Matthew Schott Industrial Designer
Amalgum Furniture
Research, CMF, 3D Printing, Design for Manufacturing
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Between 2013 and 2023, the average square footage of an
apartment in the U.S shrank from 928 to 916. This places
tenants under greater pressure to consolidate their lives as they battle to retain necessary personal enrichment spaces.
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With the intention of expanding options for renters to adorn smaller living arrangements more efficiently while simultaneously reducing the amount of furniture that competes for floor space, this project aims to provide ambient lighting and vibrant sound in one, neat package.
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Through size and material options, users can configure a product that either fades gently into the background of a room, or that stands boldly out from its' surroundings.
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Further, sizing options allow users to choose the volume of sound they experience with 2, 3, or 5 modular bay variants. Each bay can accept one of several speaker packages or a powered receiver with Blue-Tooth integration for use in a home theatre setup without an independent stereo system.
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Body Color Options
190-4003
Onyx
18-3908
Volcanic Glass
11-4001
Brilliant White
19-4052
Classic Blue
17-1463
Tangerine
19-4003 Malachite
Mohagany
Beechwood
Maple
Screen Material Options
Screen Material Testing
Test Rig, recessed LED strip
Merino/Loose Knit Wool
Linen
Felt
Speaker Foam/Felt
Knit Wool - Various Types
Linen
Suit Wool
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Merino Wool, No Illumination
Originally envisioned in only the 5-Bay model to fill the role of both lamp and speaker, additional 2 and 3-Bay unit sizes offer flexibility for bookshelf and table-top applications.
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Keeping in trend with modern portable and traditional box style speakers, the body of each is made of molded PCR*
or kerf-bent wood for a high degree of recyclability.
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When initially selecting the body and screen materials and colors, users choose to blend each unit into the background of the room, or pull it center-stage with prominent tones.​​
PCR: Post-Consumer Recycled plastic materials.
An optional, powered Bluetooth module offers users direct control without the need for a separate Stereo Receiver.
Essential for speech, 2.5 inch "Mids" offer velvety tones. Pair with 1.5 Inch "Tweeters" for higher pitch sounds.
"Woofers" offer rich bass to fill out the overall sound profile. Alone or in pairs, they fill smaller rooms with ease.
A semi-flexible plastic rib gives the cloth baffle support and snaps to the frame as an interchangeable piece.
The various cloth baffles gently mute harsh tones while not inhibiting the overall volume of the speakers.
Cloth options not only offer aesthetic choices for the piece, but can gently mute the lighting for tuned ambiance.
Analog plugs, the Red and Black sockets on non-Bluetooth speakers, are an industry standard due to the volume of
clean data that can be sent to speakers simultaneously.
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A benefit of modern Bluetooth, the ability to sync multiple
devices in parallel could allow the controlling device to run
2 units in stereo (Left/Right) or surround sound applications.
Prototype: Gen 1
