All the latest Akustik & Raum news

Rico Meier has been working at Akustik & Raum AG for five years and is currently Deputy Head of CNC. In this interview, he talks about challenges in production, teamwork and reveals how he recovers after a successful working day. Rico Meier, what are the biggest challenges in your day-to-day work as Deputy Head of CNC Production at Akustik & Raum? Rico Meier: My area of responsibility in production is wide-ranging and different projects often come together. In this respect, the biggest challenge is keeping track of all the processes and details. To what extent does liaising with other departments in Production play a role in this? For smaller projects, we don't really need to liaise with other departments on a day-to-day basis - everyone knows what they have to do. For more complex orders, however, it is normal for us to put our heads together across departments. This ensures that everyone involved knows all the special features of the job and the work steps of the other departments can be made easier in many cases. What do you enjoy most about your work? There are various aspects that I like. However, I am particularly pleased when complex NC programmes are created from simple CAD lines and figures. The NC programmes in turn form the basis to produce our acoustic elements. What makes production at Akustik & Raum AG special? We are currently a team of 18 people and nobody is afraid to scrutinise even tried-and-tested processes in terms of efficiency. This helps us move forward together as a team. A team that is set to grow further, by the way: We are currently on the lookout for more qualified employees. You have been working at Akustik & Raum for five years. Is there a project that stands out in your memory from this time? More than a specific project, I would mention our Linea Massiv acoustics application - I was heavily involved in its development. When are you satisfied with a working day and how do you switch off? (laughs) I'm satisfied when there's a big pile of finished parts in front of the machine. After work, I like to socialise with my friends, and I also do a lot of sport, am active in the fire brigade and enjoy playing computer games. Thank you for giving us an insight into your day-to-day work at Akustik & Raum!   Stay up to date and follow us on social media Are you interested in further insights into everyday life at Akustik und Raum or don't want to miss any news about our new building? Then follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. Be part of the upcoming milestones of Akustik & Raum!

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The entire Akustik & Raum team would like to thank you for the successful collaboration over the past year. We appreciate the trust you have placed in us and are proud to be able to offer you high-quality acoustic products and outstanding customer service. Our aim is to continue to fulfil your wishes and requirements in the best possible way and to support you in the implementation of your acoustic projects. We are confident that we can continue to offer you excellent co-operation in the future. We hope that you will continue to count on our products and services in the new year. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or require further information.

Our company will be closed from 23.12.23 to 02.01.2024.

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The future of Akustik & Raum starts now: The ground-breaking ceremony at the end of November laid the foundation stone for the new Akustik & Raum AG building. The new site in Vordemwald AG is expected to be occupied in autumn 2025 and will set new standards for employees and clients from Switzerland and Europe.  Akustik & Raum AG is pursuing ambitious goals with its new company headquarters, which will be built in Vordemwald - not far from its previous location in Olten - over the next one and a half years. «We expect a lot from our move», says Managing Director Markus Bürgi. The obvious advantages include the much more spacious production area, which will be increased from the current 3500 m2 to 5000 m2. Capacities are being expanded not only in production, but also in the administration and office areas. The signs at Akustik & Raum point to growth. A solid basis for further acoustic innovations «The new building will significantly improve our framework conditions and increase our scope for large orders from Switzerland and Europe», says Markus Bürgi happily. The fact that Akustik & Raum AG is equipped for the future is also reflected in the energy efficiency measures and the construction method of the future site: the supporting structure made of the sustainable building material wood and a 3,500 m2 photovoltaic system on the roof create a solid basis for the development and production of future acoustic innovations. Last but not least, the construction work that started with the ground-breaking ceremony is a commitment to Switzerland as a centre of industry. Stay up to date - on this blog and on our social media channels You can find out what challenges the new building will face until the move in autumn 2025, how the work of the employees in the various departments will change and what acoustic solutions the company will surprise you with in the future on this blog and on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. Be part of the upcoming milestones of Akustik & Raum!

