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acoustics, design and environmental comfort
Proper sound insulation in work spaces can reduce stress levels by 27% and increase concentration by 48%
According to recent studies, it appears that noise within an open space can lead to a 15% drop in workers’ productivity, causing greater difficulty in concentration.
This would result in a loss of time of up to 20 minutes per day.
On the other hand, in case of confined spaces noise manages to spread by crossing partitions and seeping through the ceiling, reducing productivity by up to 7 %.
Finally, a better acoustic environment in work spaces has proven to reduce stress levels by 27%, and increase attention levels by 48%.
Obviously, as is always the case in this kind of research, these are statistical evidences and not truths carved in stone, however, these are figures that should give us pause when it comes to designing an office or a workspace. While attention to acoustics used to be restricted to theaters, auditoriums or rooms intended for listening to music, today its applications range in all areas of architectural design, from domestic to professional environments.
Actually, in order to ensure an adequate level of comfort, concepts such as sound insulation, sound absorption, soundproofing, and reverberation are not limited to structures alone but apply to interior design and to the very furnishings of spaces.
Proper attention to environmental comfort rightly includes building acoustics among the parameters to be defined at the design stage along with air-to-light ratios, safety, fire and all other legal requirements.
Obviously a good knowledge of the specific characteristics of the materials to be used in defining work environments, particularly when using modular partition elements, is a fundamental requirement underlying any good design.
Most especially if you want to combine functionality, aesthetics, and employee well-being.
This is why architects, designers, and specialized companies have been directing their efforts for years to find the right balance in the design of modular spaces, using specific products and solutions intended for acoustic correction, which can reduce the level of distraction and the negative effects of noise, while creating discreet, privacy-friendly, engaging and dynamic environments.
Especially since the trend of coworking spaces where many people share a single workplace, is widespread.
In fact, the need increasingly represented by the market is to offer workspace solutions suitable to rapid conversions of organizations’ needs, without these reconfigurations to compromise in any way the abovementioned comfortable features, thus to maintain the best working conditions in every situation.
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Project – Rael
Etoile – research & development
Conceiving and building workspaces whose environmental comfort, functionality and attention to design are the basis of uncompromising solutions has always been a must for our company.
Brightness, privacy, acoustic insulation and elegance are the pillars on which Etoile designed this project. A highly customized solution based on the standards of RAEL, a high-quality company requiring high-quality offices.
Project – Rael
Combining high acoustic standards with a high level of design and customization in a skillful and balanced way, was the main request of the customer who wished to achieve transparent meeting rooms in visual communication with the surrounding spaces, yet protected from any noise.
A high-level project for a top-market player as RAEL, a reference for fifty years in the design and construction of explosion-proof electric motors for potentially explosive atmospheres.
In an ever-changing global market, the research of a high-quality product combined with extreme competitiveness, has led this company to a continuous development based on values such as tenacity, passion for work and spirit of sacrifice.
A sharing of principles, also essential to Etoile’s mission, are at the basis of the successful relationship established between the two companies.
As solid as our Metrica d2 ® wall, which was used to realize RAEL’s workspaces, creating bright scenarios that do not compromise privacy, thanks to the double glazing that provides maximum noise reduction.
Finally, our “Dodici ®” furniture used for the meeting and executive tables, blends the context with contemporary design, recalling the external architecture of the company.
APPROACH:
Transparency was the key word of this project that saw the creation of modern and functional environments thanks to the excellent rationalization of office spaces.
Oak-wood acoustic doors were used in combination with the Metrica d2 ® wall, chosen to perfectly seal up the working environments.
The elegance of finishes is the main character of this “turn-key” project, thus highlighting the fine interiors. Each item has been designed and manufactured in detail while maintaining a style and quality that meets the customer’s request: crystal staircase, false ceilings, floors and lighting design.
—> Rael
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british style design
BRITISH STYLE DESIGN
Harmony of space and time
BRITISH STYLE DESIGN
Among recent design trends, it is worth investigating a timeless classic, albeit revisited in a contemporary key, which is particularly suitable for setting up elegant and refined workspaces.
We are talking about the British style or English style, a traditional and versatile taste that has crossed the time offering different declinations ranging from Victorian to country-chic, up to industrial urban. An interior design with a new classic flavor, which fits well in the creation of harmonious and refined environments, while maintaining a relatively austere, though never compassionate, mood.
The use of high-quality natural materials is the main standout feature. Wood and glass are the leading elements in the definition of spaces and in the outfitted boiserie.
The partitions in working rooms recall the style of United Kingdom’s old traditions, in which glazed surfaces and bow windows were characterized by a framework that divided the windows into geometric panes. Bricks or rough stone with a rustic effect, as well as wallpapers or fabrics with delicate floral motifs and trompe-l’oeil are ideal for claddings. Exposed beams are either welcome, where the structure makes it possible. As for the color palette, it usually consists of a few pastel or neutral tones making the room cozy and attractive. White is certainly the prevalent color, but Brits also love soft red. When creating more contemporary atmospheres, it is surely possible to experiment with warmer and more intense variants such as cream, salmon, light brown and light blue, while maintaining a rigorous balance in the combination of furnishing elements.
