“Creating an environment for inspiring human potential”: this is the mission statement of Simplot, an enlightened entrepreneurial family in the agrifood sector, who decided to offer their native city of Boise, Idaho a multipurpose community space in memory of Jack, the company’s founder. Fantoni was responsible for all sound-absorbent solutions.
Jump stands for Jack’s Urban Meeting Place. It is intended as a legacy to the local community from a man whose professional activities were built on the pioneering spirit: a space offering opportunities for growth, innovation and inspiration. The project arose from the idea that all spaces for sharing knowledge are places of growth and development of human potential, from libraries to markets, parks or museums.
Indeed, Jump was developed in a park with an outdoor amphitheatre, while inside it offers areas for meeting, play and brainstorming, as well as event spaces, new “libraries” known as “studios”, in which to record music, 3D-print prototypes or produce films, innovate in the kitchen or dance. Much more than a shared space, this is a new ecosystem in which to live and unleash human potential.
The campus is located in the city centre, on the site of an old drying facility owned by the family, and it includes the company headquarters, a canteen open to the public, and an auditorium.
Huge spaces and large volumes meant the interior designers had to focus especially on the ceiling coverings, selecting sound-absorbent materials that would balance out the acoustics, which might otherwise have been impaired by the numerous windows designed to facilitate interaction with the outside world. The meeting with Fantoni offered an opportunity to gain greater technical knowledge of Climacustic, a wood-based radiant, sound-absorbent system unlike any other, which represented a complete solution to their request for “wood-looking” radiant panels that also offered acoustic performance, special decorations to complement the design of the building, flexible products, given the conditions of the ceiling, fire resistance, and a striking aesthetic. The product’s strong radiant performance meant it was perfect for use even in the glazed perimeter sections.
In some areas, Climacustic radiant system alternates with simple 4akustik sound-absorbent panels, which are curved, shaped and customized by the able hands of the architects. 4akustik also complies with the JIS “F4 star” standard, certified by the Japanese authorities and considered to be the most exacting in the world, with reference to its extremely low formaldehyde content and consequent environmental protection. It is hence suitable for use in public spaces in which the client seeks great technical performance in a sustainable product, with due consideration to aesthetics.
Another winning feature is the possibility to achieve a visually uniform finish, so that one product flows seamlessly into the other.
The complexity and enormity of this project entailed the creation of a mock-up to test the performance of a space. A team including technical experts, architects, interior designers and engineers from the production company shared all the details regarding aesthetic and technical details, and in particular the development of mechanisms to lift the especially heavy curved islands.
A total of 18,000 m² between Climacustic and 4akustik, contributing to give pleasing performance at the headquarters of Simplot, the canteen, the corridors and many of the shared spaces, with gorgeously striking customized solutions.
Credits
Client: Simplot
Architectural Studio: Adamson Associates (Los Angeles)
Interior designers: Lauck Group (Dallas)
General Contractor: Hoffman Corporation (Portland)
Photography: Sisterbrother Photography