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Poor concentration, disrupted sleep, cardiovascular disease, diminished performance, type-2 diabetes – this is not a list of side effects associated with common health risks such as excessive drinking or obesity, but instead a list of the potential consequences of an often-underestimated risk to your health: noise. The WHO lists noise as the second-biggest environmental health risk within the European Union. Accordingly, the only greater threat to our health from our environment is air pollution. Surprised? You’re not alone – that’s because the side effects of noise are widely underestimated. One consequence of this is that planners either don’t integrate a building’s requirements in terms of room acoustics into construction projects at all, or only do so once it’s too late.  Why noise can make people ill Whether and to what extent noise damages our health depends on a variety of factors. In a technical publication, the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) describes the negative effects of noise as a direct consequence of our evolution. According to the FOEN, our bodies are still programmed to perceive sounds as the sources of potential threats. Sounds can therefore be described as stressors that put our body in fight-or-flight mode. And it is this fight-or-flight response that indirectly causes these deleterious side effects: our bodies produce stress hormones, our blood pressure increases, our breathing grows rapid. In many instances, these reactions by our bodies to stress are associated with chronic illnesses, including of the cardiovascular system, the FOEN writes. Noise is often preventable – with the right measures The fact that noise continues to be underestimated as the source of many preventable diseases is also reflected in the planning and implementation of construction projects. Thus architects and planners often fail to take room acoustics into consideration, or only do so at a late stage. Modern concrete constructions with large windows only make the room acoustics worse. Luckily, the room acoustics can still be improved considerably even after the construction project has been completed. Akustik & Raum AG offers bespoke solutions for private and public clients and considerably reduces reverberation in spaces ranging from apartments, offices, restaurants and concert halls through to airports and train stations, using aesthetic and effective acoustic elements. Our MAKUSTIK products are completely versatile The elements of our innovative MAKUSTIK products offer high sound absorption and complete versatility. Usable as wall and ceiling cladding or in the form of cabinet fronts, the acoustic elements stylishly integrate into a whole range of environments. The application areas of these products are just as varied as the different functions of the MAKUSTIK innovations: FineMicro offers the highest perforation on the market with 467,000 holes per square metre, while FineMicro Secure is a composite fire protection solution that offers new possibilities for architects, planners and developers. Our FeinMikro solution with antibacterial surface properties has been developed for public facilities such as hospitals and schools where surfaces are touched, brushed against or used by countless people every day. Get in touch with us to find out more about our bespoke acoustic solutions and experience room acoustics like never before. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn, to get the latest news about our innovations and products.

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In August, Impuls will enter its third round. The popular industry meeting place of national importance will take place over four days in the Umwelt Arena in Spreitenbach. Numerous exhibitors, trade visitors, trainees and influencers from the timber industry will be on hand at the trade fair, which focuses on product innovations and expert advice in timber construction, interior design and architecture. MAKUSTIK Stand 42 Venue Umweltarena
Türliackerstrasse 4
8957 Spreitenbach Opening hours
22-25.08.2023 / 09.00 - 18.00 h each day

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Why are room acoustic solutions becoming increasingly important for consumers? And why do room acoustics tend to be better in educational institutions than in the restaurant industry? We interviewed Markus Bürgi, CEO of Akustik & Raum AG, who provided us with answers to these questions and also explained the benefits of working with his innovative Olten-based company. Mr Bürgi, how important are room acoustics in your day-to-day life? Markus Bürgi: Extremely important! I put my heart and soul into what I do and so, for me, every room serves as a reference point. When I go into a new room, I automatically start thinking about the room acoustics, and, if there’s anything that can be improved, I’ll notice immediately. Was there a light-bulb moment for you where you realised the influence that optimal room acoustics can have on our well-being? There was no single moment. My passion for room acoustics developed steadily. As a carpenter by trade, I was introduced to room acoustic solutions early on. The longer I spent working on acoustics, reverberation time and sound velocity, the more I became aware of the importance of these topics. And I’m still always thrilled when we receive positive reviews from customers who are happy with the acoustic solutions we’ve put in place. In your opinion, has the importance of room acoustics changed over the last few years? Since Akustik & Raum AG was founded in 2004, Switzerland has seen a lot of progress in this area. At the start, there were lots of architectural firms which were «only» interested in the design of their projects rather than how the space functioned. I've noticed a real change in this regard. Increasingly, architects now seem to be considering room acoustics when planning their projects. As an international company, Akustik & Raum AG works on implementing a wide variety of room acoustic solutions. Are there differences between the various industries? What’s interesting is that room acoustics play a much more important role in educational institutions than in other industries. The reason is obvious. It’s easier to achieve learning goals if the environment, including the acoustic environment, is right. In contrast, noise levels in the restaurant industry are still very high. Room acoustic solutions could help provide a much more comfortable atmosphere in restaurants, allowing guests to enjoy not only the food but the ambiance too. Let’s stay with the restaurant industry. What services would restaurant owners benefit from if they contacted Akustik & Raum AG? We offer our customers an exceptional service. Our strengths lie not only in selling acoustics products but in developing and manufacturing these within our own production facility. This means our employees have extensive know-how. Our advisers are able to address detailed architectural, acoustic and carpentry needs and have the skills to seamlessly integrate acoustic solutions within complex projects. Our experts know exactly what solutions are needed in order to achieve perfect room acoustics. Can individual consumers benefit from room acoustic solutions too? Absolutely. Although the majority of projects are worked on directly with architects and planners, individual consumers can also take action to improve the acoustics within their own four walls. Today’s construction methods with large room units, hard materials and a great amount of glass mean that room acoustic solutions are particularly important. What innovative ideas can we expect to see at Akustik & Raum in the future? We’ve achieved a lot but we're not stopping here. Constantly monitoring the market and developing new innovations are among our key principles. This is why we're continuing to develop our fire-protection solution FeinMikro Secure. We successfully launched this product last year and it has now been certified as «non-combustible» under EN standards. We're hoping various covering layers will allow the product to be certified as «flame retardant» which will open up new doors both in Switzerland and Europe. Background On this blog, you will find regular and interesting posts on our acoustics innovations as well as other information about room acoustics in general. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn and experience room acoustics like never before.

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