Arktura SPARKS Newsletter - Volume 4 - August 2024

From

the Desk of Patricia Hoffman

I wanted to take a moment to celebrate the incredible projects and activities happening across our company. Your dedication and hard work drive our success, and it’s inspiring to see the amazing progress we’re making together. From innovative marketing campaigns to cutting-edge technological advancements, every department has contributed to our growth. Your efforts are not only enhancing our current operations but also paving the way for a brighter future.

As business picks up, let’s continue to support each other, stay motivated, and push the boundaries of what we can achieve. Remember, every project, no matter how big or small, plays a crucial role in our overall success. Additionally, I want to remind everyone of the importance of safety awareness, especially with the ongoing construction on the production floor. Together, we are building something truly remarkable. Let’s keep the momentum going and finish the summer strong!

CASE STUDY NORTH BEND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Sound Solutions, Colorful Creations

Arktura provided acoustic installations for the brand-new North Bend Elementary School in Humble, TX. The project’s overall goal was to enhance the building’s architectural design by creating a playful and functional environment for students. Multiple colorful finishes and Arktura acoustic ceiling systems were incorporated into various themed play and enrichment areas.

The client had a clear vision of what they wanted, providing initial renderings that aligned closely with the final photos. They focused on creating a playful atmosphere for the children and sought an acoustic solution to give adults a friendly visual environment while attenuating sound for all.

Collaborating with the design team, Arktura helped select the ideal colors and systems to achieve the desired aesthetic and functional goals.

Location: Humble, TX

Systems: Atmosphera® Analog, Atmosphera® Analog 3D, Atmosphera® Contour, and Atmosphera®Versa 3D

Project Scope/Scale (SqFt): 6100 SqFT

PM: Holden Whitmarsh

JC: Emma Ruiz, Kevin Foley

Account Manager: Felix Olmedo

Estimator: Mariano De Pascuale

Contractor: Acousti AECO Interior

Architect: PBK Architects

Rep: Hart Texas

Completion Date: 11/2023

The clients chose Atmosphera® as the top choice due to its versatility and suitability for the specific design requirements. Four different Atmosphera® systems were utilized in seven distinct areas, each tailored to the space’s unique needs. The systems were strategically selected, such as using the Atmosphera® Contour system around a tree structure to provide a canopy and the Atmosphera® Versa 3D system with its wave-like surface around a whale sculpture for its field-trimmable capabilities.

The integrated acoustic systems seamlessly complemented the sculptural elements, creating an overall atmosphere of joy for current and future students. The project met the aesthetic and acoustic requirements and delivered a playful and functional environment that positively impacted the school’s atmosphere.

Photos courtesy of Armstrong World Industries.

NEW LAUNCHES SOFT SOUND® VIVIDS

Our Soft Sound® acoustic finishes collection has been reimagined with a burst of creativity in the form of the Vivids Collection. Following the successful launch of the Elementals collection last year, The Vivids Collection introduces 10 new, proprietary finishes to our acoustic systems. These finishes, inspired by the world of art and fashion, are a testament to the innovative spirit of our team, who developed them in-house here at Arktura.

Thanks to a unique blend of hues and fibers, our team created rich, nuanced, heathered textures that add depth and renewed life to spaces. The Vivids Collection includes Nori, Seafoam, Plum, Blush, Azalea, Sorbet, Tidal, Cosmos, Buttercream, and Bamboo.

Vivid’s ten new finishes join our Elementals and Essentials Collections as well as our premium Wood Textures to round out a library of over 40 architectural acoustic finishes. Their addition broadens our portfolio of colorful finishes to better match the breadth of sculptural form offered in our cloud, baffle, and panel systems.

Seafoam

Azalea

Buttercream Sorbet

Tidal Plum Blush

Nori Cosmos

Bamboo

SOFT SOUND® SPHERE AND SUPPLEMENTARY BOX

Arktura launched a new sales tool for our reps that also dynamically displays our Soft Sound® sample chips. Dubbed the “Soft Sound® Sphere,” this display unit made from Soft Sound® is a structure that reps put together. It contains slots for 36 Soft Sound® samples (16 Essentials, 10 Elementals, and 10 Vivids samples).

