Enjoy the Quiet With Sabin’s New Lighting System

Layer, Triangle

I can remember a time, before open plan, when a private office was the catnip that enticed us to climb the corporate ladder. More than merely implying status, having an office meant you could close the door for heads-down quiet work or take a private phone call whenever you wanted without annoying your neighbors.

Today, as we all continue to grapple with workplace acoustics, Sabin feels our pain. In February, the company launched Layer, which is part light and part acoustic solution. A pendant that not only illuminates but also absorbs sound? Now that’s some double-duty design. What’s more, Layer’s NRC rating of 0.85+ makes it an attractive alternative to acoustical ceiling tiles and K13 sound absorption spray.

Layer, Rectangle

“Integrated systems that solve problems across lighting, acoustical, and spatial design in a visually and mechanically cohesive way make all the sense to designers,” says Wes Cox, co-founder of Sabin. “Layer blurs the lines between pendant and ceiling.”

Available in Disc, Obround, Triangle, and Rectangle shapes, Layer can be mixed and matched in many configurations. “Layer is a team effort—not just of our industrial design and engineering team—but also our sewing and pattern-making team,” Wes adds. The stitching detail on Layer’s elements helps draw the eye away from mechanical elements and imperfections in an open ceiling.

Layer, Obround

Every fixture in the Layer system is built from two layers of post-consumer, recycled PET felt, an acoustic super material that absorbs up to 95% of sound and neutralizes distractions in spaces with open concepts, hard surfaces, or high occupancy. PET is also both SCS Indoor Advantage and OEKO-TEX certified, ensuring it’s free of harmful chemicals.

Like all Sabin products, Layer is Greenguard Gold Certified and has earned the Living Building Challenge’s coveted Declare Label. According to Kirsten Magrini, sales vice president at Sabin, “The A&D community expects building product suppliers to do real work in improving sustainability. They view it as a basic requirement—and we do, too.”

—Diana Mosher