Challenge

This 280㎡ combined bike repair workshop and specialty cafe in Northeast Portland, USA, blends exposed-brick industrial interiors with custom bike builds, specialty coffee and community meetups. The open-plan space houses repair stands, hand tool benches, espresso bars and window seating nooks. During weekend group rides and build nights, workshop tool clatter, espresso steam wands and crowd conversation overlap heavily, creating harsh reverberation across the high ceiling. Patrons struggle to chat over repair noise, and baristas have to shout order details across the room. The owner wanted acoustic solutions that matched the raw workshop aesthetic — no soft fluffy panels — and durable enough for regular grease, dust and splash exposure.

Solution

Cement-bonded wood wool acoustic ceiling panels are installed across the full workshop and cafe ceiling. The fine, uniform light-grey cement-wood texture absorbs broadband reflected noise without looking out of place in the industrial space. The dense hard finish resists grease, dust and occasional splashes, and supports regular wipe-down cleaning. Lower wall sections behind the service counter and repair bays use E0-grade recycled polyester acoustic panels, custom cut to fit around workstations and shelf units, absorbing mid-high frequency tool impact and voice noise.

All materials meet ASTM E84 Class A fire standards. Installation was completed on weekday evenings to avoid disrupting shop hours and events.

Result

Peak ambient noise drops by 34% during busy weekend events. Patrons can hold normal conversations across the cafe even with workshop tools running. Baristas no longer shout to take orders. The wood wool ceiling and polyester wall panels blend seamlessly into the industrial bike-shop aesthetic, with most regular customers never noticing they are functional acoustic treatment.