The Sphere is a sleek and stylish way to display Arktura acoustics finishes. Our rep offices received one of these Sphere kits earlier this summer. Soft Sound® chips that make up the Sphere are identical to Soft Sound® samples in Arktura Sample Library Kits shipped to rep agencies earlier this year.

To supplement the Library Kit and Sphere, we also shipped out a Tea Box of individual color chips. This box holds five chips of each color that can be used to make more Spheres, along with assembly instructions. Reps can keep this box for reuse to store and organize color samples. An additional box will be sent, including spines, for reps to assemble five spheres. The supplemental box will be replenished over time, allowing reps to draw Soft Sound® samples as needed for Spheres, Arktura Library Kits, and more.

SOFT SOUND® VIVIDS Q&A

Interview with the Product Dev Team

The Product Development team faced a significant challenge in bringing the ten dynamic finishes of the Vivids Collection to life. The collection’s development required extensive internal testing and collaboration throughout the design team.

We interviewed a few members of the Product Design team including Kellan Shanahan, Daniel Zambrano, and John Johnston:

How was the development process for Vivids?

DZ: “We had some challenges developing a new color palette for our product line that differed from our competitors. We had to balance the amount of fiber colors to get the color we wanted, and we learned a lot about the types of fibers and the limitations of the manufacturing process.”

What finer details might the average person miss with these colors?

KS: “The heathering; a lot of work went into it. Sometimes, three or four revisions on one color to get the blend correct because what you see when you look at a piece of Soft Sound® is not a solid panel of color the way a powder coat or paint is. You’re looking at an amalgamation of almost microscopic fibers.”

In what ways do you see these new colors setting Arktura apart from our competitors?

KS: “They introduce a lot more nuance than you typically see in the color palettes of acoustic felt products, especially the way that they’re all considered together and can be blended, remixed, and matched with each other in all these different ways. It will lend itself to a much broader set of contexts or scenarios in installation.”

What’s your favorite new color?

DZ: “My favorite new color is plum. The marketing team made me love it when I saw the SoftGrid® Rosette renderings—amazing!”

KS: “Cosmos - really happy with the colored heathering effect in that one.”

JJ: “My favorite color is blush. Our supplier surprised us with one that turned out even better than our selection. I love it.”

AWI COLLABORATIONS

AWI ISS Training

Wayne Davis and Eric Lopez recently attended an onsite training session with AWI ISS, covering the latest and greatest industry topics. This included the latest OSHPD codes for Hospitals, ACGi wood categories, and even a visit/tour of Turf. Our team installed three SoftGrid® Deca systems and discussed the capability of our Vapor® system and lighting.

NATIONAL SALES MEETING

Members of our sales team including Alma Guerrero and Bridgette McLaughlin joined VP Patricia Hoffman at AWI’s National Sales Meeting in Lancaster, PA. This event held at Armstrong’s HQ brought together our parent company’s entire sales teams to meet and network. This three-day retreat took place from April 29 - May 2.

EVENTS

NeoCon Chicago - June 10-12

The NeoCon contract interiors show in Chicago wrapped up this past June. The event brought together industry leaders, showcasing thousands of innovative products and services across furniture, technology, and interior design for various sectors like workplace, healthcare, and hospitality. Patricia Hoffman along with the sales team was on hand to represent Arktura along with our industry peers.

ID 30/30 Detroit - June 26

Interior Design Magazine’s 30/30 program empowers young design talents under 30 by hosting events across US cities for learning, networking, and showcasing their work. The Detroit stop was held on June 26th, attended by Chad Moore and Alma Guerrero.

ID 30/30 Philly - July 17

A follow up ID 30/30 event was held in Philadelphia this past June. Kelly Frame and the Nolan Brands team attended to meet with aspiring, up and coming designers.

CULTURE

Upcoming Event: Pinewood Derby

Start your creative engines team Arktura; our annual Pinewood Derby is coming up next month. After a special spooky Friday the 13th edition last year, this event is back in its summertime slot this year with a seasonal cookout theme.

The Derby events will take place on Friday, August 23, from 1:30 - 3 p.m. here at Building Zero. If you wish to participate but haven’t already done so, be sure to pick up your car block at the front desk between 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Join us for a high-octane afternoon filled with cheers, derby races, and voting for your favorite cars in our four categories: Most Arktistic, Best Design, Fastest, and WTF. For those unable to join locally and those at Ark Studio in Argentina, we will live-stream the event via Microsoft Teams.

