A new collection of soundproof modules from Fantoni make it possible for designers to strike a balance between individual and shared areas in open-plan offices and third spaces.
Fantoni recognizes that our collective perception around the office has changed due to a boost in hybrid working, while also understanding that shared workplaces are productive to our social wellbeing. Since the early days of the pandemic, the Italian design company has committed to remaining agile to this in-progress evolution, carefully considering how its products can best serve the new ways we use space for working. The latest collection to be born from this mission is the Acoustic Room range, which targets the harmonization of socialization and privacy that must be achieved in office interiors.
Giving way to isolated havens for people to do silent, focused work in, or have a private call or meeting, the Acoustic Room products are intended for use in open-plan offices and collective third spaces. Fantoni Research Centre’s design is a ‘box within a box’ with five different modules in varying dimensions, from 120 x 240 x H240 cm to 300 X 607 X H240 cm. The smallest is suited for individuals, while the largest can fit up to six users – ideal for micro-meetings. Mini, a complementary solution, offers a phone booth-style space with the same technical advantages of the larger system.
Fantoni's Acoustic Rooms are tools for approaching open-place workspaces in an agile manner.
Totally soundproof, the modules are fit for use with integrated lighting and ventilation always included. Their acoustic protection comes from 4akustik sound-absorbent panels, propreitary high-performance elements from Fantoni's Acoustic Panelling division. Designers can customize the Acoustic Room (or Rooms) they wish to incorporate in a space, selecting melamine flooring and glass or blind walls or opting for a more simple iteration. Even the exteriors can be tailored, clad in melamine or fabric and bolstered with whiteboards.
With this range, Fantoni hopes to ease the tension between optimal workspace design and the operational realities of real estate and facility management. ‘After the experience of the pandemic, we are called to design low-intensity workspaces to meet healthy workplace culture and accommodate both in-person and remote workers,’ explain the designers. ‘Predicting the changing needs of employees and of the company makes office space planning a challenging task, therefore an emerging and more cost-effective solution is incorporating office pods and booths into office planning.’
