All the latest Akustik & Raum news

The future of Akustik & Raum starts now: The ground-breaking ceremony at the end of November laid the foundation stone for the new Akustik & Raum AG building. The new site in Vordemwald AG is expected to be occupied in autumn 2025 and will set new standards for employees and clients from Switzerland and Europe.  Akustik & Raum AG is pursuing ambitious goals with its new company headquarters, which will be built in Vordemwald - not far from its previous location in Olten - over the next one and a half years. «We expect a lot from our move», says Managing Director Markus Bürgi. The obvious advantages include the much more spacious production area, which will be increased from the current 3500 m2 to 5000 m2. Capacities are being expanded not only in production, but also in the administration and office areas. The signs at Akustik & Raum point to growth. A solid basis for further acoustic innovations «The new building will significantly improve our framework conditions and increase our scope for large orders from Switzerland and Europe», says Markus Bürgi happily. The fact that Akustik & Raum AG is equipped for the future is also reflected in the energy efficiency measures and the construction method of the future site: the supporting structure made of the sustainable building material wood and a 3,500 m2 photovoltaic system on the roof create a solid basis for the development and production of future acoustic innovations. Last but not least, the construction work that started with the ground-breaking ceremony is a commitment to Switzerland as a centre of industry. Stay up to date - on this blog and on our social media channels You can find out what challenges the new building will face until the move in autumn 2025, how the work of the employees in the various departments will change and what acoustic solutions the company will surprise you with in the future on this blog and on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. Be part of the upcoming milestones of Akustik & Raum!

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Poor concentration, disrupted sleep, cardiovascular disease, diminished performance, type-2 diabetes – this is not a list of side effects associated with common health risks such as excessive drinking or obesity, but instead a list of the potential consequences of an often-underestimated risk to your health: noise. The WHO lists noise as the second-biggest environmental health risk within the European Union. Accordingly, the only greater threat to our health from our environment is air pollution. Surprised? You’re not alone – that’s because the side effects of noise are widely underestimated. One consequence of this is that planners either don’t integrate a building’s requirements in terms of room acoustics into construction projects at all, or only do so once it’s too late.  Why noise can make people ill Whether and to what extent noise damages our health depends on a variety of factors. In a technical publication, the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) describes the negative effects of noise as a direct consequence of our evolution. According to the FOEN, our bodies are still programmed to perceive sounds as the sources of potential threats. Sounds can therefore be described as stressors that put our body in fight-or-flight mode. And it is this fight-or-flight response that indirectly causes these deleterious side effects: our bodies produce stress hormones, our blood pressure increases, our breathing grows rapid. In many instances, these reactions by our bodies to stress are associated with chronic illnesses, including of the cardiovascular system, the FOEN writes. Noise is often preventable – with the right measures The fact that noise continues to be underestimated as the source of many preventable diseases is also reflected in the planning and implementation of construction projects. Thus architects and planners often fail to take room acoustics into consideration, or only do so at a late stage. Modern concrete constructions with large windows only make the room acoustics worse. Luckily, the room acoustics can still be improved considerably even after the construction project has been completed. Akustik & Raum AG offers bespoke solutions for private and public clients and considerably reduces reverberation in spaces ranging from apartments, offices, restaurants and concert halls through to airports and train stations, using aesthetic and effective acoustic elements. Our MAKUSTIK products are completely versatile The elements of our innovative MAKUSTIK products offer high sound absorption and complete versatility. Usable as wall and ceiling cladding or in the form of cabinet fronts, the acoustic elements stylishly integrate into a whole range of environments. The application areas of these products are just as varied as the different functions of the MAKUSTIK innovations: FineMicro offers the highest perforation on the market with 467,000 holes per square metre, while FineMicro Secure is a composite fire protection solution that offers new possibilities for architects, planners and developers. Our FeinMikro solution with antibacterial surface properties has been developed for public facilities such as hospitals and schools where surfaces are touched, brushed against or used by countless people every day. Get in touch with us to find out more about our bespoke acoustic solutions and experience room acoustics like never before. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn, to get the latest news about our innovations and products.

