values of .70 and .50, depending on depth, and how close together the baffles are placed next to each other. Sound absorption is now crucial, especially as we head back into open office spaces where too much noise leads to employee distraction and can negatively impact performance.
Now, this acoustic comfort is just as paramount to people as comfortable furnishings or materials in our spaces, which the pandemic has highlighted. People want—and expect—the total environment to foster a sense of security. And the use of features that evoke our natural surroundings are being touted for their benefits to physical and mental well-being.
“All of these grains and finishes, some of it comes down to trying to create a palette that works with a designer’s vision. Ultimately, though, they are all supporting a biophilic or sensory-based approach to space. They are all tying back to creating an environment that is comfortable for people of all different working types. That’s really going to be even more important going forward after we return to work post-COVID,” Shah added.
Headley noted that the TURF team works with their clients closely, from concept phase to on-site installation of a custom project to ensure client success. And that type of partnership is a rarity when manufacturers are only concerned with making the sale. “If you think about the number of finishes, the number of spaces, the subsequent drawings, and the relationships that have to be managed in order to complete a project, designers are mediating a lot of different dimensions. They can rely on us to help them with all of those things,” he explained.
Whether artistic or acoustic, the more unusual a request the better, for a staff which thrives on the challenge of not only solving complex problems but creating something totally new that can transform a basic room. “Customization is in our DNA, and we’re trying to make the process of shaping space easy,” Headley added.