Vicoustic, a specialist in sustainable acoustics, has used sustainable panels made from recycled bottles to improve the office acoustics at Avila Spaces, elected the Best Cowork in the World at the Global Startup Awards in 2023. Vicoustic has also introduced a VicBooth Office Phone Booth into one of the company’s three coworking spaces, in Parque das Nações, Lisbon, Portugal.
Following a detailed acoustic treatment case study by professional acousticians and designers, an auditorium and open office of Avila’s latest coworking space, in Edificio Expo, Lisbon, was treated with the sustainable acoustic panels – Flat Panel VMT .
Each panel measures 595 x 595cm and is manufactured from VicPET Wool, a non-woven textile material produced mainly from recycled plastic bottles. The company says 227 plastic bottles are recycled for each box of eight units of Flat Panel VMT.
With the dyeing technique introduced by Virtual Material Technology, Flat Panel VMT panels can simulate concrete, marble, wood and other materials. The panel comes in a wide range of patterns and collections, such as Natural Stones, Natural Wood, Concrete, Nature and Solid Colours. The acoustic panels also allow custom designs, including the printing of images, logos and company signage, that can be industrially bonded to the panels without affecting their acoustic qualities.
Vicoustic’s VicBooth Office Phone Booth was also installed in the Parque das Nações building, allowing users to find a private space for their phone calls, or videoconferences, in a quiet environment. Walls and ceiling are made of MDF with melamine coating and high-performance VMT, again mainly made from recycled plastic bottles.
“With the growth of remote meetings and the massification of videoconferencing, comfortable ‘phone booths’ are essential with all the privacy conditions for our clients. And with the growth of shared workspaces, it is important that we acoustically treat the rooms, said Carlos Gonçalves, CEO, Avila Spaces.
He added: “Vicoustic panels guarantee us the highest quality standards, while also meeting our requirements from an environmental sustainability point of view, which is increasingly valued by our clients. Being a Portuguese company with a strong international presence, this collaboration agreement makes even more sense.”
With three locations in Lisbon – Saldanha, Avenida da República, and Parque das Nações – it is one of Portugal’s most well-known co-working companies.