Scandinavian designers Andreas Engesvik and Jens Fager have created a collection of lightweight pressed-felt room dividers from recycled bottles for office furniture brand Edsbyn (+ slideshow).
The Ease screens comprise layers of the felt moulded over a light internal structure of aluminium tubes and slats of wood.
Andreas Engesvik from Norway collaborated with Swede Jens Fager to create the synthetic felt from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) – the material used for plastic bottles.
The partitions are available as free-standing, table-top and ceiling-mounted versions in a number of colour options. Integrated coat hooks provide added functionality.
"We wanted it to be thin and light visually – like leaves," Engesvik told Dezeen.
"It is a light structure that allows you to move it around, change it and make new configurations. Many of the existing products in the market today are built in a very old-fashioned manner, which makes them heavy and less mobile."
The system uses patented plastic fittings that connect the screens without the need for tools. "We wanted Ease to appear as a structure of elements or modules that you intuitively could read in terms of how they are connected," Engesvik said.
The system has been developed to answer the need for flexibility between private and collaborative spaces in contemporary offices.
"In a rapidly changing world, our offices are being transformed. Many companies are transitioning to activity-based offices, with a focus on space for collaborations and meetings," said the designers.
"Despite this evolution, the need for individual concentration, privacy and spaciousness remains just as important."
More projects by Andreas Engesvik include blankets inspired by the textiles of Norwegian folk costumes and green glass bubbles supported on solid glass stems that resemble trees. Jens Fager previously worked with Edsbyn to design the stackable Feather chair.