Tectum acoustical ceiling and wall panels from Armstrong Ceiling & Wall Solutions have been awarded Living Product Challenge Imperative Certification from the International Living Future Institute.

The Living Product Challenge calls on manufacturers to make their own operations net positive across their product life cycle with respect to impact categories such as water, energy, climate, waste, and ecological effects based upon principles of full transparency.

The certification, which applies to all one-inch-thick Tectum wood fiber products in White and Natural finishes, includes Tectum Direct-Attach ceiling and wall panels, Tectum Blades and Baffles, Tectum Finale, Tectum Panel Art, and Tectum lay-in and tegular panels.

The ceiling and wall panels are the first and only acoustical solution to achieve this certification.

Meeting the Challenge

“The Living Product Challenge is a framework for us to optimize our Tectum products and showcase products that are healthy, inspirational, and give back to the environment,” says Anita Snader, Environmental Sustainability Manager, Armstrong World Industries.

The Living Product Challenge is organized into seven performance areas, each of which includes a number of detailed imperatives including the four Core Imperatives of Transparent Material Health, Red List, Responsible Industry, and Inspiration + Education.

“As transparency of materials has grown in importance, the Tectum Living Product Imperative Certification takes this a step further,” says Snader. “Not only is Armstrong transparent about the materials in the Tectum product, but also about the manufacturing, social, and community efforts surrounding this important area of our business.”

A Living Product

Tectum is made from fibers of the Wisconsin Aspen tree, one of the most sustainably-harvested trees of its kind. The natural life cycle of the Aspen tree quickly regenerates itself from its root system after the trunk has been harvested and is ideal for building product production.

The panels are Rainforest Alliance Certified to Forest Stewardship Council standards and are part of the Sustain portfolio, meeting the most stringent sustainability standards in the industry, including LEED v4, the Living Building Challenge and the WELL Building Standard. Armstrong Ceiling and Wall Systems also continues a commitment to the conservation of the fibers used in Tectum by supporting the National Forest Foundation and efforts to preserve Aspen forests for years to come.

Featuring a combination of acoustics, durability, sustainability, and a textured wood fiber visual, Tectum ceiling and wall products are ideally suited for open spaces and high-traffic, high-abuse interiors, ranging from auditoriums and gymnasiums to schools and restaurants.