Fabric ductwork has helped the $15 million Highland Sam J. Racadio Library and Environmental Learning Center, in San Bernardino County, Calif., earn LEED Gold and improve its acoustics. Led by T-Squared Professional Engineers, Vista, Calif., and STK Architecture, Temecula, Calif., the 30,000-sf facility uses a fabric air dispersion system from DuctSox Corp. to reduce energy consumption and noise. “There’s a big difference in noise between the rooms using fabric duct and the room using metal duct,” library branch manager Jessica Sutorus said. The fabric system distributes air through more orifices than the metal duct system; it also absorbs vibrations, reducing equipment noise throughout the building.
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