Case: Private Villa, Sustainable City - Dubai, UAE

Mute Pictures for a calm dining atmosphere

Noise and echo is a challenge for many families living in the UAE. Tile floors, gypsum ceiling, large windows and open floor plans are beautiful. But they also the cause of terrible acoustics. For the family living in this villa in The Sustainable City, the area around the dining table was rarely a quiet place to be. Sounds created when eating, playing or talking would bounce around on the surfaces and never die away.

“The dining area used to be very noisy. At times, I could not hear my own thoughts. Every sound created would be so intense.” - Wife

By installing two Mute Pictures on the wall, the family was able to create a much more pleasant soundscape around the dining table. A quiet and cozy spot to sit and talk and eat. The artwork is personal to the family and a reminder of great times in the desert.

“The kids seem more quiet, the sounds from the cutlery is less and we can better hear what each other are saying. And on top of that, I just really like our personal artwork.” - Wife

Mute Felt for an echo-free staircase 

The staircase in the house used to be an acoustic nightmare too. Sounds would bounce around between the parallel walls, intensify and create echo.

“It was almost like a speaker. If someone was saying something downstairs, it seemed as if they were shouting upstairs.” - Husband

By installing four Mute Felt panels on the walls in the staircase, sounds would no longer bounce around as they used to do. This significantly reduced the echo and the transmission of sounds between the two floors. 

“When my wife puts the kids to bed upstairs, she no longer complains that the television downstairs is too loud. This means that I can finally watch a movie even though it’s bedtime. Total win.“ - Husband

Reduction in reverberation time

Mute Pictures and Mute Felt absorbs sound waves and reduces reverberation in a space. The reverberation time is the time it takes from a sound is created until we can no longer hear it. If the reverberation time is too long, we experience it as noise and echo which makes us tired an uncomfortable.

By installing two Mute Pictures by the dining table, the reverberation time was reduced with 15%. From 0.72 seconds to 0.61 seconds. 

By installing four Mute Felt panels in the staircase, the reverberation time was reduced with 33%. From 1.0 seconds to 0.67 seconds.