Overlay

Overview

Overlay is a system of freestanding, movable walls that helps define space. Ayse Birsel and Bibi Seck designed it to create visual clarity in open-plan offices, so people understand where their best work will happen.

Construction

Overlay can be outfitted with textiles, laminates, glass, markerboards or a custom material, and its Spanner Zone can also take wood slats, perforated metal, a glass mount or a curtain track. The Performance Wall holds and distributes power and data and can mount a digital display. Additional features are a Trellis, Linear Light, Lite Rail and Monitor Mount.

Specifications

Sizes run from 6 ft x 4 ft to 16 ft x 16 ft in 12 in increments. Height without Trellis is 7 ft 6 in and with Trellis 7 ft 10 in.

Defining space by implying space

Overlay gives organizations the agility to evolve on the fly. Two people can move a small application in about two hours without much disruption to the office, and the system avoids the cost of prefabricated walls and the burden of traditional construction.

Urban planning as inspiration

Ayse Birsel and Bibi Seck found inspiration in urban planning concepts and designed Overlay to create a pattern of integrated but distinctive settings that help people navigate the workplace intuitively. Their research showed that people work best with both social buzz and a sense of boundary.