From panels to whole systems, these recent products enhance function or aesthetics for interior or exterior walls.
2015 Products Focus: Walls
Box Wall
The manufacturer has developed a new installation system for its proprietary material Varia Ecoresin. Dubbed Box Wall, it uses aluminum extrusions, threaded rods, and 3M's Dual Lock tape to attach aluminum-framed panels of the resin to vertical surfaces. The panels come in most lengths and in heights of up to 10'. A freestanding version, consisting of a base with vertical profiles, is also offered.
Chroma Wood
The Japanese charring technique of shou sugi ban is combined with deep saturated hues to give rich character to cypress, yellow pine, and redwood panels. Produced in random lengths of 8' to 10', the planks come in tongue-and-groove, shiplap, Tex-gap (asymmetrical tongue-and-groove), or square-edge configurations, and are suitable for both interior and exterior applications.
System 1224
Ideal for retail or hospitality environments, this wall system utilizes vertical brackets with pins onto which end-users can clip or hook a variety of panels and steel shelves or cabinets, without the use of tools. The 12” x 24” panels come in a range of designs and in materials from steel to veneer, can be customized with logos and graphics, and backlit. Floor-standing display options are also available.
Interlok Plank
Light and shadow play create visual interest across the west and south facades of Rutgers Business School in Piscataway, New Jersey, thanks to a custom rainscreen design by TEN Arquitectos. The system holds 30,000 square feet of Interlok Plank aluminum panels, specified in four different profile shapes to produce the multidimensional effect. Gaskets in the open vertical reveals help minimize water penetration.
Stacked Softwall
Ten years ago, the nonwoven polyethylene partition system Softwall wowed the design industry with its flexibility and strength. Molo is now demonstrating that it can be stacked up to 16' high without any fasteners, relying solely on the product's own weight and stability. The material—100% recyclable after use— is resistant to water and UV rays, while the honeycomb structure of the walls has inherent sound-dampening properties.
BuzziFalls
Both decorative and functional, this hanging panel is composed of two layers of felt that help absorb sound when installed on walls. Alternatively, the product can be suspended from the ceiling, via a metal profile and cables, to visually divide space. The felt is CNC-cut in seven motifs ranging from geometric patterns to birch-tree silhouettes and city skylines. Each measures 31½” wide x 86½” or 98½” high.
Stella
Newly added to the InterlockingRock panel line, the Stella pattern resembles a hybrid of a flocked wallcovering and classic ornate plasterwork. The sculptural, VOC-free panel comprises a top layer of glass fiber–reinforced gypsum on a lightweight plant-based foam core, resulting in a weight of 1½ pounds per square foot. Each unit measures 32” square and is paintable.
Aria
Clean-lined and minimal, this interior wall system combines a low-profile extruded-aluminum frame, in an anodized matte black or white finish, with opaque or clear glass panels. The latter can be customized with tints, sandblasting, patterns, or films to add semi-privacy while maintaining open sightlines. Single-and double-glazing options are offered to meet different acoustic needs.
Linea
A temporary pavilion in London designed by Studio Weave not only showcased local crafts-people but also a ribbed fiber-cement panel from Equitone called Linea. Several shapes, in sizes of up to 4' x 10', clad the sawtooth structure, which hosted workshops during Clerken- well Design Week 2014. Linea is a through-body color product that can be cut in any shape and size at the plant or on-site.
Branded Cellular Resin Wall Facings
The manufacturer installed its cellular resin wall facings as lighting and decorative elements to help communicate a branded narrative for a financial firm's headquarters in Owings Mills, Maryland. Registered digital printing on both the surface and subsurface of the LED-backlit units presents crisp text and layered graphic patterns. Four wall compositions were created using the manufacturer's Twist and Quad modules.
Striata
Layers of 100% SFI-certified Douglas fir veneers create the linear pattern of these interior wood panels. Two formats are offered: Striata 360 measures 48” x 96” x ¾” and is finished on both faces, while Striata Surface, measuring 47” x 95” x ¾” or ¼” thick, is single-faced with a Meranti plywood substrate. Both products are formaldehyde free and low VOC, and are well suited to ceiling, wall, cabinetry, and furniture and casework applications.
Dynamic Spaces
Whiteboard paint may transform walls into writable surfaces, but Dynamic Spaces allows end-users to interchange and revert wall function and appearance indefinitely. The system consists of a magnetic primer paint and a mid-layer of flexible magnetized tiles. More than 20 coverings—from dry-erase surfaces to graphic prints—can be purchased, unrolled onto the tile layer without the use of adhesives, and easily swapped.
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