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In August, Impuls will enter its third round. The popular industry meeting place of national importance will take place over four days in the Umwelt Arena in Spreitenbach. Numerous exhibitors, trade visitors, trainees and influencers from the timber industry will be on hand at the trade fair, which focuses on product innovations and expert advice in timber construction, interior design and architecture. MAKUSTIK Stand 42 Venue Umweltarena
Türliackerstrasse 4
8957 Spreitenbach Opening hours
22-25.08.2023 / 09.00 - 18.00 h each day

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Why are room acoustic solutions becoming increasingly important for consumers? And why do room acoustics tend to be better in educational institutions than in the restaurant industry? We interviewed Markus Bürgi, CEO of Akustik & Raum AG, who provided us with answers to these questions and also explained the benefits of working with his innovative Olten-based company. Mr Bürgi, how important are room acoustics in your day-to-day life? Markus Bürgi: Extremely important! I put my heart and soul into what I do and so, for me, every room serves as a reference point. When I go into a new room, I automatically start thinking about the room acoustics, and, if there’s anything that can be improved, I’ll notice immediately. Was there a light-bulb moment for you where you realised the influence that optimal room acoustics can have on our well-being? There was no single moment. My passion for room acoustics developed steadily. As a carpenter by trade, I was introduced to room acoustic solutions early on. The longer I spent working on acoustics, reverberation time and sound velocity, the more I became aware of the importance of these topics. And I’m still always thrilled when we receive positive reviews from customers who are happy with the acoustic solutions we’ve put in place. In your opinion, has the importance of room acoustics changed over the last few years? Since Akustik & Raum AG was founded in 2004, Switzerland has seen a lot of progress in this area. At the start, there were lots of architectural firms which were «only» interested in the design of their projects rather than how the space functioned. I've noticed a real change in this regard. Increasingly, architects now seem to be considering room acoustics when planning their projects. As an international company, Akustik & Raum AG works on implementing a wide variety of room acoustic solutions. Are there differences between the various industries? What’s interesting is that room acoustics play a much more important role in educational institutions than in other industries. The reason is obvious. It’s easier to achieve learning goals if the environment, including the acoustic environment, is right. In contrast, noise levels in the restaurant industry are still very high. Room acoustic solutions could help provide a much more comfortable atmosphere in restaurants, allowing guests to enjoy not only the food but the ambiance too. Let’s stay with the restaurant industry. What services would restaurant owners benefit from if they contacted Akustik & Raum AG? We offer our customers an exceptional service. Our strengths lie not only in selling acoustics products but in developing and manufacturing these within our own production facility. This means our employees have extensive know-how. Our advisers are able to address detailed architectural, acoustic and carpentry needs and have the skills to seamlessly integrate acoustic solutions within complex projects. Our experts know exactly what solutions are needed in order to achieve perfect room acoustics. Can individual consumers benefit from room acoustic solutions too? Absolutely. Although the majority of projects are worked on directly with architects and planners, individual consumers can also take action to improve the acoustics within their own four walls. Today’s construction methods with large room units, hard materials and a great amount of glass mean that room acoustic solutions are particularly important. What innovative ideas can we expect to see at Akustik & Raum in the future? We’ve achieved a lot but we're not stopping here. Constantly monitoring the market and developing new innovations are among our key principles. This is why we're continuing to develop our fire-protection solution FeinMikro Secure. We successfully launched this product last year and it has now been certified as «non-combustible» under EN standards. We're hoping various covering layers will allow the product to be certified as «flame retardant» which will open up new doors both in Switzerland and Europe. Background On this blog, you will find regular and interesting posts on our acoustics innovations as well as other information about room acoustics in general. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn and experience room acoustics like never before.

