Air Shield

Multifunctional Workstation for Purdue University

Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, people should maintain physical distance to protect each other. The layout of the modern office, however, depends on space efficiency and communication with other co-workers. The goal of this project is to consider how employees can stay visibly connected while remaining protected in existing workspace layouts and consider how to use the solution sustainably after the corona pandemic. Air Shield is an attachable dual fan and filter system which serves to purify the air and protect desk occupants by blocking pathogen transmission with air currents.

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Air Shield by Jung Joo Sohn

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Multifunctional Workstation by Jung Joo Sohn

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Jung Joo Sohn Air Shield

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Jung Joo Sohn Multifunctional Workstation

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Purdue UniversityBrand Logo

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Air Shield Multifunctional Workstation Press Releases

Press releases for Air Shield are now accessible in these languages: English.

Air Shield Multifunctional Workstation Translations

Offering a diversity of language options for Air Shield translations: Multifunksionele Werkstasie AF, Stacion Pune Multifunksional SQ, ባለብዙ ተግባር የስራ ጣቢያ AM, محطة عمل متعددة الوظائف AR, Բազմաֆունկցիոնալ Աշխատանքային Կայան HY, বহুকাৰ্যক্ষম কৰ্মস্থান AS, Çoxfunksiyalı İş Stansiyası AZ, Lan-gune Funtzio-anitza EU, Шматфункцыянальная працоўная станцыя BE, বহুমুখী কর্মস্টেশন BN, Višenamjenska Radna Stanica BS, Многофункционална работна станция BG, ဘက်စုံသုံးစွဲနိုင်သော အလုပ်ခုံ MY, Estació de Treball Multifuncional CA, Daghang Gamit nga Estasyon sa Trabaho CEB, Malo Ogwirira Ntchito Zambiri NY, 多功能工作站 ZY, 多功能工作站 ZH, Stazione di Travagliu Multifunziunale CO, Multifunkcionalna radna stanica HR, Multifunkční pracovní stanice CS, Multifunktionel Arbejdsstation DA, Multifunctioneel Werkstation NL, Multifunkcia Laborstacio EO, Multifunktsionaalne Tööjaam ET, Monitoiminen työasema FI, Station de Travail Multifonctionnelle FR, Stèisean-obrach Ioma-ghnìomhach GD, Estación de Traballo Multifuncional GL, მრავალფუნქციური სამუშაო სადგური KA, Multifunktionale Arbeitsstation DE, Πολυλειτουργικός Σταθμός Εργασίας EL, Tenda Mba'apo Hetakuaáva GN, બહુકાર્યાત્મક કાર્યસ્થળ GU, Estasyon Travay Miltifonsyonèl HT, Wurin