Description:

“When a tree falls and nobody is around, does it make a sound?”. Music has never been more accessible surrounding us daily, but are we listening? This speaker design was created to bring the rituals and intention of listening to music back while as an object providing value within its context when not in use.

By utilizing resonation-based drivers that create sound through vibration and a cylindrical subwoofer enclosure, it creates a sphere of sound around the product with no set direction meaning the outcome has no front or back. This lets the user place it within its context where it will thrive, not just where it works best creating a more whole environment and space.

The overall form is inspired directly from lines found throughout different landscapes and environments that trees complete their life cycle in, pulling the design ques of solidarity, repetition, movement, and balance. Producing the sound is a geometric shape directed from the suspended forms of foliage, it is created from clear acrylic held together by joints supported by the frame structure, helping balance the visual weight while showcasing the simplicity of the technology as a defining feature. The wires are wrapped and fed through the frame hinting towards a more organic form within the greater geometric surroundings before connecting to the cylindrical housing for the subwoofer which is to represent the strength and foundation of a trunk.

The American Ash found throughout the frame is treated with an Indian ink wash and sanded to a polished finish to provide a simple rich deep black which as the form ages and matures can be re-finished simply with minimal process and waste. This also highlights the grain and imperfect lines in the material itself creating a subtle direction for your eyes to follow as it explores the joints and interactions of materials.

The outcome is a speaker system that lives within its context providing value through use and form. Users interact with the speaker in a curious way focusing their attention on the sound produced taking in the output with further intention.