You know how annoying it is when you’re trying to make a phone call in an office and half the building decides to hold an impromptu meeting at the desk next to you; or you are just trying to think, to compose, to get your thoughts together, to read and absorb information or you want to settle down for a quick nap?
Open plan offices are great for interaction between colleagues and being able to see whether the boss is in or out but if you actually want to shut out the noise for a phone call without having to stick your finger in your other ear and shout: “Can you speak up! I can’t hear you!” or actually be able to hear yourself think, they are impossible. In fact trying to find quiet time and space in an open plan office is the way madness lies.
But not any more. The Pod, a new concept in chairs designed by Benjamin Hubert for Dutch manufacturer, De Vorm, has been engineered to cut out ambient noise. Launched in the UK at Tramshed exhibition last week, it is being marketed as perfect for breakout areas in offices or residential projects.
Made from recycled PET and felt, the shell of the chair offers sound dampening properties. And I can vouch for the efficacy of its sound dampening. Sitting in a Pod at Tramshed I was immediately struck by how the ambient noise from a large, busy, brick building immediately lessened. I was able to carry on a conversation with someone standing in front of me but I was unable to hear the responses of someone sitting in a Pod which was sideways on to me and he couldn’t hear me either.
I felt enveloped in privacy and I wished I had a book with me because I didn’t want to leave and not just because I had been on my feet looking at exhibits and trade stands. The Pod is very comfortable to sit in and would be perfect for working in when you need a little peace.