Aiki Mai Ayyuka Daban-daban HA, Wahi Hana Waiwai Nui HAW, תחנת עבודה רב-תכליתית HE, बहुक्रियात्मक वर्कस्टेशन HI, Chaw Ua Hauj Lwm Ntau Lub Hom Phiaj HMN, Többfunkciós Munkaállomás HU, Fjölnota vinnustöð IS, Ebe Ọrụ Ọtụtụ Ebumnuche IG, Stasiun Kerja Multifungsi ID, Stáisiún Oibre Ilfheidhmeach GA, Postazione di Lavoro Multifunzionale IT, 多機能ワークステーション JA, Stasiun Kerja Multifungsi JV, ಬಹುಕಾರ್ಯಕ ಕಾರ್ಯಸ್ಥಳ KN, Көпфункционалды жұмыс орны KK, កន្លែងធ្វើការពហុមុខងារ KM, Icyicaro cy'Akazi Gikorwa Byinshi RW, 다기능 워크스테이션 KO, ستێشنی کاری چەندئەرکی KU, Көп функциялуу жумуш станциясы KY, ສະຖານີເຮັດວຽກຫຼາຍໜ້າທີ່ LO, Statio Operis Multifunctionalis LA, Daudzfunkcionāla Darba Vieta LV, Daugiafunkcė Darbo Vieta LT, Multifunktional Aarbechtsstatioun LB, Мултифункционална работна станица MK, Toerana Fiasana Maro Asa MG, Stesen Kerja Multifungsi MS, ബഹുമുഖ പ്രവർത്തന വർക്ക്‌സ്റ്റേഷൻ ML, Stazzjon ta' Xogħol Multifunzjonali MT, Tūnga Mahi Maha-Tūmahi MI, बहुकार्यक्षम कार्यस्थान MR, Олон Зориулалттай Ажлын Станц MN, बहुकार्यात्मक कार्यस्थान NE, Multifunksjonell Arbeidsstasjon NO, Multifunksjonell arbeidsstasjon NB, ବହୁକାର୍ଯ୍ୟକାରୀ କାର୍ଯ୍ୟସ୍ଥଳ OR, څو کاره کاري سټېشن PS, ایستگاه کاری چندمنظوره FA, Wielofunkcyjne stanowisko pracy PL, Estação de Trabalho Multifuncional PT, ਬਹੁ-ਕਾਰਜੀ ਵਰਕਸਟੇਸ਼ਨ PA, Achka Ruwaykunayuq Llamkana Tiyana QU, Многофункциональное рабочее место RU, Nofoaga Galue Tele-Aoga SM, बहुकार्यकार्यपीठम् SA, Višenamenska radna stanica SR, Nzvimbo Yekushanda Ine Mabasa Akawanda SN, گھڻ ڪارائتو ڪم اسٽيشن SD, බහුකාර්ය වැඩබිම SI, Multifunkčné pracovisko SK, Večnamenska delovna postaja SL, Goobta Shaqada ee Hawlo-badan SO, Sebaka sa Mosebetsi se nang le Mesebetsi e Mengata ST, Estación de Trabajo Multifuncional ES, Stasiun Gawé Multifungsi SU, Kituo cha Kazi Chenye Matumizi Mengi SW, Multifunktionell arbetsstation SV, Multifunctional na Workstation TL, Ҷойи кории бисёрфунксионалӣ TG, பன்முக செயல்பாட்டு பணியிடம் TA, Күпфункцияле Эш Урыны TT, బహుళ-క్రియాత్మక వర్క్‌స్టేషన్ TE, สถานีทำงานอเนกประสงค์ TH, ብዙሕ ተግባራት ዘለዎ ናይ ስራሕ መደበር TI, Çok Fonksiyonlu Çalışma İstasyonu TR, Köp funksiýaly iş stansiýasy TK, Багатофункціональна робоча станція UK, کثیر المقاصد ورک سٹیشن UR, كۆپ ئىقتىدارلىق ئىش ئورنى UG, Ko'p funksiyali ish stantsiyasi UZ, Trạm Làm Việc Đa Năng VI, Gorsaf Waith Amlswyddogaethol CY, Multifunksjoneel Wurkstasjon FY, Isikhululo Sokusebenza Esineenjongo Ezininzi XH, מולטיפֿונקציאָנעלע אַרבעטסשטאַציע YI, Ibi-iṣẹ Olopọ-iṣẹ YO, Isiteshi Sokusebenza Esinezinsebenzi Eziningi ZU, Multifunctional Workstation EN, to suit your project's needs.

