American Geophysical Union

Project: American Geophysical Union

Segment: Office

Country/city: United States, Washington DC

Architect: Hickok Cole

Installer: Fabric Wall Concepts

Photographer: AGU Professional Photos

Acoustics & 3D architectural design in volume

Ecophon Clipso™ was chosen by the architectural firm Hickok Cole to carry out an ambitious project for the renovation of the headquarters of the American Geophysical Union (AGU), a major international non-profit scientific association located in Washington DC.

The architect’s main objective was to create a multifaceted 3D volume in a specific deep blue colour, dotted with fiber-optic lighting. The result is a unique space that looks like a vast starry vault, a symbol of the AGU’s geophysical mission.

Using highly technical profiles, the Clipso design office has created a fully customisable range. The unique shapes and sizes adapt perfectly to all types of environments and configurations, from standard frames to custom-made frames for the most complex projects. Light, sturdy and discreet, these aluminum profiles can be installed suspended, on the ceiling, on the wall or in an island.

In this project, the profiles cover the upper part of the main staircase and the ceiling of the top floor. They were fixed to a wood and metal substructure based on a Clipso workshop drawing and then manufactured on site by the US approved installer, Fabric Wall Concepts.

The structural framework had to be rigid enough not to deform throughout the rather complex installation process of all the adjacent surfaces. The biggest challenge was to achieve a clean fabric edge when up to six pieces of profile (10 mm thick white P-CC) intersect at a single point on several different levels. 800 m² of So Acoustic 495 D technical solution was required to cover the entire framework. The covering was printed with a specific RAL, highly pigmented to obtain a deep blue with a brilliant sheen, into which fiber-optic lighting was integrated. Clipso has designed a micro-perforated fabric that promotes sound absorption, So Acoustic. Combined with a polyester fleece, this covering offer excellent acoustic performance with the possibility of printing and light integration in a single covering.

An advantage is that Clipso products are installed at room temperature. A fast, simple, clean, nuisance-free and odor-free process for a perfect result. A very conclusive result praised by all players. A long and rather tedious process that the American installation team was able to carry out successfully. The aesthetic rendering of this celestial escape path, the acoustic performance and the efficient and meticulous implementation brought total satisfaction to all the players and stakeholders.

”The aim of the project was to create a multi-faceted stretched fabric ceiling above the monumental staircase. The architect imagined that one could look up to a cluster of stars on the horizon, emblematic of the owner’s geophysical mission. We are delighted to have achieved this”, concludes David Brower, CEO of Fabric Wall Concepts.