BASF's Basotect featured a "Splash!"? Sculpture at Betty T. Ferguson Recreation Center Aquatic Facility

Sound absorbing melamine foam dampens the noise, but not the fun

 

FLORHAM PARK, NJ, May 29, 2013 – BASF announced the Betty T. Ferguson Recreation Center Aquatic Facility, Miami Gardens, Florida, is using BASF’s Basotect® sound dampening melamine foam in baffles to enhance acoustics for swimmers and visitors.  Titled “Splash!”, this unique sculpture features colorful cylinders made with Basotect, which line the ceiling.  

 

The new sculpture addresses a common problem associated with most indoor pools, a high level of background noise caused by reflected sound waves, which Basotect readily absorbs. Acoustics in the recreation center were deemed important as it offers greater sound clarity for fitness and swimming lessons where participants need to hear clearly in order to understand instructions. 

 

As part of a unique program commissioned by the City of Miami Gardens’ ‘Art in Public Places’ program, the “Splash!” sculpture uses colorful cylindrical baffles produced by BASF customer, pinta acoustic, inc. located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 

 

Artist Xavier Cortada originally envisioned a design composed of scattered pool noodles that would resemble a splash of water on the ceiling.  The sculpture’s Basotect cylinders accomplish this while providing the additional benefit of reducing reverberation and echo in indoor pools and other loud, noisy spaces.

 

“The public art commission required the artist create a piece that would add vibrancy and address the sound issue in the indoor swimming pool,” said Cortada. “I chose the Basotect baffles because the product is made from expanded-melamine, a material that offers excellent sound absorption and can be manufactured to naturally resemble pool noodles.”

 

“Prior to the installation, we did some acoustical testing. The entire pool area was an echo chamber. After the installation of “Splash!”, the effect was so audibly noticeable there was no need to do a post test,” added Cortada.

 

Basotect absorbs sound across all frequencies, which in turn prevents noise build up that interferes with speech intelligibility. Basotect is also resistant to fungal and microbial growth and can withstand humid conditions characteristic of indoor swimming pools.  Vertical or horizontal applications are possible and provide design flexibility, and the low weight of Basotect allows for various means of simple installation, reducing costs and allowing for greater design freedom.   For “Splash!”, cork-screw hangers were used.

 

The open cell foam Basotect has a unique property profile. Its basic material gives it excellent fire properties, making fire safety less of a concern because of its Class 1 fire-rated according to ASTM E84.   Basotect can be employed in applications up to 460°F (240°C) while retaining its properties over a wide temperature range.  Basotect’s open cell foam structure renders it lightweight, sound-absorbing, heat-insulating as well as flexible, even at low temperatures.

 

For a press photo, please click on the following link: http://www.basf.us/pressphotos/05-29-13_Basotect.jpg

Suggested photo caption:  BASF’s Basotect baffles line the ceiling at the Betty T. Ferguson Recreation Center Aquatic Facility, Miami Gardens, Florida.

 

To learn more about Basotect, visit   www.plasticsportal.com

 

For pinta SONEX Rondo product information, visit www.pinta-acoustic.com, or call 1.800.662.0032 or +1 612.355.4200.

 

About pinta acoustic, inc

 

pinta acoustic, inc. manufactures a broad range of architectural acoustic wall and ceiling panels,  specialty clouds, baffles and other acoustical products for commercial and industrial applications, including SONEX^® Rondo, Linear Absorbers, Valueline, One, Clean, Classic and Mini willtec^®-based baffles, wall and ceiling panels; CONTOUR^® HARMONI, FABRITEC and WHITELINE^® willtec^-based wall and ceiling panels; SQUARELINE^® Expanded Metal, BIOLINE^® Recycled Wood, PHONSTOP™ 100-percent recycled glass wall and ceiling panels; WHISPERWAVE™ specialty shape clouds and ribbons; BALANCE clouds and wall panels; SONEX AFS acoustic plaster finish wall and ceiling systems.

 

About the Betty T. Ferguson Recreation Center and the City of Miami Gardens

 

The Betty T. Ferguson Recreation Center in Miami Gardens, Fla. features an indoor swimming pool, gymnasium, fitness center, dance studios, classrooms, art and computer laboratories, an auditorium, banquet rooms and an athletic complex. The center provides swimming lessons, water aerobics, fitness classes and personal training, as well as youth, adult and senior programs.

 

Miami Gardens was incorporated on May 13, 2003 as the 33rd city in Miami-Dade County. With a population of approximately 110,000, it is the third-largest city in Miami-Dade County. Miami Gardens is a solid, working- and middle-class community of diverse people. It is the largest predominantly African-American municipality in Florida with also many Caribbean and Hispanic residents. The city hosted the 2010 FedEx Orange Bowl, the 2010 NFL Pro Bowl™ and Super Bowl XLIV™.  To learn more about the City of Miami Gardens, go to www.miamigardens-fl.gov.

 

About the artist Xavier Cortada

 

Xavier Cortada, the Miami-based artist who created Splash!, has collaborated with groups internationally and produced eco-art projects globally, such as environmental works in Holland, Québec and Latvia, peace murals in Cyprus and Northern Ireland, child welfare murals in Bolivia and Panama, and the official International AIDS Conference murals in Geneva and South Africa. Throughout his career, Cortada has focused on integrating nature into his art and has even created art installations at the earth’s north and south poles. Cortada has been commissioned to create art for the White House, World Bank, Florida Supreme Court, and Museum of Florida History as well as the Miami Art Museum, Miami Children’s Museum, Miami Science Museum and Frost Museum. His work has been televised on the National Geographic and Discovery Channels.

 

Cortada currently serves as an artist-in-residence and heads the Office of Engaged Creativity at Florida International University’s College of Architecture + The Arts. www.xaviercortada.com

 

BASF - The Chemical Company

 

BASF Corporation, headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, is the North American affiliate of BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany. BASF has more than 16,600 employees in North America, and had sales of $18.5 billion in 2012. For more information about BASF’s North American operations, visit www.basf.us.

 

BASF is the world’s leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection products to oil and gas. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Through science and innovation, we enable our customers in nearly every industry to meet the current and future needs of society. Our products and solutions contribute to conserving resources, ensuring nutrition and improving quality of life. We have summed up this contribution in our corporate purpose: We create chemistry for a sustainable future. BASF had sales of €72.1 billion in 2012 and more than 110,000 employees as of the end of the year. Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at www.basf.com.

 

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