Floors vary from a moderate light-shade parquet covered with classic carpets in burgundy and sugar paper tones, to resin if the aim is to give a more industrial-chic effect. Brass and wrought iron are the materials used for accessories such as handles and hinges. As for furniture, it ranges from the natural color of solid wood to light shades, including shabby chic, with an exquisitely Nordic effect. Definitely well contextualized an iconic Chesterfield sofa, possibly authentic vintage, dressed in dark-chocolate leather.
The walls are often richly adorned with paintings, prints, ceramics and books of various kinds and from different periods, but without ever exceeding the measure, as is characteristic of the British trait. Interiors usually have soft, diffuse lighting. Therefore, rather than a main light source dropping from the ceiling, the finest solution is using wall elements, table lamps and floor lamps, radiating a warm and soft light.
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Project – Fora London
Etoile – research & development
Flexibly complying to the client’s needs, along with creating customized solutions is Etoile’s main mission.
In this case it is a project designed by revisiting a new classical decorative element strongly inspired by the British style, where partitions dividing the workspaces hark back to the traditional windows of English houses, square-framing them into geometric panels.
Project – Fora London
Fancy spaces with a vintage feel but at the same time contemporary, bright and versatile, suitable for all kinds of workspace needs.
This was the customer’ specific request, who needed a simple and refined product that would guarantee the possibility of creating welcoming, multifaceted work environments, yet granting the possibility to easily change the configuration of the spaces at any time depending on their variable destination. All this without missing out on refined aesthetics and on the quality of the materials.
The British company FORA, in fact, deals with creating premium work environments, functional to elevate the quality of work and maximize productivity.
It builds private offices in London, served by a full-range network of services available 24/7. Real hubs for business people from all industries, centrally located and well connected with the city’ sites of interest.
The FORA partition is strongly characterized by a mood that recalls the old English style of classic craft creations, preserving the use of natural woods and geometries.
It goes well with a blend of contemporary furniture and design accessories, and it is available in multiple colorways with different shades of light blues and browns.
PROPOSAL:
We have designed an aluminum structure broken down into geometric squares, easy to dismantle and reassemble, particularly suitable for any need of modularity and efficiency required by the customer. Thanks to the use of fireproof fabrics, wood and laminated glass, it also reaches a high score in noise reduction.
The Fora partition has since been used by our customer in many of its new projects and, due to its versatility, it has entered Etoile’s regular production lines.
—> Sfoglia i progetti Fora
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Lighting design
PROGETTARE LA LUCE
Designing a comfortable and people-friendly environment, especially if it is a space for professional use, involves the analysis and study of some really remarkable variables.
A central element among these is undoubtedly lighting design.
Light, in fact, is one of the elements that most have an influence on our daily activities, able to influence our daily actions, from our mood to our concentration and productivity at work.
Without going into too much technical detail, it’s interesting to try to understand how a light designer goes about creating an accurate and effective design.
Especially when, as is almost always the case, it is necessary to intervene with artificial lighting and resort to the lighting design of the various environments.
Any light source, such as the sun, emits an infinite amount of radiation.
The phenomenon of simultaneous straight-line propagation of an electric field is called electromagnetic radiation
Depending on the wavelength, the type of light perception by the eye/brain system changes.
Each light source, whether natural or artificial, emits radiation of different wavelengths that give rise to a specific spectral distribution and a color of different shades.
The magnitudes of photometry, fundamental to lighting design are:
- Light flow. It is the amount of light emitted by a certain source or lighting device in the unit of time. The unit of measurement is the lumen (lm).
- Light intensity. It is the amount of light emitted by a punctiform source in a given direction. The unit of measurement is the candle (cd).
- It is the amount of light flow that hits a surface and is inversely proportional to the distance between the light source and the surface itself.
It is measured in lux (lx).
- The only photometric quantity perceived by the eyes, is the luminous intensity emitted by the surface of an object referred to a surface and is given by the ratio between the luminous intensity emitted by the object in one direction and the area of a surface perpendicular to that direction. It is measured (in cd/m2).
Lighting design also identifies the most correct system in terms of light distribution, which can be: Direct, semi-direct, mixed, semi-indirect or indirect lighting. In the latter, more than 90% of the luminous flow is directed upwards and it is the one that is most used in interior design.
Lastly, another parameter to consider is the color temperature, which is expressed in kelvin degrees and varies from warm to cold white:
- Warm (2700-3000K) tending towards yellow/orange.
- Natural (4000K) merely white color gradients.
- Cold (5500-7000K) tending towards blue/purple, makes the white more brilliant.
In the quest for the maximum functionality of a workspace, as well as considering the type of partitions, wall finishings, ceilings, flooring materials and furnishings, a detailed study should also be dedicated to the management of light in each area, according to the needs that people have at different times of the day.
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The new Etoile showroom
A SPACE IN CONSTANT EVOLUTION
There is a magical place within our company.
It is a space that is never the same, constantly changing. Just like our ideas.
It’s where we like to shape emptiness and light, transforming them into ever-new settings.
