Acustico Lighting Musica Collection

Recent trends to create more collaborative workplaces has led to increased reporting by workers that office noise is hindering productivity. ‘The Lombard Effect’ is a phenomenon whereby speakers increase their vocal production in noisy environments. According to a City of Melbourne report in 2016, elevated noise has health consequences including, hearing impairment, hypertension, heart disease, annoyance and sleep disturbance. A 2016 Oxford Economics survey of 1200 executives found the "ability to focus and work without interruption" was the most important attribute of their workplace. Productivity is a problem for businesses across the globe, spanning education, healthcare, hospitality and arts industries.

The development of Acustico Lighting’s Musica Collection was in direct response to Founder, Samantha McKenzie, seeking to solve a problem for a client's noisy boadroom. The Collection offers a decorative element whilst functioning as a tool for sound management. The range has been tested by Building for Impact Director, PhD Prachi Garnawat. Reporting shows that Acustico Lighting pendants can absorb up to 30% of unwanted noise in a space across all frequencies. This results in more appealing, calmer and healthier environments. Like all good design, Acustico Lighting’s Musica Collection is elegant to the eye and features sophisticated functionality.

Acustico Lighting's range is commercially viable as it can potentially increase productivity in collaborative spaces by helping reduce noise. It improves the work environment with enhanced lighting and aesthetics which aids businesses with recruitment and staff retention. The business is also proud to support jobs for Australian designers and manufacturers. Acustico Lighting insists on the cleanest and greenest materials. It puts the planet first by selecting sustainable product materials for their noise absorbency, zero emissions and low VOC properties. Using LED ensures longevity and minimisation of energy consumption. The business does not mass manufacture and does everything to minimise wastage.

The Musica Collection is Melbourne made by local artisans which ensures superior quality. The collection is available in four different profiles and colour is fully customisable to suit any design scheme. All materials are selected for their quality and sustainability and produce zero emissions. The Musica Collection ensures sound waves are both absorbed in the open-cell foam materiality and diffused by the external profile. The beauty of the design is in part due to its minimal 3 fixings and 2 strips of glue whereby gravity holds all other materials in place. The light source itself is concealed using minimal surface area allowing for an open design which not only looks striking, but facilitates maximum sound absorption from both inside and outside the product. The suspended nature of the product brings it closer to the source of noise than other absorption methods, allowing sound to be absorbed before bouncing around surfaces in the room. Additionally, Acustico Lighting recognises social impact is critical to good business. It is embarking on the journey of B corporation accreditation and intends to donate 10% of profit to social impact initiatives.