Creativity from crisis.

As a studio, we designed WorkWall as a personal partition in the workplace but also a long term accessory useful for several scenarios. Designed in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, WorkWall is a multipurpose opaque physical barrier that functions as a protection barrier, white board, and privacy divider.

We didn’t want to make a bandaid product for the current crisis, but a new design piece that works now and in the future.

At the beginning of the pandemic Synecdoche, along with other architecture studios, began 3D printing PPE face shields for medical facilities and first responders. While successfully helping supply health care workers with face shields, the team added to the efforts by developing a product that responds to previous and current clients in the small business community working to figure out how to adapt their spaces.

As architects, we were avidly staying up to date on best practices and strategies for a healthy return to the built environment. For desk shield, some of what we’re seeing is reactionary and utilitarian, to the detriment of design and character. Amidst an overwhelming selection of plastic partitions that divide and protect, without doing much else, the WorkWall sets itself apart. The design improves the personal workspace by helping to protect employees and guests from the current pandemic’s airborne particles.

With an immediate need for new protection practices and products, the design considers the long-term impact of materials and use beyond the current pandemic response to the workplace. Small businesses are strained and need equipment that enables them to get back to work safely and affordably. The flexible and adaptive design prioritizes long term use application and stylish details.