Hunter Douglas, a leading manufacturer of blind systems, architectural ceilings and façades, said there has been a growing demand for its newly-launched modular felt ceiling system, HeartFelt, in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region.

More and more regional architects and designers are going for the HeartFelt, thanks to its key features including an exceptional and innovative design and its dust and dirt-resistant qualities.

It is also maintenance-friendly - particularly effective in the desert climates of the Middle East, said the company in a statement.

Besides, its non-woven thermoformed polyester fibres allows the material to meet strict fire safety requirements, it added.

With the Mena region's construction market set to top $300 billion by 2019, leading architects and interior designers believe felt solutions will come handy in cutting costs and delivering comfortable spaces.

A major advantage of HeartFelt is that it can be customised to different settings. Besides, it also reflects light and absorbs sound, they stated ahead of International Design Exhibition (Index) in Dubai.

"GCC mega-projects will host millions of people over their lifetime - meaning they need interior spaces that prioritise design and quality to cut costs, provide comfortable spaces, and are environmentally-sustainable," explained Santhosh Vallil, the sales manager of mega-project consultancy Hunter Douglas Middle East.

"Felt is set to be deployed from the deepest train stations to the tallest skyscrapers, and every interior in-between," he added.

Demonstrating the momentum for felt, HeartFelt recently won the Red Dot: Product Design 2017 award. HeartFelt beat more than 5,500 submissions from 54 countries around the world. Judges praised Heartfelt for its 'exceptional and innovative' design.

“Most linear ceiling systems are made of metal, often aluminum. Felt ‘breaks’ the light so as to create an attractive, natural color, and at the same it is a natural sound absorber. That makes it a lot easier for architects to achieve great acoustics in buildings,” remarked Bjarne Hammer, of Denmark’s Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects.

Hammer was involved in the development of HeartFelt from the start, including its modular system that offers designers many design possibilities and colors, and its cradle-to-cradle certification as a sustainable solution.

“Felt is fantastic to work with if you’re an architect. It is a material that stirs emotions; it is warm to the touch and has an amazingly natural look and feel,” he added.

For more than 50 years the company has developed smart, aesthetic solutions for the project market aiming at heat, light, noise and energy management.

Hunter Douglas said it operates in close partnership with the market: architects' and designers' challenges and ideas are at the basis of new products and services.

For this reason, Hunter Douglas also partners with the Archiprix Foundation, a group of higher education institutions for architects, urban planners and landscape architects that offers talented, young designers an (inter)national platform, said Vallil.
 
"Our collaboration with various partners results in inspiring solutions that make a difference for architects, designers and building users all over the world," he added.-TradeArabia News Service