Dana Pucillo on Acoustic Wellness and Sustainable Interiors

The Green Building Matters Podcast with Charlie Cichetti

🎯 The Green Impact Report

Quick take:

This episode uncovers how acoustics, materials, and design intersect to create healthier, more sustainable buildings. Dana Pucillo shares how listening — in design, leadership, and innovation — is transforming interior environments for human wellness.

👋 Meet Your Fellow Sustainability Champion

Dana Pucillo is the Vice President of the Acoustics Division at Carnegie, a leader in sustainable interiors. With a career spanning 30+ years in interior design, commercial manufacturing, and sustainability, Dana champions healthy materials, innovative product development, and people-first leadership — all with a strong New York edge and an artist's heart.

🌱 Breaking Ground on Better Building

In this episode, Dana Pucillo revolutionizes traditional construction approaches:

💡 Key Insight #1: Replacing Fiberglass with Recycled PET in Acoustic Panels

• The Challenge: Fiberglass acoustic panels are industry standard — but come with VOC and chemical binder concerns.
• The Solution: Dana's team transitioned their fabric-wrapped acoustic panels to an American-made, recycled PET core.
• ROI: Maintains acoustic performance while eliminating harmful materials — a big win for sustainability and indoor wellness.

💡 Key Insight #2: Making Acoustics a Wellness Conversation

• The Challenge: Acoustics are often overlooked in building performance and wellness.
• The Solution: Carnegie positions acoustics as a central factor in how people feel in environments like classrooms and healthcare facilities.
• ROI: Improved user experience and health outcomes — acoustics become a strategic part of wellness design.

💡 Key Insight #3: Equipping Specifiers and Facility Managers to Make Healthier Choices

• The Challenge: Budget and lead time constraints push decision-makers toward status quo materials.
• The Solution: Dana's team is building tools and visibility into acoustic solutions that meet budget and sustainability goals.
• ROI: Democratizes green choices for specifiers and facility managers alike — without trade-offs.

🎙 Sustainable Soundbite

"Just because something might look good doesn't mean it's necessarily solving the problem in the best way… we are solutions for our clients."

– Dana Pucillo

🧩 Your Green Building Action Plan

Transform your next project with these steps:

1. This Week: Reevaluate material choices for acoustic performance and health impact.
2. This Quarter: Explore vendors and manufacturers using RPET or other low-VOC, recycled materials.
3. This Year: Develop educational tools or internal guides to help specifiers choose sustainable acoustic solutions.

🔗 Connect & Learn More

🗒 Read the transcript here

🔗 Connect with Dana Pucillo: Website, LinkedIn

🌿 Access full episode resources: Green Building Matters Podcast

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