EchoCloud Ziggy
The prompt for this project was to create a 3D acoustical cloud product that carried visual interest on the ceiling. the product needed to be applicable to small conference rooms or seamlessly grouped to span large open offices. Kirei has an angular, industrial aesthetic. this product needed to fit their product line while providing a new acoustic solution.
Inherent in the prompt were challenges, however the material and manufacturing process also brought their own challenges. The acoustic PET felt is manufactured in metric sizes, so when creating the cut files, the final folded dimensions needed to be modeled to be more palatable for a U.S. audience using standard measurements. This discrepancy in measurements needed to be taken into consideration in pricing, as the yield would be effected by any off cut.
The CNC used to cut the material uses 5 predetermined angle cuts, this needed to be taken into consideration in the early design stages. The angle selection was also very important when creating the cut files.
Thanks to the accurate tolerances of the CNC and the elasticity of the PET felt, the aluminum rails could be press fit to support the structure. In this case, finding an extrusion from a supplier was visually acceptable and more cost effective than creating a novel aluminum extrusion.
Mounting the product was also built into the design, utilizing the aluminum rails that acted as the backbone of the structure. Aircraft cabe was recommended to attach to any of the exposed aluminum tubing on the ceiling side of the product. Not only is this a strong and low profile mounting option, but it is one of the industries standard mounting methods.
Once the design was approved, prototypes were cut, assembled, test installed, photographed, and handed over to the marketing team. This product was launched and has since sold. Effectively adding value to the product line.
