Penguin Patch's bright, glass-wrapped HQ looked joyful but sounded chaotic. Arbor panels, Tango Tiles, and custom acoustic art turned echo into energy.
Glass, stone, and a two-story lobby — and what it took to give Penguin Patch their headquarters back.
When Penguin Patch built their new two-story headquarters, they wanted it as joyful as their mission. But glass, stone, and high ceilings turned the lobby into an echo chamber. Penguin Patch HQ acoustics improved dramatically when Loftwall used Arbor panels, Tango Tiles, and custom acoustic art to balance sound and design — so the space now feels as good as it looks.
Penguin Patch's new HQ in Texas was a dream build: an open, sunlit headquarters with space to grow their mission of helping schools and children across the country. But a challenge arose even before they moved in. Their lobby and cafe — both wrapped in glass and stone — were buzzing with sound. Conversations bounced, phone calls echoed, and even coffee breaks became loud enough to spill into nearby work areas.
Two-story entryway. Glass curtain walls. Stone floors. A hard-surface symphony. Before we even ran a calculation, the reverb in the space was undeniable. They had specified truly beautiful materials, but they were all sound reflectors. The loudest zones were the lobby and cafe, where surfaces and ceiling height multiplied every voice.
We started with Arbor acoustic wall panels, customized with trim that gave the lobby a refined elegance. The panels act as visual anchors on the lobby walls, introducing a natural element to the space. Beyond aesthetics, the panels absorb up to 40% of the sound that hits them, meaning we started making a dent in the endless echo they were experiencing.
Next came Tango Tiles in complementary tones. These modular acoustic art pieces let the team carry brand colors from the lobby to the cafe. The playful shapes were a subtle nod to the elementary schools they serve.
Finally, we created custom acoustic wall art inspired by Penguin Patch's identity — a mix of angles, color, dimension, and tactility that brings warmth to hard architecture (and the subtlest nod to a penguin in a bowtie). Each element shipped ready to install, and the total transformation took days, not weeks.
Our goal was a headquarters that felt like the heart of our company: fun, inviting, and inspiring. Loftwall helped us keep that energy while solving the sound challenge we couldn't live with. — Jennifer Randklev, Penguin Patch founder
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