Northwest ISD Aquatic Center

pinta acoustic’s WHISPERWAVE™ and SONEX® Valueline panels absorb sound and add a flowing wave design to Northwest ISD Aquatic Center 

Located in Justin, Tex., the Northwest ISD (NISD) Aquatic Center is a multiuse facility that includes a 71-yard (65-meter) stretch competition pool, four-lane 25-yard (27.34-meter) practice pool, seating for 850 guests and a full-service sports medicine rehabilitation center. To improve the user experience and minimize acoustical issues that are common to indoor pools, pinta acoustic’s WHISPERWAVE™ and SONEX® Valueline acoustic panels in custom colors were installed in the new 80,000-square foot (7432-square meter) facility.

Prior to the opening of NISD Aquatic Center in January 2021, the school district rented facilities in other communities for swimming and diving, which required travel outside of the area and limited practice times. Built to accommodate five high school swim teams, the aquatic center is located on the central campus to provide convenient access to students and the community.

Most people have experienced the echo in indoor pools that leads to difficulty hearing and understanding swimmers, coaches and lifeguards, which can pose a safety risk. The pinta acoustic products absorb sound energy from coaching, raised voices from enthusiastic participants and spectators, buzzers and music. WHISPERWAVE and SONEX Valueline panels prevent sound waves from bouncing between hard planes such as concrete, glass and the water surface, which is a significant source of sound reverberation.

Lauren Hoyle, RID, from Huckabee architectural firm in Fort Worth, Tex., researched acoustic products that could withstand high humidity in the aquatic center. She presented a single combination of products to the building owner: pinta’s WHISPERWAVE and SONEX Valueline panels. Effective and visually appealing, the acoustic products are naturally resistant to mold, fungus and bacterial growth, making them ideal for an indoor pool facility.

“I wanted them to look like a wave,” says Hoyle. “In addition to offering a product with fluid lines, pinta was able to provide custom colors to represent flowing water. Tyler Luttrell from Architectural Materials, Inc., pinta’s Texas distributor, and pinta’s team were very responsive with answers to questions and pricing. The facility owner liked the design a lot and chose the purchase and installation of the panels.”

A top bright-blue color band of 30 SONEX Valueline panels was installed, using pinta’s acouSTIC™ adhesive, above the tall windows on the wall and opposing accordion glass partitions in the practice pool area. Additionally, 198 48” by 96” (1219 by 2184 mm) WHISPERWAVE panels in four acoustic-coated colors, including white and bright blue with two lighter shades of blue in the same color family were installed in the competition pool area.

WHISPERWAVE and SONEX Valueline panels are made from lightweight, nonfibrous, open-cell expanded melamine WILLTEC™ foam. Both products pass Class A per ASTM E84 flame spread and smoke density standards, as well as CAN ULCS-102. Options include natural white or grey as well as standard, premium and custom water-based acoustic-coated colors. Offered in most panel shapes and sizes up to 48” by 96” (1219 by 2184 mm) with 2” and 3” (51 and 76 mm), and custom thicknesses, WHISPERWAVE panels provide superior acoustic absorption across all sound frequencies.

Featuring a softly sculpted surface pattern, SONEX Valueline panels are affordable and easy to install with acouSTIC adhesives. SONEX Valueline panels are available in 24" by 48" (610 mm by 1219 mm), and custom sizes and shapes up to 48" by 98" (1219 mm by 2438 mm). Thickness options include 1½", 1 7/8" or 2½" (38 mm, 48 mm or 64 mm) and custom thicknesses.