Sound Sculpture Inc. (SSI), leading sound artists in themed entertainment, has partnered with Ember Technologies and audio producer Mike Fracassi to create soundscapes for Ember HQ in Westlake Village, California.
Ember is a design-led temperature control brand and maker of the world’s first temperature control mug. In order to build upon the rapid growth that it has experienced over the past few years, the company has opened a new, expanded global headquarters. For the new space, Clay Alexander, Ember’s founder and CEO, came up with a concept that put elements of nature at the forefront, while also reflecting the brand’s aesthetic and its spirit of innovation.
A core feature of the 25,000-square-foot office is the nature-inspired Central Park area, an interior community space with a full-service coffee bar alongside a water feature and an 18-foot tall ficus tree. There is also lush vegetation and floor-to-ceiling windows that extend around the perimeter, giving views of the surrounding oak woodland. The idea of this space was to evoke a sense of connection with the natural world, for a serene and inviting environment where the team can get together and collaborate.
Custom, nature-inspired soundscapes are a crucial component in creating this tranquil atmosphere, and for this, Ember turned to Mike Fracassi and SSI.
Taking inspiration from nature
Fracassi steered the process, developing playback strategies and implementing the material, while SSI was responsible for creating soundscapes. Working together, they developed design concepts that reinforce Alexander’s vision for this innovative space.
On visiting the site, the team saw how much inspiration the interior space takes from the nature that surrounds it. As a result, they came up with a concept for a soundscape that changes throughout the day, triggered by sunrise and sunset.
Firstly, SSI conducted research into the types of sounds that are specific to this type of plant and animal community. For accuracy, they spent two days in a small clearing in a remote canyon, recording a similar woodland environment. This means that the soundscapes within the office are consistent with those heard in the surrounding woodland, effectively “bringing the outside in.”
“When we had our first on-site visit at the new Ember HQ, it immediately became apparent how important it was to Clay to create an inspiring, collaborative place for his team,’ says Ben Herrington, SSI founder and creative director.
“Natural elements were an obvious priority, as was keeping the interior space connected to the surrounding woodland. This understanding fully clarified why Clay was exploring the notion of soundscapes within an office environment and how important it was to help bring the surrounding woodland environment into the space. It allowed us to form a plan consistent with Clay’s broader vision for Ember’s Central Park.”
Capturing the soundscapes of the oak woodlands without traffic or other intrusions was a challenge for the SSI team. The two-day trip into a remote area allowed them to get miles from people and spend enough time there to capture quiet moments at various times of the day.
Making sounds feel natural
When it came to delivery, the soundscape is achieved through thoughtful design and intentional distribution of multi-channel source content into an array of speaker destinations.
Discrete sources highlight different features of the environment, for instance, specific sounds are heard in the tree branches above, and small animals can be heard burrowing and moving near the water feature. There are also “Easter egg” sounds throughout the day, such as passing rainfall and call/response sounds from animals.
Because this soundscape was for a working environment, the team needed to make sure that their work was conducive to collaboration and communication. Therefore, SSI created the soundscape mindful of how people perceive sound in their daily lives. Subtly and nuance were key design factors considered in creating these sonic environments.
In addition, the location of elements within the soundscape (in both time and space) and the use of depth were vital in creating soundscapes that feel natural.
Taking the vision to a whole new level
“Ember is a design-led technology brand with a team full of innovators and creatives,” says Alexander. “When designing our new headquarters, I wanted to blend the outdoors with the indoors and really pull nature inside. Being in nature can be incredibly inspiring and can induce a flow state where your mind can really go into max creativity mode.
“With that said, we wanted to create a fully immersive environment for our people where we can get together and collaborate, and be inspired by the sounds and sights of nature. Mike Fracassi and the team at SSI really delivered on this vision and took it to a whole new level, well beyond my expectations.”
While corporate office spaces differ from themed entertainment venues, soundscapes still
profoundly impact the perception of the environment. In order to successfully incorporate soundscapes, the broad objectives and the core of the creative intent must be understood and respected. It is also vital to take into account the nature of the space and the factors most important to the client.
Just like soundscapes impact themed entertainment experiences, the artful application of carefully designed soundscapes can also articulate this type of environment too, elevating the experience and adding a unique sense of place.
Sound Sculpture Inc (SSI) is directed by Ben and Roy Herrington. The brothers blend vintage sound effects artistry and classic design techniques with developing technologies to create customised sonic creations for compelling experiences.
