Modernfold manufactures operable partitions, glass wall systems and accordion doors, distributed and installed through a network of licensed partners. For Midwest Elevator's third training facility, in Kirkwood, Missouri, the work was carried out with distributor Ravensberg alongside Fox Architects and Cissell Mueller Construction.
The project
Midwest Elevator provides vertical transportation services to clients across real estate, healthcare, hospitality, education and senior living. As that portfolio grew, the company decided to bring employee training in house, and purchased a warehouse to be fitted out as a facility for upskilling and reskilling its workforce. The conversion had to turn an industrial shell into a space that could hold training sessions with acoustic separation, and also work as a setting the company would be willing to host clients in.
The product in use
Fox Architects set three conditions for the operable wall: sound control, durability under regular use, and an appearance that would not read as an industrial or utilitarian product. The Acousti-Seal® Legacy® operable wall was specified on the strength of its steel panel construction and its 50 STC rating, which exceeded the performance the project called for.
The finish selection is worth noting for how it was reached. Because Modernfold's standard finish range is broad, the architects were able to specify a Maharam Tek-Wall Tint covering with black trim without an upcharge — a colour and material decision usually associated with custom specification, resolved here within the standard catalogue. The panel faces therefore do the work of setting the character of the room rather than simply closing it off.
Structural resolution
The most consequential technical decision on the project concerned support. Operable walls of this weight generally require a truss system where the existing structure cannot carry the load. With guidance from Ravensberg, the contractor was able to hang the wall from the warehouse's existing steel structure, removing the truss system and its cost from the scope entirely — a saving available in this case because the building was industrial to begin with, and one worth testing early in any warehouse conversion.
The result
The facility is used for employee education and also for corporate events, lunches and hospitality, with the wall dividing or opening the floor according to the day's programme.
| Location | Kirkwood, Missouri, United States |
| Year | 2025 |
| Type of Building | Corporate training facility (warehouse conversion) |
| Architect | Fox Architects |
| Design Team | Ravensberg (Modernfold distributor), Cissell Mueller Construction |
| Product Used | Acousti-Seal® Legacy® Operable Wall |
Technical documentation and brochures for the Acousti-Seal® Legacy® operable wall are available from the manufacturer. Click here to download.
