Enhancing workplace well-being: elevating the feel-good factor

What aspects contribute to improving office life? Undoubtedly, one of these is the ability to isolate oneself from noise to concentrate or simply enjoy some quiet in a wonderful space. While it’s not always straightforward, companies like Abstracta are committed to designing products that enhance quality and well-being in bustling environments.

The desire for moments of respite is a common quest among many individuals. According to a recent survey examining the requirements and anticipations of Swedish office employees, the primary dissatisfaction concerning their workplace revolves around the scarcity of serene areas conducive to concentrated tasks (Demoskop, for MER Arkitekter, 2023). A quarter of respondents expressed their dissatisfaction with the inadequate availability of such spaces for focused work. Abstracta endeavors to address this issue by introducing a variety of new products.

We caught up with them at Stockholm Design Week, where they unveiled two exciting new releases developed in collaboration with award-winning designers Maja Ganszyniec, creator of the Akunok collection, and Khodi Feiz, the mind behind the Vika collection.

“At Abstracta, we’re proud to present an ever-expanding range of carefully designed acoustic solutions that include screens, furniture, quiet rooms, and hybrid products like acoustic lamps. They’re solutions that make a big difference in today’s workplaces. Not only do they increase employee satisfaction; they also offer a flexibility that suits today’s enterprises,” says Linus Berglund, Marketing Director, Abstracta.

This year, the company incorporated lighting, informal and comfortable seating, along with innovative floor screens that establish secluded areas where individuals can gather for discussions or concentrate on their tasks in a tranquil environment.

Akunok collection by Maja Ganszyniec

Renowned Polish designer Maja Ganszyniec is the mastermind behind Akunok. Her design methods include traditional craftsmanship and using natural and recycled materials. The name of her creation for Abstracta cleverly combines “acoustic” and “nook”. Ganszyniec explains, “It’s inspired by the movable walls found in Japanese interior architecture.“

The collection features cozy acoustic seating options in both single and double configurations, a sleek and ingenious floor screen, and two sleek tables. Its design ambitiously addresses two key challenges prevalent in modern workplaces.

Firstly, it aims to enhance sound environments to foster well-being and job satisfaction. Secondly, it strives to provide employees with separate, inviting smaller spaces where they can comfortably focus on their tasks.

Akunok is tailored for dynamic settings marked by bustling noise and activity, such as open-plan offices and co-working spaces. It’s equally suited for enhancing the ambiance of lobbies, libraries, and reading rooms. Additionally, it serves as an effective solution for improving acoustics and introducing spatial diversity in expansive, open environments like malls, train stations, and airports.

The concept comprises generously proportioned and comfortable acoustic seating options available in single and double configurations, an inventive floor screen, and two sleek tables, one circular and the other oval.

Vika collection by Khodi Feiz

The second addition to Abstracta’s lineup for the year is Vika, a product born from a thrilling new partnership between Abstracta and esteemed industrial designer Khodi Feiz, designing his first product for the company. Living and working in Amsterdam, Feiz engages in collaborations with prominent brands such as Alessi, Logitech, Philips, Artifort, and Swedese.

Vika stands out as a sculptural floor screen that effectively addresses both low-frequency and high-frequency sounds while emitting a delightful ambient glow. “It’s another way of thinking about sound and light,” says Feiz. “Vika’s function is to create a calm atmosphere.”

The solution boasts a design that is both simple and ingenious: an elongated floor screen crafted from sound-absorbing felt, cleverly folded into the shape of a wing. This unique structure not only encapsulates and dampens sound but also conceals the screen’s light source.

Emitting a cozy and inspirational glow, the screen features a soft, sound-absorbing core, partially composed of recycled PET bottles, and is enveloped in Texfel acoustic felt.

Vika serves as a versatile solution for dividing large spaces into smaller areas, enhancing the overall soundscape and fostering a tranquil atmosphere — making it an ideal addition to open-plan offices, co-working spaces, and lobbies.