deeply influenced by the serene atmosphere of forests, swedish studio kauppi & kauppi has designed a new collection of meeting room pods and pavilions that favor acoustics. positioning itself somewhere between architecture and furniture, the ‘buildup’ series is developed by glimakra of sweden, and takes shape as a selection of units characterized by openness, accessibility, and functionality. 

kauppi & kauppi designs oval meeting pods that favor acoustics for glimakra of sweden
sound-absorbing curtains cover the entrance of the ‘buildup’ pods
all images courtesy of glimakra of sweden, unless stated otherwise

 

 

kauppi & kauppi describes the inspiration behind the project as ‘a forest glade, a calm space embraced by trees, where you are happy to stay a while —a muted restful place, which is never completely quiet’. according to the designers, their vision was to create welcoming, comfortable meeting rooms, that neither close in, nor exclude. they wanted the rooms to offer focus but not necessarily total quietness, and to generate ‘interiors that feel natural to share with others’ as they mention. 

 

 

‘οur design reflects the long tradition and great knowledge of wood production, textile upholstering and acoustic solutions that characterize glimakra of sweden‘ kauppi & kauppi adds. 

kauppi & kauppi designs oval meeting pods that favor acoustics for glimakra of sweden
the designers’ vision was to create airy inviting pods, based on openness and accessibility

 

 

the first launch of the collection presents three pods of different sizes, along with an open pavilion. more specifically, the series introduces a 10 sqm round room for 4-6 people meetings, a 17m sqm oval room for group meetings of 8-10 people, and a 20 sqm oval room for conference meetings of 12-14 people. the space-dividing open pavilion is well suited for informal touch-down meetings or small gatherings.

kauppi & kauppi designs oval meeting pods that favor acoustics for glimakra of sweden
the fabric-covered walls offer an equally good sound absorption on both insides & outsides

 

 

the fabric-covered walls offer an equally good sound absorption on both the interior and exterior, meaning that the meeting rooms also serve as an effective acoustic solution for their surroundings. the walls’ acoustic task is to reduce reverberation time, rather than to achieve complete silence. as a result, the atmosphere inside the pods is restful and muted, while comfortable sound levels from outside are maintained.

kauppi & kauppi designs oval meeting pods that favor acoustics for glimakra of sweden
generous entrances without thresholds welcome everyone

 

the pods feature wide entrances without thresholds – accessible, inclusive, and welcoming for everyone. daylight, or lighting from the surrounding interior, is filtered into the rooms through the wooden roof rafters. to further illuminate the spaces, the sides have been equipped with glare-free LED lighting. if the building where the pods are installed has a sprinkler system, it will function over the pods and pavilions, since the pod roofs are all open beams.

kauppi & kauppi designs oval meeting pods that favor acoustics for glimakra of sweden
the pods are equipped with writing boards, tailored to fit the curved shape

 

 

all ‘buildup’ units have a completely self-supporting construction, which means that no floor, wall or ceiling attachments are necessary. adjustable feet are included to compensate for uneven floors. the pods and pavilions are easy to build, install, and move to a new location if needed. 

kauppi & kauppi designs oval meeting pods that favor acoustics for glimakra of sweden
a metal plinth serves the need for hidden cable routing and accessible power outlets

kauppi & kauppi designs oval meeting pods that favor acoustics for glimakra of sweden
the pods take shape as friendly characters, functioning as architectural furniture

kauppi & kauppi designs oval meeting pods that favor acoustics for glimakra of sweden

the largest oval pod — a space for conference meetings of 12-14 people

kauppi & kauppi designs oval meeting pods that favor acoustics for glimakra of sweden
a round pod for smaller group meetings of 4-6 people

kauppi & kauppi designs oval meeting pods that favor acoustics for glimakra of sweden
the space dividing pavilion, well suited for informal meetings

kauppi & kauppi designs oval meeting pods that favor acoustics for glimakra of sweden
‘buildup’ meeting pods & pavilions first launch includes four shapes
image courtesy of kauppi & kauppi

kauppi & kauppi designs oval meeting pods that favor acoustics for glimakra of sweden
designers’ sketch
image courtesy of kauppi & kauppi

 

 

project info:

 

name: buildup meeting pods & pavilions
designer: kauppi & kauppi
design team: nina kauppi, johan kauppi
producer: glimakra of sweden
development team: niklas dahlman, kari pylkkönen, anders norling, christian dahlström

 

 

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

 

edited by: myrto katsikopoulou | designboom