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We know by now that acoustics aren’t always the most glamorous building-product. In fact, in some cases, you can’t even see them, while in others, they look like large-scale art installations. However they may appear, they’re incredibly critical to the overall sensory impact that an interior has on its inhabitants. Despite this fact, it can be difficult for the many manufacturers of the acoustics industry to catch the eye of the tens of thousands of architects making specification decisions about their products every day.
For those manufacturers that already have a high-quality product, what they really need is the right platform upon which to present it, one that helps them to connect with architects at just the right time. That’s why Pyrok, one of the leading acoustics product manufacturers in the United States, is now using Architizer to generate leads and reach new customers.
Pyrok produces innovative wall and ceiling treatments for seamless architectural applications around the world. Their acoustics effortlessly blend into any specific design environment they’re working in. More than the physical end result of a project, though, Pyrok prides itself on the relationships they build with their clients, which always lead to more exciting commissions.
Pyrok’s StarSilent product was selected for Snøhetta’s recent expansion to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; via Snøhetta.
For example, their recent work collaborating with international design firm Snøhetta landed the manufacturer a front-row seat (well, actually on the ceiling) of the new gallery expansion to San Francisco’s Museum of Modern Art. Pyrok’s StarSilent plaster panel that was used on the project is trusted for its unique structural system comprised of recycled glass, gypsum board and recycled marble aggregate. StarSilent, along with Pyrok’s Vogl and Acoustement products, which were used inside the new Midtown branch of the New York Public Library and the National September 11 Memorial Museum, respectively, provide rigid installation that’s easy to reapply if damaged.
“We’re one of three go-to companies for seamless sound-absorbing systems,” Beebe Okoye, Pyrok’s LEED Green Associate, said. “Our competitors offer softer systems, and I think contractors have a preference to using our product once they compare the install. In terms of longevity, our product is inert; it’s 96-percent glass mass. If there is a leak, you can keep our boards intact and refinish them, which is key to our credibility.”
Pyrok’s Acoustement inside the National September 11 Memorial Museum in Lower Manhattan
Sales representatives like Okoye spend countless hours on cold calls and in lunch presentations and one-on-one meetings with architects just to get Pyrok’s products on the minds of a few material decision-makers. From trade shows to networking events and even online resources, there’s no shortage of methods that can connect the right building-product manufacturer with the right project. But no matter the avenue the Pyrok team takes to get attention in the design world, it’s their long-standing installations, combined with productive new partnerships that prevail future commissions.
“If our clients have a history with the product and it’s stood the test of time, then there’s no need to look further,” Okoye said. “We’re in the position of educating architects that we’re as good, if not better, than other companies. We know it takes a lot of effort to change a simple detail in a spec, and we want even our new clients to know we’re willing to help them navigate these concerns.”
Pyrok’s StarSilent inside the IAC Building in Manhattan’s Chelsea
Some of Pyrok’s biggest commissions naturally fit into the realm of public space where the interaction of a user with the building largely depends on the quality of interior sound. Massive office buildings like the 550,000-square-foot IAC Building by Frank Gehry and world-renowned performance spaces such as Diller Scofidio + Renfro’s cantilevered hall at Lincoln Center must incorporate acoustical treatments out of pure necessity. The reason those firms choose Pyrok products for these contemporary constructions is the company’s reputation and commitment to design excellence.
One of the ways companies like Pyrok are enhancing their reputations and integrating with the workflow of architects is through the Architizer platform. A streamlined online specification tool, Architizer is more about the link between the architect and the manufacturer — and their future alliance — than it is about the end product sold. After all, it takes more than an exchange of money to complete a major building project. It’s a large effort between real people who can offer time-saving cost-efficient help. If one product doesn’t get selected for a specific project, it may be a better fit for the firm in another development elsewhere. The opportunities are endless.
Pyrok’s Acoustement inside Beyer Blinder Belle’s renovation of the historic TWA Flight Center at JFK
“We’ve already been short-listed on projects through Architizer, which gives me a chance to deliver samples, get in front of the architects and get to know them better,” Okoye said. “Architizer is the best resource, outside of actual face time, that we have to connect.”
When Okoye was a practicing architect prior to her time at Pyrok, she said she’d go through a tiring multistep method to find the best building-products for a single project. Sometimes, it would take weeks.
“We’d go to Sweets and find the product, then call the manufacturer and ask for samples, and it took a lot of time. I see Architizer as a faster, more streamlined service for the architect,” she said. “The fact that architects are coming to us with real projects, real budgets and real needs gets us one step further in the sales process. With Architizer, it cuts out all of the questions and all of the brainstorming.”
Pyrok’s Vogl inside Studio Libeskind’s Grand Canal Theatre in Dublin
This ease of interaction can be monumental for sales teams within the construction industry. Pyrok regards its products as secondary to the connections they’re making through their sales efforts. At the end of the day, they believe they’re selling their expertise as much as they’re selling their innovative line of architectural acoustics.
“We depend on relationships as our key marketing tool,” Okoye said. “When people think of sound acoustics, we want them to think of myself or another Pyrok relationship they’ve had directly. For me, that’s what it’s all about.”
Top image: Pyrok’s StarSilent
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