Amy Coburn, UNM architect/director, said the Frontier system was performing the way the university wanted. “We love the product,” she said. “It looks great.” Project Architect Vicente Castillo of Vigil & Associates said the Frontier system helped add “the defining element” of the interior space. “It provides a soft organic counterpoint to the hard-edged existing conditions of the building while delivering acoustic absorption,” he said. “It’s worked great for the application.”

Tom Gage, account manager for Autex North America, said the AIA award was important for the project overall and was especially pleasing for Autex. “We have a special focus on the education sector, with other schools using Frontier, but this is one of our bigger projects in recent times,” he said. “It required special design and customised engineering by the Autex team and we enjoyed the challenge. The result is very effective.”

The Solution

Faced with the need to cover changing ceiling levels, Autex designed and engineered a customised drop ceiling that set the acoustic fins at a 45-degree angle as they transition from the full height of the dining hall mezzanine down to single-story dining and amenity areas that surround the central atrium. To achieve the result, Eric Clifton of ESA Construction said his team used a temporary T-grid support system and jigs to align the acoustic fins along the curve and he was happy with the result. The design also calls for the ceiling-mounted acoustic fins to extend in horizontal wave patterns into the atrium area to enhance the system’s integration into the overall scheme.

Vigil & Associates acknowledged the challenges. “Autex was able to accommodate unique aspects of the design concept which were outside the typical product intentions,” Mr Castillo said. While performance and impact were two key elements, Frontier scored for the university in another critical area of a project that worked to a tight budget. “Affordability was the most important [element],” Ms Coburn said.

The dining hall, which operates 24/7 and serves up to 5,000 meals a day, is used as a meeting place, recreational area, and for study, making good acoustics crucial. Frontier Acoustic Fins are made from at least 45 per cent post-consumer material making it good for the environment as well as the client, and that was a key attraction for the architects. “Our office … strives to use renewable and recyclable materials wherever possible,” Mr Castillo said. “We look forward to new and interesting ways to use Autex in future.”