Acoustic Elements for FACT Design
For the US-based company FACT Design,
I design acoustically effective wall and ceiling modules made from recycled PET felt. FACT stands for Folding Acoustic Ceiling Tiles and combines a strong design approach with the aim of making room acoustics easy, affordable and sustainable.
In contrast to my independent works and pop-up projects made from paper and card, these products are developed using 9 mm thick felt. The material is stable and durable, and is precisely cut using a cutting plotter. Angled cuts, for example at 30° or 45°, are also possible. This allows the individual elements to be folded, slotted together and assembled into three-dimensional forms. My vast experience of designing foldable paper structures supports the development of constructive solutions. However, the thickness of the felt requires additional considerations, such as bevelled edges, to ensure volumes can be closed accurately.
The product range includes ceiling modules designed for the widely used US grid system, as well as wall tiles. In the design process, I focus not only on the quality of the individual module, but equally on the overall effect: it is through the interaction of many elements that a distinctive pattern emerges. In many cases, different layout options are possible; here I define and curate particularly effective patterns that demonstrate the full design potential of each tile.
Alongside three-dimensional folded and interlocking modules, there are also designs in which decorative patterns are cut from the felt. These wall or ceiling tiles are backed with an additional layer of felt, often in a contrasting colour. In these designs especially, the combination of multiple tiles is essential: through repetition, a vibrant surface with spatial depth is created.
Design Variations of the TATU Wall Tile
The TATU wall tile is an example of a modular system in which a single base element allows for a wide variety of wall configurations. By rotating, mirroring and shifting the tile, entirely different patterns can be achieved – ranging from calm and rhythmic to dynamic and expressive.
The variations shown illustrate how strongly the visual impression changes purely through arrangement. Light and shadow emphasise the cut-out structures and reveal different shapes and lines depending on the viewer’s perspective. In this way, a single tile becomes a flexible design system for individual interior concepts.
From Artistic Experiment to the FLOW Ceiling Tile
In 2020, I created a series of artistic works from paper and card under the title Transformation. These pieces generate an impression of movement when viewed from changing angles. Due to their spatial structure, forms and shadows shift as one moves past them.
Based on this artistic approach, I was contacted by FACT Design and invited to develop a product suitable for installation as a ceiling module within a grid system. This marked the beginning of our collaboration. The first product I designed for FACT was the FLOW ceiling tile. Similar to my paper works, FLOW also changes its visual impression when you move under a specially designed ceiling. It creates the impression that the modules are changing color. An animation of this effect can be viewed on the FACT Design website.
Project: Acoustic modules for wall and ceiling design
Client: FACT Design
Dimensions of ceiling modules: approx. 24 x 24 inches (approx. 60.96 x 60.96 cm)
Dimensions of wall modules: approx. 12 x 12 inches (approx. 30.48 x 30.48 cm)
Material: recycled PET felt
Designer: Peter Dahmen
Years of creation: 2020–2026