Irys, Clestra Hauserman and Steelcase
Dimensions: Irys’ bridge configurations range from 8.5'-long by 8.5'-wide to 34.4'-long-by 12.4'-wide. Offered in two heights of 8' and 8.5'.
Finishes: The bridges’ ceiling, opaque walls, and flooring can be specified in a variety of finishes including wool or synthetic fiber upholstery, natural wood or laminates, and powdercoated steel or aluminum. Glass walls can be specified in electrochromic glass. Swinging and sliding door configurations are available.
Description: As open office plans have become de rigueur, it’s more crucial than ever to ensure that employees have quiet, private areas where they can focus. Irys is a freestanding, modular kit that makes up a variety of pod configurations. A single pod can hold up to four individuals.
Created in a collaboration between HOK Product Design—an independent division of the architecture firm—and French wall partition manufacturer Clestra Hauserman, and distributed in North America by Steelcase, Irys can be assembled in a single day and functions autonomously: Built-in LED lighting, electrical wiring, AV equipment, and a ventilation system operate independently from the larger building’s systems.
Irys is assembled through single or double rectilinear archways (“bridges”) that anchor attachable, enclosed glass walls on the two open sides of the pod. The two opaque walls of the bridges can be fitted inside and out with a Clestra MediaWall, room-booking modules, or whiteboard surfaces. “Whether relocating offices or making adjustments to an existing space, [Irys] gives [users] the opportunity to be as flexible as they need to be,” says Daniel Herriott, director of interior design at HOK, in San Francisco. clestra.com
This article is part of a weekly series spotlighting the latest in innovative products and materials. Read more of ARCHITECT's Objects of the Moment here.
