The best product redesigns aren’t always about radical new forms – and often the most meaningful changes come from asking how the existing product can work harder. And, when it comes to environmental performance, often less is more. This philosophy was the starting point for the reinvention of the Frontier Raft Acoustic Beams system by Autex Acoustics, a three-dimensional acoustic ceiling system that delivers the same visual impact and impressive acoustic performance as its predecessor, but with significantly less material.
The Autex Acoustics design team interrogated every element of the existing system, from material thickness and componentry to manufacturing, installation and end-of-life. They asked a simple question: how could the same results be achieved using fewer resources?
The answer involved rethinking the materiality of the system. By cleverly stripping back material, the embodied carbon of the system is reduced by 70 per cent in Australia compared with legacy Frontier Raft system designs. The acoustic beams have been reduced from 12mm to 6mm, halving material use, and the aluminium components used in the original system have been reduced. The redesigned beams are manufactured from compressed polyester fibre containing a minimum of 80 per cent recycled fibre and incorporate more components made from 100 per cent recycled PET sourced from Autex Acoustics’ own in-house waste.
Beyond materiality, the Autex Acoustics team also rethought the construction of the beams. The new hollow-form construction features a compact outer shell that absorbs higher frequencies, while the air cavity contributes to lower-frequency sound absorption. So, not only does the new design reduce material use, it retains the impressive acoustic performance.
Importantly, the redesign also retains the system’s visual impact – an important consideration for design-led projects in which acoustic products need to do more than create comfortable interior environments. Frontier Raft Beams are particularly well suited to use across large, uninterrupted ceilings, where the three-dimensional form can be used to introduce rhythm and colour overhead. The new construction also simplifies installation, as the beams arrive pre-assembled.
The rethink also embraces circular design principles, with an adhesive-free construction that allows components to be easily separated at end-of-life for potential reuse. With increasingly ambitious sustainability targets, this kind of considered attention to environmental performance is vital for architects and designers.
It’s an intelligent approach that reflects a broader shift in how sustainability is being addressed through design. Rather than relying on new materials or technologies, meaningful change can come from examining existing systems and re-thinking how they are made. With Frontier Raft, Autex Acoustics demonstrates how seemingly small changes to materials, construction and assembly can have a major impact on a product’s environmental footprint – all while preserving the qualities that made the original product successful.
In a world all-too-often distracted by novelty, Autex Acoustics has chosen to reimagine and refine an established product, stripping away the excess to improve sustainability, performance and usability – and the resulting system makes a compelling case for doing more with less.
