TEXO Dallas Conference Center

TEXO is the largest construction industry trade association in Texas, serving more than 250 members and up to 20,000 people each year in the vibrant and booming Dallas/Fort Worth area. At the heart of its operations sits the Dallas Conference Center, a hub for members to access world-class communication, collaboration, and training resources. But over time, the center was ready for an upgrade—to better reflect the innovative industry it serves. 

Through fundraising, donations, and support from members and industry partners, the plans for a revitalized conference center started to take shape. TEXO brought the Entos Design team on board with a clear mandate: to not only elevate the space, but create a functional, inspiring environment with a timeless design that could serve the construction industry for years to come. More than just a renovation, this project was about collaboration—a community coming together to build something meaningful. 

This project meant partnering with some of the industry’s top professionals, including Scott + Reid General Contractors. Their plans included specifying a combination of acoustical solutions, including Rockfon Contour stone wool baffles, Rockfon Sonar stone wool ceiling tiles and Rockfon Planostile D metal ceiling panels to bring this vision to life.

The Goal

The project team aimed to create a multifunctional space—three simple yet elegant boardrooms, each capable of hosting up to 200 people per day for meetings and training sessions. While the rooms needed to strike visitors as aesthetically appealing and function at the highest level, each required a unique design element to distinguish it from the others. Subtle differences that together would create one cohesive experience.

Beyond visual impact, acoustics played an important role. With the space serving multiple functions, the design team prioritized sound-absorbing materials to help control noise.

The Challenge

The Dallas Conference Center is a gathering place for TEXO members and construction professionals to connect and learn. But with age, the center was outdated and uninspiring. The space no longer supported the demands of an industry built on continuous learning, safety training, and skill development – critical elements for attracting and preparing the next generation of talent.

The existing layout also included a significant amount of unusable space. Rather than expanding the building’s footprint, the goal was to reconfigure it by removing underutilized rooms and replacing them with more functional, high-impact areas. Transforming the space within a limited budget and tight resource constraints would require both ingenuity and strategic planning. Product availability would factor into key design decisions, making collaboration and adaptability essential.

Rockfon Contour baffles delivered on every front, seamlessly integrating into the design concept and helping elevate the space with a striking ceiling solution that feels both modern and timeless.

The challenge was to elevate the space – create a striking solution that felt both modern and timeless. The design team needed products that delivered on every front and could be seamlessly integrated into the design concept. They faced the challenge of incorporating linear lighting into the ceiling panels. Through close coordination with the Rockfon team, they developed an effective solution that maintained design integrity and kept within the project's tight timeline.

The Solution

The team specified Rockfon Contour® stone wool baffles, known for their high acoustic performance with absorption up to 8.0 Sabins per unit. Sleek, modern baffles with a smooth matte white finish enhance aesthetics with flexible design options. Rockfon Torsion Spring® metal ceiling tiles were used to create visual interest and define a space. Baffles used at different intervals allowed for design freedom and the suspension system for alignment and simplified installation.

Rockfon Sonar® stone wool ceiling panels delivered a clean, modern look in the third boardroom. Combining exceptional acoustic performance, functionality, and durability, they provide optimal design freedom while maximizing performance. They also feature a noise reduction coefficient rating (NRC) up to 0.95 and ceiling attenuation class (CAC) of up to 35, to ensure enhanced acoustic performance.