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In institutions such as hospitals, nursing homes, but also educational institutions, surfaces must fulfil various criteria: In addition to appealing aesthetics, surfaces should also be acoustically effective and meet comprehensive hygiene requirements. A profile that our room acoustic solution MAKUSTIK FineMicro 300 µm perfectly fulfils in combination with the antibacterial surface properties of the EGGER Group.  Cabinet fronts, wall panelling, furniture parts, corridors: There is a long list of surfaces in public facilities that are touched, grazed or used by countless people every day. This makes the condition of the surfaces in highly frequented buildings all the more important. The EGGER Group is a leader in the field of antibacterial surface properties and offers hygienically sealed and closed surfaces with its melamine resin-coated panels, on which germs and bacteria are reduced by 99.9 percent within 24 hours.  Added value for health and educational institutions The increased cooperation between Akustik & Raum AG and the EGGER Group opens up new possibilities for builders and planners: Now the antibacterial properties of EGGER surfaces can be combined with our innovative product MAKUSTIK FineMicro 300 µm. An added value that is particularly promising for hospitals and nursing homes, but also for educational institutions or companies with open-plan offices.  A collaboration that enables innovation The antibacterial properties of EGGER surfaces in combination with MAKUSTIK FineMicro 300 µm have been tested by the independent testing institute "Hohenstein". In testing the combination, a "strong" effectiveness was awarded. A clear sign that maximum hygiene and perfect room acoustics complement each other even in particularly sensitive areas, thus enabling innovations.  Experience room acoustics in a new way and learn more about the new possibilities that are opening up for you. Our sales staff will be happy to provide you with information on this topic. 

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Discover the benefits of this new product for architects, clients and planners in an interview with fire protection specialist Marcel Lutz from Gantenbein + Partner AG in St. Gallen.  Mr Lutz, as a fire protection specialist and construction manager, you know the challenges of safe construction from different perspectives. What are the biggest challenges in your everyday life? Marcel Lutz: As a fire protection specialist, communication with the client is often challenging. On the one hand, the objective is to keep costs low, and on the other hand the fire protection aspect is often not planned in detail until it is too late. Any project must, without fail, comply with fire protection standards, but the later a fire protection specialist is involved, the more complicated the planning process becomes. What are your responsibilities as a fire protection specialist? A fire protection specialist is responsible for quality assurance with regard to fire protection and ensures that the framework conditions specified in the fire protection guidelines are adhered to. Fire protection guidelines are likely to be particularly comprehensive for projects using wood as a building material. In terms of fire protection, building with wood is of course always particularly challenging. For escape route surfaces, for example, Switzerland generally applies the standard RF1 – ‘non-combustible’. This is more difficult to achieve with wood than with solid masonry construction. Customised solutions that are only implemented retrospectively on the building site are even more complex. As a general rule, important details must be taken into account when it comes to fire protection. Akustik & Raum AG, who have already successfully implemented projects with you, are now launching the FeinMicro Secure fire protection solution, which has been tested by the association. What do you think about the new possibilities this opens up with wood as a building material? Wooden acoustic elements that meet the Swiss fire protection standard RF1 and also the highest EU standards open up exciting possibilities in the planning and execution of new buildings. This solution enables, for example, escape routes that fit seamlessly into the architecture of the building. In addition to safety aspects, this also offers aesthetic and planning advantages: Until now, a change of material for escape routes required an additional interface and an additional contact person at the construction site. A complete solution for interiors and escape routes eliminates this constraint – a welcome change.  In your opinion, what are the biggest advantages of using wood in construction? It is a pleasure to work with wood. Wood is a renewable material and offers many advantages in architecture. Wood is the first choice when the work has to be accurate down to the millimetre. Tolerances in solid masonry construction are one or several centimetres, depending on the length. Wood allows you not only to plan with precision, but also to construct it that way. When everything fits, it is a pleasure for observers as well.  For which project did you collaborate with Akustik & Raum AG? We worked with Akustik & Raum AG to fully line a 360° cinema with acoustic elements for the visitor exhibition of a company in Appenzell Ausserrhoden. We found ideal solutions despite the challenging conditions. The space was a two-storey room with around 40 windows, which had to meet the same visual requirements as the walls. Akustik & Raum AG produced shutters with the same look as the acoustic elements – an individually tailored solution for the customer. The 360° cinema was opened in the summer of 2021.  FeinMicro Secure The innovative FeinMicro Secure fire protection solution offers planners, architects and consumers new design freedom. Due to the fulfilment of the strictest EU standards (EN 13501-1, A2 – s1, d0), wood can be used safely as a building material as never before. Experience room acoustics in a new way and feel free to contact us for more information.

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