BAUX has been striving to make the world a better place with sustainable, functional and beautiful building materials since 2014. For its latest product, the company joined forces with scientists from the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) to develop a revolutionary new material based on over 25 years of research. The new BAUX Acoustic Pulp is a series of nine, 100% bio-based and biodegradable acoustical panels that push the boundaries of sustainable building materials to a completely new level.
The new BAUX Acoustic Pulp was developed in collaboration with the design studio Form Us With Love and a high-tech life science laboratory that works with biomimicry to organically modify cellulosic fibers from recycled streams of Swedish pine and spruce trees.
When it became clear to BAUX that it could organically mimic nature’s own characteristics – like the fire retardancy properties of grass roots, the water repellency of lotus flowers, or strength created from the catalytic combination of potatoes, plant wax and citrus fruits – the company knew it was onto something revolutionary.
The design of BAUX Acoustic Pulp is inspired by origami folding techniques that help create the perfect acoustical environment. The panel’s surface is nano-perforated using an advanced laser technique, which allows sound waves to enter and get trapped in the honeycomb chambers on the backside – utilising technology once reserved for aircrafts and spaceships while keeping material usage to a minimum. Instead of paint, BAUX Acoustic Pulp is coloured with non-GMO wheat bran.
Adding paint would have compromised the company’s vision of creating a 100% bio-based product. Using different percentages of wheat bran, BAUX Acoustic Pulp comes to life with character and colour, without using any chemicals at all, says John Löfgren, Creative Director at Form Us With Love.
When installed on wall surfaces, BAUX Acoustic Pulp panels help create restful acoustics in communal environments like offices, restaurants, schools and boardrooms. Contributing to greater productivity, without compromising the sustainability values held by today’s modern and forward-thinking companies.