Here is where we focus our experience of many years in designing and implementing work spaces, interpreting the taste, the needs and the style of Etoile’s customers.
A symphony written by multiple authors, a collective work that takes shape and evolves thanks to the continuous contribution of all our clients, designers and collaborators.
Our goal is to always create open, relational and inclusive milieus, which as partitions’ producers might seem like nonsense.
Though our concept of workspace aims to go beyond the limit, to cross the boundary of thought’s perimeters, by putting forwards continuous connections among people.
A contemporary vision of surfaces that can be functionally delimited, but never limited in its search for encountering and wellbeing.
It is a constant tension to the detail, to that characteristic that distinguishes our search for beauty even in human relationships.
All this and much more is what we would like you to experience with our invitation to visit our new showroom, always displaying the best of Etoile’s projects and solutions.
Allow time for your space.
It is precious.
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Project – Sunglass Industry Padua
Etoile – research & development
Turning spaces into places is the first vocation for us at Etoile. By realizing the expectations of our stakeholders, we make the most of their vision of space and work.
Here is one of our tailor-made solutions, between the timeless warmth of wood and the fascinating, contemporary transparencies of glass.
Project - Sunglass Industry Padua
A solid wood floor subject to height variations due to thermal excursions.
This was the input provided by the customer concerning the partition walls for their new headquarter in Padua. And this is where our design team started from to imagine the best technical and architectural solutions to deliver tailored working environments, where light and views are the main character of all spaces.
To best combine the contemporary transparencies of large glass surfaces with the warm charm of natural wood, we have designed and then crafted a structure able to absorb any thermal expansion to which materials such those used in this project are normally subject.
In fact, if glass is the focus of the project, and it couldn’t be otherwise as Sunglass Industry is one of the leading companies in the processing of this precious material, the notable attic is the element that gives personality and pleasantness to the rooms, perpetuating that ancestral bond between man and wood that provides a beneficial effect on all our senses. A successful sensory synergy, functional to both personal well-being and quality of work, which makes this achievement an exceptional result of which, at Etoile, we are particularly proud.
OUR PROPOSAL: Creation of a one-of-a-kind aluminum matrix that could support the material’s thermal expansion due to different climatic conditions, thus eliminating any potential criticality for the partitions structure.
Once the proposal was accepted, we proceeded to the feasibility study and the custom-made production of our glazed partition, along with its own accessories.
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Project – University Medical Center of Ljubljana
Etoile – research & development
The strength of cutting-edge production and craftsmanship.
Etoile is customization in every detail, thanks to the internal design we create tailor-made products that fit every aesthetic and functional need.
Let’s check out together one of the latest creations.
University Medical Center of Ljubljana
A shell profile for maximum sanitation of the workplace.
Pleasant, safe, soundproofed work environments and also easy to sanitize.
The study of our design team was born from this need. To facilitate the cleaning and sanitization of the rooms, we started from an existing partition wall system and then modified and optimized it by creating a curved base capable of connecting wall and floor. An effective solution that guarantees aesthetics, functionality and hygiene.
PROPOSAL: The creation of an aluminum profile acting as the ground track of our Unica D glazed partition with a curved base to connect the PVC floor covering.
Thanks to the profile’s curved base, it is possible to avoid the deposit of dust thus facilitating the sanitation of the rooms.
Once the proposal is accepted, we move on to the feasibility study and the project re-examination, then leading to validation and prototypes realization.
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Paths of style and love for details
ETOILE PRESENT THE NEW BLOG, AN INTERIOR JOURNEY THROUGH DESIGN.
Indeed, an inner journey? Granted that we are baptizing a new Blog dedicated to Interior Design and that for some Architecture embodies better than other arts the “spirit” of the times, but to even bother the dimension of the soul seems a bit excessive.
Do you think so? Maybe. But for us at Etoile, this new adventure is a bit of a journey of self-discovery. It’s a way to reacquaint ourselves with our history, our values, the goals we’ve hit and the projects we have in the works. It is our “nosce te ipsum”, a self-invitation to the continuous research, always pushing us to cross new limits, to explore unfounded grounds, to experiment original paths and styles.
These web pages will be even the tool to share with you, step by step, the small or big achievements of our company.
Whether it is innovative techniques, unusual materials or the creative flair of our designs, we want to share with you the narrative of our everyday life that is never the same.
For Etoile is first and foremost the story of a passion that has lasted for thirty years and is nourished, day after day, by the “know-how” of workers trained in the love of detail, typical of our Region, Le Marche.
Ours is a sartorial type of care in the management of works, a tailor-made process that perfectly fits on our clients, whether they are designers, general contractors, or more simply private customers looking for quality solutions.
Our blog will not be the usual, cold, scheduled operation of storytelling, which is now so trendy but has so little to do with the soul.
Rather, it will be our way of trying to empathize with those who feel they share our same sensibilities, creating a community of style and taste.
An opportunity to meet common passions from which something wonderfully unpredictable can arise.
It is an invitation to a journey that will take us to many destinations still unknown. All that matters though is travelling together.
