AUS Fins™: Geometric Fin Acoustic Panels for Commercial Interiors

Acoustic treatment doesn't have to disappear into the background.

In commercial interiors where the walls or ceilings form an important part of the architectural concept, acoustic treatment can contribute to the visual identity of the space while also addressing reverberation.

AUS Fins by Acoustic Panels Australia is designed around that idea.

The system combines solid fins with acoustic treatment to create three-dimensional geometric surfaces that introduce rhythm, depth and shadow while helping control reflected sound. Rather than adding a decorative feature and acoustic treatment separately, AUS Fins brings both functions together in one architectural system.

With multiple designs, profiles, materials and customisation options available, AUS Fins can be used across internal walls and ceilings in commercial projects where acoustic performance and a strong visual presence are both important.

AUS Fins is an architectural acoustic panel system combining solid projecting fins with acoustic treatment behind them.

The fins create the visible architectural element, while the acoustic component helps absorb reflected sound within the room.

This combination gives designers an alternative to a conventional flat acoustic panel.

Instead of treating acoustics as something that needs to be concealed, the acoustic system becomes part of the design language.

The AUS Fins range includes 10 standard designs, AF-1 through AF-10, together with eight fin profile options: Chamfer, V Groove, Flute, Cove, Round Nose, Rebate, Bullnose and Square. Custom patterns can also be developed to suit a project's interior concept or branding.

That range gives architects and interior designers considerable flexibility in determining how subtle or prominent the finished installation should be.

One of the defining characteristics of AUS Fins is the way the projecting fins interact with light and perspective.

A flat wall has relatively little physical depth. Adding fins changes that surface into a three-dimensional architectural element.

Depending on the configuration, the fins can create:

As people move through the space, the appearance of the installation can change with the viewing angle.

Lighting can strengthen this effect further. The raised profiles naturally create highlights and shadows, giving the surface more depth than a printed or purely two-dimensional pattern.

This makes AUS Fins particularly useful when the acoustic treatment occupies a prominent architectural position rather than a secondary area of the room.

The fins are the most visually obvious part of the system, but they are only one part of the panel.

AUS Fins combines those solid elements with acoustic treatment designed to help control reverberation. Acoustic treatment options within the system include Quattro Panels, black acoustic adhesive liner and the Maison Range.

Why does that matter?

Sound generated inside a commercial interior travels until it encounters surrounding surfaces. Hard materials such as glass, concrete, plasterboard and other reflective finishes send much of that sound energy back into the room.

When those reflections continue to build, the space can feel excessively lively or noisy.

Adding absorptive material reduces the amount of reflected sound energy and helps control reverberation.

This is particularly relevant in spaces where architectural finishes are predominantly hard but designers don't want acoustic treatment to compromise the intended aesthetic.

With AUS Fins, the acoustic component can be incorporated into a visually deliberate feature.

AUS Fins can be used on internal walls and ceilings and suits a range of commercial environments.

However, the product is particularly effective in spaces where the acoustic treatment will be highly visible.

Reception areas often establish the first impression of a workplace, hotel, commercial building or corporate environment.

These spaces also frequently contain hard floors, glass and other reflective finishes.

AUS Fins can turn the acoustic treatment into a feature behind a reception desk, across a lobby wall or as part of a larger architectural composition.

Boardrooms, executive areas, meeting spaces and client-facing areas often require a higher level of finish than general workplace areas.

Here, AUS Fins can provide acoustic treatment without introducing the appearance of a conventional acoustic panel.

A large uninterrupted wall provides an opportunity to use the fins as an architectural element rather than simply covering the surface.

The pattern, material and profile can become part of the interior design while the acoustic treatment behind the fins performs another function.

Restaurants, bars, hotels and other hospitality spaces often need materials that contribute strongly to atmosphere and identity.

Geometric fins can introduce warmth, texture or pattern while acoustic treatment helps manage reflected sound within the space.

AUS Fins isn't limited to corporate or hospitality environments. The system is also suitable for education, healthcare and other commercial interiors where designers want acoustic treatment to form part of the architectural finish.

One of the main advantages of a fin system is the number of ways it can be configured.

