Stockholm 2018 – Johan Kauppi designed The Barn & Fences, a silent office furniture collection inspired by Lapland villages. Created for Glimakra of Sweden, the series “has unique properties – a serene combination of sound absorption & transparency.” Explains the designer.

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“A common element in the northern sceneries is the characteristic wooden snow-fence, lined up in rhythmic horizontal rows – a semitransparent pattern, designated to divide the landscape into weather breaking partitions, rather being borders.”.

The fence-inspired room dividers can be be the repeated in rows for dividing and defining temporary workspaces, walkways, flowing forms or zig-zag corners. The system uses high precision shaped hooks to secure the boards and only a few screws are needed to assemble feet and clutch pipes.

“Another common figure is the airy built hey barn. When snow falls and covers the landscape – all sharp corners disappear, giving everything manmade an upholstered look. Just like the corners gets softened, all sharp sounds are muted.”

A silent, yet see through, barn-shaped pavilion can be used for creative meetings but it works also as a a stand-alone writing hut. Suspended lighting fixtures and a flooring made from ash wood complete the design. The collection debuted at Stockholm Furniture and Light Fair 2018.

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The entire furniture family is based on identical acoustic baffles of fabric, mounted at consistent distances, giving the furniture a balanced combination of sound absorption and transparency. Silent open-air elements with soft lines, partitions and patterns – who wouldn´t want to achieve the same characteristics in an open office?

Co-founder of Kauppi&Kauppi duo with roots in the very south and north of Sweden. Johan Kauppi is a multi-disciplinary designer and interior architect working with products, furniture, interiors and concept design.

Glimakra of Sweden is a value-driving company with factors as Scandinavian acoustic higher design, greater flexibility and better quality. With these, we create favourable soundscapes for different types of public spaces.

All photos: courtesy of Glimakra of Sweden.