Air Shield Multifunctional Workstation Media Articles

Leverage our ready-to-publish articles on Air Shield, offered in a range of languages: Korean, Japanese, English, Russian, Chinese (Mandarin), Hindi, French, Italian, Dutch, Turkish, German, Arabic (Standard), Spanish, Portuguese and Indonesian.

Unique Properties

Air Shield is an attachable dual fan and filter system which serves to purify air and protect desk occupants by blocking pathogen transmission with air currents. Fan systems filter a variety of air impurities, good for mitigating pathogen transmission and reducing allergies, as well as providing mild white noise for acoustic privacy in open office systems.

Tags

Workstation Design, Workplace Design, COVID-19, Air Purification, Air Flow, Air Curtains, Invisible Partitions, Fan Systems

Production Technology

The Air Shield housing is made of extruded aluminum with perforations and molded plastic end caps which are removable for ease in changing the primary air filter. Air Shield uses a dual-fan system to filter and circulate air. The outer fan blades are made of HEPA filters with customized Germ Defense material to purify the air. The inner fan is made from plastic. Both fans run on a motor. The steel screw-clamp is fitted with rubber pads to protect work surfaces.

Design Challenge

The inception of this project was to challenge the use of partitions for safely separating people during the COVID-19 pandemic. The team speculated that after the pandemic had subsided, screens and partitions used to provide physical separation would be removed and sent to landfills, causing harm to the environment. Additionally, mixed recommendations about materials were presented fueled by research that showed the virus lived longer on hard surfaces which are, of course, easier to clean. The team was challenged to consider a workable solution that had benefits and uses beyond the COVID-19 crisis. The biggest challenge in working on this project was that the world was learning about the virus and how to mitigate transmission during the design process. Many theories were proposed, and adopted by government officials, based on known science but there was not enough time to deeply study the behavior of the virus in different conditions. The filtration fan system was developed to purify air. Existing filters are mainly designed to work with vertical fan circulation and are large in diameter. Using this type of filter would result in an imposing fan system on the desk. The compact size of the fan was maintained by combining the filter and fan function.

Project Duration

The project was started in May of 2020 in the United States of America and substantially completed in July with continual updates and revisions.

Operation Flow

Air Shield is easily installed and removed with two screw clamps. A simple push-button operation on the lower right-hand side of the unit powers on/off the Air Shield fan. Motion sensors detect when other people are present to start the air-flow. For example, if someone is sitting on the left side, Air Shield detects them and activates the air curtain from the left side.

Research

Air Shield is the product of a cross-discipline collaboration between a product designer and interior designer to explore resilient, non-temporal, solutions that mitigate the spread of pathogens in workplace environments. Considering a product with potential uses and benefits during and after the COVID-19 pandemic was a primary goal. The team reviewed existing design recommendations for office solutions that mitigate COVID-19 transmission and compared those to global workforce surveys which aggregated perceptions of working-from-home, the desire to return to the office, and perceived obstacles of both. Findings from workforce surveys indicated a continued desire for face-to-face collaboration, especially for those who experience difficulties working from home. Respecting that many companies recently moved through extensive change-management projects to promote social settings, visibility, and interaction in the workplace, flexibility with existing furniture systems and maintaining social aspects of company culture became additional drivers to the solution. Indoor air quality with increased ventilation and air filtration also presented as being of high importance for health, safety, and well-being in interior environments. As such, product ideation began around concepts of on-demand fresh air or filtration systems. The team drew inspiration from healthcare and warehouse environments where air curtains are used to control and contain harmful interior particulates. The final flexible solution provides a sense of safety for people working at their desk environment by helping to contain the spread of airborne pathogens with added “white-noise” acoustical benefits.

Inspiration

Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, people should maintain physical distance to protect each other. The layout of the modern office, however, depends on space efficiency and communication with other co-workers. The goal of this project is to consider how employees can stay visibly connected while remaining protected in existing workspace layouts and consider how to use the solution sustainably after the corona pandemic.

Project Overview

Air Shield Multifunctional Workstation has been a Bronze winner in the Office Furniture Design award category in the year 2020 organized by the prestigious A' Design Award & Competition. The Bronze A' Design Award is given to outstanding designs that showcase a high degree of creativity and practicality. It recognizes the dedication and skill of designers who produce work that stands out for its thoughtful development and innovative use of materials and technology. These designs are acknowledged for their professional execution and potential to influence industry standards positively. Winning this award highlights the designer's ability to blend form and function effectively, offering solutions that enhance people's lives and wellbeing.

Image Credits

For design images and photos please credit Jung Joo Sohn.

Bronze Recognition

Jung Joo Sohn was recognized with the coveted Bronze A' Design Award in 2021, a testament to excellence of their work Air Shield Multifunctional Workstation.

Jung Joo Sohn Press Releases

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Air Shield: Innovative Multifunctional Workstation for Workplace Safety

Introducing Air Shield, a revolutionary solution designed by Jung Joo Sohn to maintain workplace connectivity while ensuring safety during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jung Joo Sohn Newsroom

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