EchoCloud Ziggy drives visual depth, clear acoustics

Thinking simply leads to big ideas. It also clearly articulates the end goal.

We put that theory to the test when we collaborated with award-winning product designer, Eric Pfieffer, of Pfeiffer Lab to bring you Ziggy, the newest member of our EchoCloud family of acoustic ceiling elements. A hands-on, highly creative California design studio, Pfeiffer Lab’s design philosophy on beauty, sustainability and utility mirrors our own. Focusing our combined efforts on creating a simple, three-piece statement ceiling baffle resulted in a product that drives more visual depth and clear acoustics for high-ceiling spaces.

Its purposeful form hits all the right notes, both meeting and exceeding expectations when you require a minimalist acoustic piece that hangs easily from a variety of ceiling types.

We studied new ways to get more from our celebrated EchoPanel, making the material work harder to absorb the sound you don’t want to hear to ensure a clear, more precise acoustic experience. A rigid, folding pattern emerged supported by two aluminum cross bars. The concept became easily repeatable and ideal for diffusing unwanted sound in large rooms. It also gives designers more ability to visually frame a space from above.

“EchoCloud Ziggy was all about making a unibody monolithic cloud product that would create visual interest and depth in an open, high-ceiling space where ambient sound all-too-often clashes and distracts,” Pfeiffer said. “We aimed for a design that was specifiable, repeatable and easy to install. And Ziggy is a fine example of these three ideas working together in harmony.”

Ziggy’s repeatable qualities also makes for easier end-to-end abutments with no unsightly seams, allowing for longer, continuous designs where needed. Adding an intentional reveal on either side of the cloud is another great way to make a wider, larger overhead design work smarter at attracting the eye.

It’s ideal for smaller spaces as a single cloud, too — especially those conference rooms at the mercy of speaker phone dissonance created by vaulted ceilings.

Knowing we had to cascade simplicity across every facet of Ziggy also drove us toward a two-fold revolutionary install concept: its aluminum cross bars.

“Integrating the aluminum subframe into the design offers an easier way to install the cloud while adding subtle secondary textures that are clean and industrial by their very nature,” Pfieffer said. “We’re thrilled how it turned out, helping to reduce overall build time for projects while similarly elevating visual interest with a multi-material, two-tone aesthetic.”

Getting Ziggy up there — whether affixed to high or complicated ceilings — is as easy as it looks. Simply fold along its creases and slide the aluminum bar through the pre-cut holes in each panel. After that, you can hang the cloud above your space with looped aircraft cable. That’s all it takes.

EchoCloud Ziggy lets you achieve whatever look you’re after with a 27-color palette primed for your unique selection. This vast array of choice, standard across the majority of Kirei products, ensures that color pops where you need it, or blends in with more neutral intention. You can even powder coat the aluminum cross bars as desired for effect.

Ziggy also aligns with our sustainability ethos while expanding the product portfolio.

“It’s always a win to make a Kirei product that supports the cornerstone of our shared guiding principle and its overall net effect — a nearly zero waste product that maximizes a material’s factory sheet size,” said John Stein, Kirei founder and CEO.

Made from Kirei sustainable 12mm EchoPanel material, it meets the requirements for the Living Building Challenge as well as LEED and other green building certifications.

The wonderful charm of EchoCloud Ziggy continues to deliver on the Kirei promise — inspiring beauty in the spaces you’re designing, while inspiring a sustainable approach to acoustic product design, manufacturing and its implementation across the world.