Interview with Troldtekt | In our interview serie we ask designer and manufacturer to answer the same 6 questions about their company, their idea about design and sustainability and what is important for them.

Following the answers from Carina Graae Rasmussen of Troldtekt Marketing.

About Troldtekt

Troldtekt acoustic panels are the natural ceiling and wall cladding choice for all types of building. The high performance acoustic solutions can be seen everywhere, such as in schools, sports centres swimming pools, offices and public buildings, theatres, hotels and even private homes, in Denmark and around the world.

The combination of wood and cement creates Troldtekt’s unique sound absorbing properties, ensuring good acoustics in any room. The material has a natural resilience and can handle moist environments, while also providing effective fire protection. Troldtekt is a natural product with documented sustainability throughout its entire life cycle.

What is sustainable about your products?

Our cement-bonded wood-wool acoustic panels are certified according to the sustainable Cradle to Cradle design concept, which also underpins our business strategy. One of the reasons why this certification has been achieved is because Troldtekt acoustic panels can be returned to nature as compost.

One of our key priorities is that our products must contribute added value throughout their entire life cycle:

  • Materials: Troldtekt cement-bonded wood wool is made of 100 per cent natural materials: wood and cement. The wood is Norway spruce, which is FSC®-certified, guaranteeing that it can be traced back to responsible forestry operations.
  • Production: We produce Troldtekt under eco-friendly conditions – without discharging any wastewater and using only electricity based on wind power. Our drying oven is heated by energy from carbon-neutral wood-based fuel.
  • Transport: Troldtekt acoustic panels are made from locally sourced raw materials, so the environmental impact from transport is minimal.
  • Use: Troldtekt ensures good acoustics in buildings. Our acoustic panels do not contain any harmful or hypoallergenic substances, and are indoor climate-labelled by leading organisations.
  • Recycling: Both our production waste and clean Troldtekt waste from building sites can be returned to nature as compost. Troldtekt demolition waste can be used in the production of new cement.

Which are the three most suitable adjectives to describe this and why?

Natural: As a completely natural material, Troldtekt cement-bonded wood wool is inherently sustainable.

Healthy: Troldtekt panels are healthy for users, because our solutions contribute to good acoustics, and because the combination of wood and cement contributes to a healthy indoor climate. Moreover, we make a point of ensuring that our products create added value through a healthy life cycle.

Strong: Troldtekt acoustic panels are very sturdy and durable – and are also able to absorb and release moisture and inhibit fire, making them suitable for most types of buildings.  At the same time, Troldtekt is long-lasting (at least 50 years), and can therefore ‘live on’ in renovated or refurbished buildings.

Deutschland, Greifswald 07/2016, Projekt: Riemser Pharma, Architekten: Reuter Schoger, Bild-Technik:KB-Digital

What is the secret of your success?

We have a solid product, which has been produced using the same natural materials since 1935. Along the way, we have steadily optimised both product design and our production methods, so that today we have a modern, eco-friendly product.

In addition, we are investing massively in product documentation, which is verified by a third party. This goes, among other things, for our work with the Cradle to Cradle concept and in our Environmental Product Declaration (EPD). We also offer documentation packages, so that auditors can assess Troldtekt’s specific contribution to the DGNB (German Sustainable Building Council) certification system. Troldtekt panels can have a positive impact on more than half the points in a DGNB certification.

Finally, we are investing long term in optimising our production and minimising our carbon footprint. We believe this will pay off in the long run – but we are well aware that the investment will not be recouped overnight.

What do you like about InteriorPark.?

The world needs initiatives that gather and disseminate knowledge about sustainable design and the importance of a healthy indoor climate. InteriorPark. establishes a strong link between manufacturers and architects.

At the same time, InteriorPark. takes the concept of sustainability seriously by only handpicking partners and products for which it has been documented that they work in a sustainable way. The requirement for documentation – and commitment – is completely in line with the Cradle to Cradle strategy being followed at Troldtekt.

What is good design?

Good design is about both aesthetics and functionality. When a product successfully combines a strong visual look with properties such as ventilation, sunscreening, fire protection, acoustic control etc., then the designer has achieved his mission.

Good design is also about flexibility. Products are needed which both visually and functionally last a long time, yet which can be tailored to different purposes. Perhaps a warehouse is one day converted into offices, or a factory into an arts centre. If more of the original products are able to ‘survive’ such conversions, the potential for sustainable building is boosted significantly.

What are the greatest challenges for design in future?

In Europe, construction accounts for about 40 per cent of materials and energy consumption. It is therefore crucial that all players in the construction sector conduct their activities based on methods designed to reduce resource consumption.

  • For manufacturers, it may be a question of designing products that can be recycled in either a technical or biological metabolism.
  • For architects, it might be about designing buildings that can subsequently be dismantled, so that the individual materials can be reused at the highest possible level.
  • For contractors, it may be about sorting building and demolition waste correctly.
  • For property developers, it might be a question of adhering to sustainable certifications when building – for example the DGNB system.

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