Solving Acoustic Challenges in Timber-Frame Construction with REGUPOL

Story at a glance:

• Juno designs mass timber buildings with smart home controls and sustainable building materials.
• Juno’s East Austin, Texas project uses timber-frame construction and masters soundproofing with help from REGUPOL.
• REGUPOL sonus curve 25 is made of recycled content and can qualify for up to 8 LEED points—great for sustainable noise control.

As a company that prides itself on “creating housing for the next generation of cities,” Juno knows today’s homebuyers have high expectations for their living spaces. Residents of Juno’s multifamily dwellings want homes that are sustainable, beautiful, innovative, and affordable—and they don’t want to hear their neighbor’s late-night dance party.

Founded by CEO Jonathan Scherr and former Apple Store designer BJ Siegel, Juno’s prefab thoughtfully designed, open floorplans prioritize daylight, fresh air, and natural materials, allowing residents to live happier, healthier lives. Integrated smart home controls for lighting, locks, and temperature give residents total control and peace of mind. The result is a living experience that feels seamless and refined.

A Unique Timber-Frame Project

When Juno set out to build a new apartment community in the vibrant neighborhood of East Austin, Texas, they had specific needs—and high expectations. Like earlier Juno projects, this building would support residents and the planet by using low-carbon materials, reducing construction waste, and eliminating natural gas from the building. But the building would also venture into new terrain: It would be Juno’s first venture into using timber-framed construction for its multi-family housing, with the end result 24 apartments built using carbon-sequestering mass timber.

Acoustic Challenges

While centuries old, timber-framed construction is not exactly well known for its soundproofing. Juno knew they had to get the acoustics—especially the sound dampening—for the project just right.

Enter REGUPOL—a leading acoustics company with extensive experience in impact and airborne sound insulation that guarantees a premium level of building acoustics. Founded in 1954, the family-run business is now being led by the third and fourth generations of family members who know the presence of unwanted noise or vibration can be debilitating. With more than 60 years of expertise in building whisper-quiet spaces, the REGUPOL team has developed unique and versatile products to enhance the acoustic value of projects, and they work side-by-side with acousticians, architects, and developers to ensure each solution meets or exceeds all expectations and requirements.

Finding a Sustainable Solution

When Juno started working with Steven Weisenberg, a general manager at REGUPOL, he evaluated the system and knew the right product for the job—REGUPOL sonus curve 25, a 25mm (1-inch) dimpled underlayment that is engineered, manufactured, and tested to reduce impact and vibration on floor and ceiling assemblies and flanking throughout a structure. It is durable, retains its shape, has a high propensity for sound dampening and, importantly for Juno, is environmentally friendly, as it is made from recycled rubber.

Each year REGUPOL reclaims more than 9 million tires from landfills to make environmentally sound solutions that can be seen and sometimes unseen everywhere in our daily life—in retail spaces, multi-family dwellings, fitness centers, college and university campuses, tractor trailers, and more.

“In times where sustainable buildings are increasingly in demand, timber-framed construction—with its enormous ecological benefits—presents an excellent solution,” Weisenberg says. “Wood has lots of advantages, but it inevitably comes with challenges for sound insulation, especially in the low frequency range. At REGUPOL we see such challenges as opportunities for innovative solutions.”

What is sonus curve 25?

Formerly known as SonusWave SW825, sonus curve 25 is REGUPOL’s thickest version of the sonus curve product line and can be installed in multiple layers under hardwood, concrete, screed, and floating floor systems to meet the toughest acoustical requirements.

With the product’s range, effective soundproofing solutions can be implemented in urban densification concepts whether for the construction of new buildings, like Juno East Austin, or the renovation of residential and commercial properties. It is durable, versatile, cost-effective and, best of all, sustainable.

REGUPOL underlayments like sonus curve 25 are GreenCircle-certified for recycled content. They are composed of post-consumer and post-industrial repurposed rubber—specifically recycled tires. As a result the product can qualify for up to 8 LEED points, making it a preferred choice for noise control applications within sustainable designs while diverting waste tires from landfills.

While sonus curve 25 has been used previously in projects throughout Europe, Juno East Austin is the first of this size and scope to use it in the US. The product’s unique ability to reduce vibration, maintain a heavy weight load, and work with a wide variety of floor coverings made it the perfect choice for a timber-framed construction.

How REGUPOL Did It

After extensive planning and preparation that included the creation of several mockups, REGUPOL partnered directly with Juno’s construction manager as well as the project’s general contractor, concrete contractor, and subcontractors to implement the solution. In total, 14,000 square feet of sonus curve 25 were installed at Juno East Austin under two inches of gypsum topping in the interior and two inches of lightweight concrete at the breezeway areas.

“REGUPOL’s expertise with both development and manufacturing, coupled with our ability to form strong partnerships with companies like Juno and all parties involved in construction really sets our company and our products apart,” Weisenberg says. “Juno East Austin stakeholders credit our project management, detailed onsite training, and skillful communication for the overall success of the project.”

Weisenberg has worked as a material supplier for nearly 15 years, contributing to some of the largest LEED-certified projects in the world. He sees products like sonus curve 25 and timber-framed constructions like Juno East Austin as the future of sustainability.

“Ultimately our product and the system it is part of will last as long as the building is standing,” he says. “Taking into consideration that the rubber used to make sonus curve 25 had a previous consumer life, that’s an incredible accomplishment in sustainability.”