Case Study

Office Acoustics Upgrade – J.P. Morgan Chase Bank

Posted on by Katie Foran
acoustic office upgrade
29
Jun

JP Morgan Chase, the largest bank in the United states, is undergoing a nationwide office upgrade as part of their 2023 Capital Improvement Program. This includes a number of significant architectural projects, including tenant improvement work in their regional and national facilities.

Commercial Acoustics worked with both the Naples and Fort Lauderdale branches, with the general contractors iConstructors, and Marand Builders respectively, to upgrade their DIV 9 specialties. This included specialty ceilings, acoustical ceiling tile, stretch fabric walls, wall coverings, and sound masking. Also, the architect on both projects incorporated the Armstrong WoodWorks panels extensively, including linear veneered planks and tegular wood grilles.

See Similar: Class A Office Space Acoustic Treatment

The upgrade program occurred simultaneously on both sides of the state, over an 8-week span resulting in a fast paced schedule.

Specialty System: Armstrong Wood Works – For Wood Finishes with Acoustical Properties

The Armstrong WoodWorks system was used extensively in both facilities, covering approximately 3,000 square feet of ceiling. The system utilizes a Heavy Duty Prelude Grid with black acoustic infill, black grid, and edge molding to provide a high end aesthetic finish. The bio infill provides an NRC of .7 or higher, depending on the depth behind the grill system.

WoodWorks tegular grilles resemble the look of wood baffle systems, however it’s easier to install panels in different directions, resulting in a more unique ceiling look.
WoodWorks linear veneered planks provide a solid wood ceiling look, with the acoustical properties of an ACT ceiling.

This noise reduction coefficient is appropriate for many conference rooms and gathering areas to limit reverberation and allow clear speech comfort. The system provides a unique, architectural finish with excellent sound performance.

Stretched Fabric Walls in Conference & Team Rooms

As with many Class A office spaces, JPMC utilized 1″ impact resisitant stretched fabric systems in their Team and Conference Rooms. This is appropriate for locations requiring reverb control to allow telecom and other IT capabilities. While many clients prefer the FR701 stretch fabric system, JPMC went for a Carnegie Xorel finish, providing more of a sheen look without sacrificing the absorption characteristics.

Variety of Acoustic Ceiling Tiles and Grids

While most acoustical ceilings consist of standard Armstrong Fine Fissured or other common tile types, placed in a typical Prelude Grid, JPMC made wide use of Suprafine and Interlude Grids to provide additional architectural features.

Tegular tiles and Interlude grid was installed throughout many of the offices and team rooms. Both allow for a higher-end look compared to standard Fine Fissured tiles on Prelude Grid.
For the clouds configuration shown here, Axiom trim is used around the border of the ACT & grid. This is common practice for ACT that does not install flush to a wall.

Furthermore, the use of Vector tiles, and Tegular Optima and Calla tiles, resulted in extremely effective sound absorption and depth features overhead. This provides an excellent acoustical environment for call center operations and client interactions.

Benefits of Acoustic Treatment in Offices

The nationwide office upgrade for JP Morgan Chase will be a huge step towards effective soundproofing solutions with real results, as well as an improvement in office design. Stretched fabric walls, perfectly suitable for conference rooms, absorb noises of high volume with the selection of a desired fabric finish. Futhermore, acoustic ceiling tiles and grids function as a method of overhead sound absorption. Our team is extremely proud of our work at the Naples and Fort Lauderdale branches.

Katie Foran