AUS Fins is available with standard designs, but panels can also be custom-designed with patterns to suit the surrounding interior or project branding.

That means the design process can consider more than simply selecting a panel colour.

Architects and designers can explore:

This flexibility allows the acoustic feature to respond to other elements within the project.

For example, the direction of the fins might reinforce the geometry of a ceiling, align with joinery, complement timber finishes elsewhere in the interior or create a deliberate visual identity behind a reception area.

AUS Fins can be configured using a broad selection of base and fin materials.

Available base material categories include MDF Colour Core, Standard Raw, regular and FR melamine-faced board, veneer and plywood. Fin material options include solid timber, plywood, veneer, regular and FR melamine-faced board, and MDF Colour Core.

This provides designers with options ranging from natural timber character through to more controlled commercial finishes.

Material selection should not be treated as a purely aesthetic decision, however.

The final configuration needs to consider the project's:

For colour-critical projects, physical samples are particularly useful because digital representations of finishes can differ from the actual material. Acoustic Panels Australia provides sample options to assist with selection.

There are generally two ways to approach a feature area requiring acoustic treatment.

One is to select the visual finish first and then find somewhere else to add acoustic absorption.

The other is to make the acoustic treatment part of the visual solution from the beginning.

AUS Fins supports the second approach.

This can be especially useful when wall or ceiling area is limited and every visible surface needs to contribute to the architectural concept.

Rather than asking:

"Where can we hide the acoustic treatment?"

The design team can ask:

"How can the acoustic treatment become part of this space?"

That shift can produce interiors where acoustic performance feels integrated rather than added after the design has already been resolved.

AUS Fins should ideally be considered during the design and documentation stages rather than introduced late in the project.

The current specification process includes:

Providing drawings early can also help determine quantities, spacing and the relationship between the panels and surrounding architectural elements.

Acoustic Panels Australia can assist with product selection, spacing and quantity estimates, ceiling layouts, colour samples, shop drawings, technical documentation and installation coordination.

A decorative acoustic feature still needs to satisfy the technical requirements of the project.

AUS Fins configurations are available with fire classifications including Group 1, Group 2 and Group 3 under Australian Standard ISO 9705-2003, with the appropriate classification depending on the selected configuration and substrate.

Fire performance should therefore be confirmed for the actual product configuration being specified rather than assumed from appearance alone.

The same principle applies to acoustic performance.

The acoustic treatment, materials, coverage and installation arrangement should be selected according to the requirements of the room.

Early consideration makes it much easier to coordinate the aesthetic, acoustic and compliance requirements as one specification.

AUS Fins is manufactured and assembled in Australia by Acoustic Panels Australia.

Local manufacture is particularly valuable for an architectural product with multiple configuration options because projects aren't always based around a single standard panel.

Sizes, colours, materials, patterns and layouts may need to respond to the architecture.

The current indicative lead time for a standard AUS Fins product is 3–5 weeks, subject to availability and demand, while custom colours and sizes are quoted according to the individual project. Material samples typically have a shorter indicative lead time.

For projects with programme constraints, current lead times should always be confirmed when requesting a quote.

The strongest AUS Fins specification isn't necessarily the most complicated pattern.

It is the configuration that works with the architecture of the space.

Before choosing a design, consider:

Answering these questions early helps turn AUS Fins from simply a decorative panel into a coordinated architectural element.

AUS Fins is designed and manufactured in Australia, bringing together architectural detailing, acoustic treatment and project-specific customisation within one system.

For architects, interior designers, builders and specifiers, the advantage is not simply having another acoustic panel to choose from.

It is having the ability to develop a feature that responds to the design of the room and its acoustic requirements at the same time.

With multiple standard designs, eight profile options, a broad range of materials and finishes, custom configurations and technical specification support, AUS Fins can be adapted to suit the character of the project rather than forcing the project around a single standard appearance.

If you're designing a reception, feature wall, premium workplace, hospitality venue or another commercial interior where acoustic treatment needs to make a visual impact, AUS Fins can bring acoustic performance and architectural expression together.

Send us your plans, dimensions or project brief and our team can help with design selection, materials, colours, quantities and layout.

Contact Acoustic Panels Australia to specify AUS Fins for your project.