From its Chicago headquarters, TURF Design Inc., an acoustic commercial products designer, is reimagining interior health through its minimal yet sophisticated acoustic solutions and their sustainable properties. Foundationally, TURF exists to fight disturbing, open space echo by creating visually stunning ceiling baffles and wall panels from pre-consumer PET plastic that are manufactured on-demand to keep inventory waste low.
In a new strategic partnership with Carolyn Ames Noble, ASID, WELL AP, founder of Ames Design Collective, the TURF team’s creative capabilities are now matched with Noble’s consulting services and expertise in sensory-based and inclusive products, as well as Color Material Finish, or CMF, design and interior environmental design. The two teams had previously worked together to classify TURF products as WELL Certified, and when pandemic struck, they decided to collaborate once more to issues related to workplace health and interior inclusivity.
“Considering the fact that 93 percent of our time is spent indoors, the impact of space has become extremely important,” stated the team at TURF. “We must transform the rooms we enter to reflect new sensory needs, and those that require more attention. Designing acoustic solutions for sensory well-being will not only accommodate the widest range of abilities possible but will also unlock the full potential of sound-reducing systems.”
In light of this, partnering with Ames Noble was an easy decision, since her work within the interiors and materials realm is centered on fostering human health and delight in the built environment. Through her work at Ames Design Collective, Ames Noble consults for product lines in acoustics, architectural solutions, flooring, kitchen and bath, and paint and solid surfaces, with an overall attention for workplace and lifestyle design. Ames Noble is also an educator and developer for CEU courses in the interior design and architecture industries, and is a WELL AP and WELL Faculty member, as well as the ASID’s Chair-Elect for its National Board through 2024.
Together, TURF and Ames Noble will use their commitment to the sensory design practice to explore shared research interests in areas like productivity, community, mental health, and the needs of neurodiverse people, especially in the workplace. Through their expertise in core elements of interior design like light, sound, and visual elements, the pair bring an acute awareness of the effect of spatial design on end users to their shared initiative.
“We say that TURF exists to fight the tyrannical disturbance of the open space echo. However, this partnership takes a deeper dive into the possibilities that exist within acoustic systems,” said the TURF team. “The collaboration merges skills in innovative product ideation and development, centering on the role that acoustics play in positively impacting the sensory design experience.”
So far, the TURF portfolio comprises dozens of products like ceiling panels, beams, screens, walls, and tiles that embody the firm’s mission for fortifying widely used spaces with comfortable acoustics and visual appeal. Ceiling baffles like Timber and Fractal undulate and reflect throughout expansive spaces in portions made of digitally printed or electric blue, while their newest, patent-pending addition to the wall category, Scanlines, is an acoustic wall panel that transforms images into multi-dimensional, sound-absorbing works of art. As for TURF’s work with Ames Noble, which will deepen its investment in the power and potential of these products, there’s much to look forward to.
“Sensory-based products, new systems, and research are just a few of the things set to launch from this partnership in the coming months,” said the TURF team. “You may have to stay tuned and find out.”
Text: R. Collins
Photography: TURF Design Inc.