COMING SOON FACTORY TOURS

Pardon our dust, but coming soon, you should see a lot more activity here at HQ as we open up the doors of Building Zero to the public for full site tours. These guided tours will showcase the best of Artkura’s design and manufacturing capabilities, moving along the production floor and our newly built staging areas. We will also get to showcase our other valuable assets: the team that makes all this possible—you!

AWARDS ARCHITIZER A+ PRODUCT AWARDS

Arktura saw double honors at this year’s Architizer A+ Product Awards, as we received a duo of honors at this industry event. After a two-week public voting campaign (Thank you again for all of your votes and for sharing the links across social media) and jury deliberations in early May, Architizer has announced the results of its annual A+ Product Awards.

Arktura is thrilled to have won a pair of honors, one voted on by a jury comprised of industry professionals, and another voted on by our fans and the general public.

Arborisa™ was selected as the Jury Winner of the 2024 A+Product Awards in the Acoustics category. This collection includes four unique designs that aim to bring the natural outdoor ambiance to commercial interiors. Arborisa™ consists of four biophilic acoustic modules – Axil, Aura, Nest, and Denza. These modules draw inspiration from topiary designs, combining organic, angular accents and abstract linear forms to create a distinctive commercial aesthetic.

Arktura x Pure + FreeForm Collaboration – Wall Panels was selected as the 2024 A+Product Awards Popular Choice Winner in the Walls & Wall Coverings category. This selection, voted on by the public, honors nine new premium finishes from metal designer Pure + FreeForm. These new finishes are available for our metal panel systems, bringing clients the best of both worlds.

SUSTAINABILITY

Arktura Outlines Sustainability Goals in Comprehensive Hub

Following the announcement of our Sustainability Goals and Aspirations in the previous issue of Sparks, we have taken our wellness goals one step further by creating a dedicated landing page on our site. Available directly from our home page, Arktura’s Sustainability Hub will feature everything you and the general public need to know about our sustainability goals, initiatives, materiality information, certifications, and much more!

This hub will also house our Sustainability Goals reference guide. This document includes our North Star goals and aspirations related to sustainability, as well as a summary of several key achievements and ongoing efforts in our journey to become a more sustainable company.

The sustainability landing page features links to our previous blogs, database information, current office initiatives, and our company’s sustainability pillars. This webpage will act as a living document which will be updated with new goals, initiatives, and more.

ARKTURA IN THE WILD

Arktura Employees Spot Our Products in the Wild!

Last year, the marketing team created a guide highlighting Arktura projects local to the Southern California region, encouraging you all to visit these sites, capture yourself there, and send them to us to be featured in what we call “Arktura in the Wild!”

Our incredible team members have been busy exploring the built environment and spotting Arktura products making a real-world impact.

Ricardo Ortiz - Copywriter and Communications Lead Solutions Studio® @ Amazon Block 21 – Seattle, WA

Eric Blumberg - Vice President | Design + Project Management Graphic Perf® Solutions @ LAX T2 – Los Angeles, CA

Calling All Adventurous Arkturians!

Do you have a knack for spotting Arktura products in your daily travels? We want YOU to be part of the next Arktura in the Wild adventure! Snap a picture of an Arktura installation you encounter and submit it to the Marketing Team. Your contribution could be featured in the next edition of Sparks, and you’ll help us celebrate the fantastic places where Arktura makes a difference. To help guide your adventures, you can download the So Cal Project Guide here: Let’s keep exploring and showcasing Arktura’s reach together!

Vapor® Custom @ Capital One – New York

JD - Alicia Martin & Eric Lopez

Solutions Studio @ Spring Street Park

Steven Ranta - Solutions Studio® Sales Manager & Wayne Davis - Senior Product Installation Manager

INDUSTRY NEWS

Architecture - Tech/ Sci-fi/ Futuristic

This month, we’re exploring the intersection of design and innovation with a look at the tech-inspired architecture trend: futuristic, sci-fi inspired architecture. Imagine buildings that seem straight out of a space opera, seamlessly integrating cutting-edge technology for a truly visionary aesthetic. This architectural movement is more than just chrome and glass. Click below to see some mind-blowing examples of sci-fi architecture that are already taking shape around the world:

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