When space sounds like serenity

St Luke's Anglican School. Architecture by McLellan Bush Architects. Photography by Andy Macpherson.

Published by
Willow Aliento
May 1, 2026

As sensory beings, humans thrive in environments that deliver subtle visual cues, pleasing textures and harmonious acoustics.

This can be a challenge to achieve in large, open-plan areas, particularly in settings where groups of people interact and add conversation to ambient noise levels.

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Places such as retail, education, commercial workplaces and hospitality are also far more vibrant when the ceiling offers more visual appeal than just a flat expanse studded with light fixtures.

Autex Acoustics are the experts in creating sound absorption solutions that complement and enhance architecture and interior design. The Frontier collection, for example, is an innovative acoustic baffle system that is ideally suited to open-plan and large volume spaces.

Moonee Ponds Primary School. Architecture by ClarkeHopkinsClarke. Photography by Anthony McKee.

Crafted in a range of colours from statement hues through to earth tones, ochres and neutrals, there are nine customisable styles available in the fully modular Frontier system. Together, the linear elements coordinate to form sculptural, slatted design effects that also deliver on noise reduction and calming of the acoustic environment.

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Crafted from 100% PET polyester with a minimum of 80% recycled content and certified carbon neutral, each lightweight baffle is precision cut into a variety of 2D and 3D shapes to achieve the sculptural, rhythmic effect and aesthetic flow.

Each baffle utilises an adjustable channel-and-clip installation mechanism which is fast to install and delivers precision control for height, spacing, placement and replacement. The 100% recycled PET Autex End Caps also ensure a clean line and eliminate the need for adhesives.

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Moonee Ponds Primary School. Architecture by ClarkeHopkinsClarke. Photography by Anthony McKee.

The designs of Frontier™ have been inspired by the visual effects found in nature and from the interaction of elements, weather, materials and time.

Drape, for example, echoes the tactile elegance of hanging curtains, with flowing patterns, gentle folds and graceful contours. The notion of verticality encourages visual travel throughout space.

Wave brings the serene movement of the tides, with a sinuous ebb and flow that summons up the sense of a shoreline and the cadence of the ocean at its gentlest.

Ripple was inspired by the expanding, concentric rings on the surface of a pool of water disturbed by a single drop. This sense of fluidity and subtle change evokes calm for overhead spaces and invites the eye to restful contemplation.

Glide has an air of perpetual rhythmic motion,with smooth, replicated contouring that brings variation and a sense of lifting to the ceiling plane or other flat surfaces.

Autex Acoustics® Frontier Wave in Falling Water.

Each of the Frontier™ baffles can be mixed and matched with other styles in the range, or with the broader range of Autex Acoustics Australian-made panels and baffles to create dynamic and sculptural results for ceilings, hallways, lobbies, stairwells and feature walls.

For example, combining the baffles with Tundra 3D carved panels can deliver a dynamic visual effect of sculpted ceilings that draws the eye and can create a wayfinding mechanism while also ensuring the acoustic environment supports clarity of communication and a comfortable listening experience.

The design flexibility and wide range of colours, effects and textures also enables designers to achieve subtle effects for wayfinding, spatial definition, visual identity and aesthetic coherence.

Docklands Primary School. Architecture by Spaces. Photography by Rich Clarke.