Sustainable soundproofing options are usually hard to come by but award-winning British designer Henry Swanzy, who is also the founder of Less is Better, has set out to change that with HexBix.
Swanzy relies on a minimal process to make his sustainable soundproofing. To achieve optimal functionality of HexBix, the designer used two materials derived from excess waste—his own furniture scraps (think a lot of wood shavings) and cocoa bean peels supplied by Cornwall-based Chocolarder. Due to the manufacturing process, HexBix has a unique, customizable, and aesthetically pleasing shape which makes the innovation desirable for both commercial and hospitality businesses.
The sustainable soundproofing was lunched at Clerkenwell Design Week in London. Currently, Swanzy is exploring ways to use natural starches as binding agents instead of PVA which can biodegrade "under the right conditions."
Sustainable Soundproofing Systems
Henry Swanzy Created HexBix Out of Wood and Chocolate Waste
Trend Themes
1. Sustainable Soundproofing - Opportunity for developing more eco-friendly and customizable soundproofing alternatives using waste materials and natural binding agents.
2. Circular Design - Creating circular design options for furniture scraps and cocoa bean peels instead of wasting them, while reducing the carbon footprint in the soundproofing industry.
3. Biodegradable Binding Agents - The opportunity to innovate with biodegradable binding agents that can create a more sustainable soundproofing option for hospitality, commercial, and residential purposes.
Industry Implications
1. Interior Design - Developing soundproofing options using waste materials can be a great opportunity for eco-friendly and attractive interior design innovations.
2. Waste Management - HexBix offers an opportunity to reduce waste and contribute to a circular economy by reusing furniture scraps and cocoa bean peels in the soundproofing industry, creating a new market in waste management.
3. Hospitality - Sustainable and customizable soundproofing options like HexBix, made from waste materials, can be a game-changer for the hospitality industry, where noise pollution is a common issue.