Reinventing community
When the city of Peoria, IL, and The KIM Group decided to renovate the historic IDOT campus known as Keller Station into more of a modern-day center for business, they quickly gained interest from the community. Many of the buildings, which dated back to the 1930’s, had been abandoned, yet still encompassed the character of the city, and were optimally located for future community growth.
Establishing a modern workspace
Lincoln Office also dates back to the 1930’s, establishing its foundation as an office supply store in central Illinois. In the decades since, they’ve expanded their reach and grown their business to offer interior design services that enhance the spatial experience for a wide range of organizations and customers.
Relocating to Keller Station and designing a new, fresh office space was a no-brainer for the team, as it provided a more accessible location for customers and the opportunity to create a workspace/showroom that demonstrates the modern, hybrid work model that so many have adopted over the past few years.
History inspired design
In the design phase of the new space, the team at Lincoln Office partnered with Fi™ Interiors to create a few specific acoustic décor elements that connected with the history of the building while using a more modern approach.
The first design and acoustic-oriented element was a ceiling treatment inspired by beam work and railroad ties from the original station. Fi Interiors developed a series of large 10” x 10” beams, constructed with Acusti-fi™ acoustical felt that spanned throughout the open floorplan office and integrated with structural beams, lighting, and HVAC ducts.
The acoustical felt material was digitally printed with a walnut wood grain texture to replicate the look of real wood, then formed into large-scale beam sections which could be easily transported and installed with minimal ceiling-mounted pick points. Additional metal bracket details were added to reinforce the authenticity of traditional beams.
The design team also wanted to carry over some of the original exposed brick aesthetic, so Fi Interiors created an acoustical wall treatment with a digitally printed, custom-designed, aged red brick texture that covered select walls within the space.
Visual impact with modern materials
Retrofitting a space with traditional materials, such as wood or brick, would be a costly, labor-intensive process, and in the end, may not fit within a reasonable budget. The benefit of Acusti-fi is that it is a highly-versatile, lightweight material that can be tailored to meet the aesthetic and structural needs or constraints of any space. Each section of the beam in this case weighs only a few pounds and can be lifted and installed by one to two people.
Acusti-fi is also a sound-absorbing material, which works favorably in spaces with open ceilings and hard floors or walls. In this case, the beams cover most of the office and serve a functional role in absorbing sound that would otherwise bounce off various surfaces and increase overall noise in the space.
Delivering on details
The success of a project like this often hinges on the details. The beams and brick wall elements became focal points within the space and needed to convey a sense of realism to everyday occupants. This is where graphic work and print quality are extremely important, and part of where Fi Interiors really shines.
The wood texture pattern on the beams was custom-made and randomized to replicate the organic shapes found in cut lumber. The brick texture was also custom-made and included special attention to the layering and corner treatment to make it read as authentic.
Developing and leveraging cutting-edge printing technology has been a focus for Fabric Images since our early days. We are renowned for superior, high-quality printing and color consistency across fabrics and substrates, so rest assured that you can work with us to achieve the best results on your projects.
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We offer a line of acoustic décor products and also develop custom solutions for our clients. Let us know how we can help!
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