Hush Rooms: Healthy Acoustic Spaces in University Offices

Hush Rooms is a prototype intervention by Healthy Materials Lab to improve the acoustic quality and material health of three small meeting rooms in the newly renovated School of Constructed Environments (SCE) hub. Concerned about noise and reverberation in the space, Dean Robert Kirkbride partnered with HML leadership to prototype healthier material strategies that address acoustics while minimizing toxic exposure.

Three Hush-Rooms, Three Different Material Approaches:

• Ecovative Mycelium acoustic wall tiles — naturally grown network of fungal fibers with agricultural waste substrate.
• Thermacork Cork panels — bark of cork trees formed into panels, naturally flame-retardant with no synthetic chemical additives.
• CarpetCycle Quiet-Tech recycled carpet insulation — upcycled insulation free of formaldehyde and fiberglass with significant acoustic performance (~95 % sound reduction).
• RomaBio Mineral paint — used to finish surfaces in the mycelium room to reduce off-gassing and maintain permeable surfaces.

The Hush Rooms project began with the decision to treat each of the three meeting rooms as a distinct material experiment. The selected materials, mycelium tiles, cork panels, and recycled carpet insulation, varied in availability, spatial quality and handling.

The mycelium tiles required the longest lead time, as Ecovative actually grows their product to order. The team arranged the tiles in a cascading pattern from ceiling to floor. To maintain material permeability and reduce off gassing, the surrounding walls were finished with mineral paint rather than conventional toxic coatings.

In the cork room, the research team covered all walls with cork panels. Rather than standardizing panel dimensions, the team manipulated widths and spacing, particularly at the corners, where panels were adjusted into a fishtail like configuration. This process was guided by hands-on testing, allowing tactile, visual, and spatial qualities to inform detailing decisions as installation progressed.

The recycled carpet insulation Quiet Tech room required the most labor intensive installation process. The dense fibrous material was difficult to cut and required specialized tools and protective equipment. The team insulated two full walls, which proved sufficient to eliminate reverberation and significantly reduce noise.

Across all three rooms, mechanical fasteners, nails, were used in place of adhesives to avoid introducing additional chemicals and to prevent pest attraction. Each room includes a museum style placard detailing the materials used, their dimensions, manufacturers, and availability, reinforcing the project’s educational intent and providing transparency around material selection and performance.

Each Hush Room developed a unique sensory identity:

• Mycelium Room — graphic visual presence with an earthy perfume.
• Cork Room — warm material texture with fishtail corner detailing and a fresh, delicate scent from cork.
• Carpet Room — vivid blue color interspersed with varied fiber tones and olfactory notes reminiscent of a carpeted house.

Quiet-Tech provided the most effective acoustic insulation, eliminating reverberation with two insulated walls. The rooms integrated multiple sensory elements:sound, sight, touch, and smell. 

Museum-style placards in each room describe materials, dimensions, manufacturers, and availability, serving both educational and specification purposes.

The faculty at SCE are happy with the Healthy Material Lab’s work and plan to evaluate performance and user experience in the Hush Rooms before extending acoustic insulation strategies to larger spaces within the SCE hub.