A New Era of the Office with Framery Smart Pods

A vision for the future

It all started in 2018 with the vision for Framery One – the world’s first connected soundproof pod designed first and foremost for video calls. When it was launched in 2021, Framery One became a go-to private space to join a video conference, as virtual meetings rose exponentially across the globe due to the pandemic.

But the workplace evolution didn’t stop when the pandemic ended. Offices everywhere have been profoundly impacted by the rise of remote work, extensive digital integration, and a shift towards more flexible working environments. The autonomy and comfort gained through hybrid working has been matched by a growing desire for autonomy and comfort in office settings as well. 

“These global challenges have accelerated workplace evolution.” 

Samu Hällfors
Framery CEO

“Offices everywhere are filled with hybrid teams, and workdays are filled with virtual meetings. This reflects a fundamental shift in our perception of work, and has sparked a demand for convenient and comfortable professional settings to compete with those of the home office,” says Hällfors. 

Engineering a smarter office

This shifting landscape of working life gave us an opportunity to re-evaluate the way we think about and design our products – and how we can use technology to improve how offices work. The increased complexities of office life require a smarter approach to office design. And a smarter approach to creating spaces that people use to navigate their workday. 

We imagined an office where spaces designed to support a hybrid workforce were always available and easy to book. Filled with private spaces engineered for any type of work, and environments that adapt to the needs and preferences of any user. With every space connected to the cloud, and every person connected to each other.

Accomplishing this vision not only meant developing new pods – it meant developing new technologies to coordinate these pods into the workplace. But integrating technology only works if it improves life for the people who use it. So we did our research, built our infrastructure, and created new technology that actually helps improve the office, and improve the way people work.

Building a smarter office pod

With Framery One as a benchmark, we set out to explore ways to build and combine new technologies into our products – without sacrificing quality or comfort. The challenge was to create a balance between classic Framery engineering, sustainable materials and manufacturing processes, and new advanced features and functionalities that support modern work. 

The new smart pods needed to include the core features of all of our products – A-Class soundproofing, industry leading ventilation, and video-optimized lighting. And the design standards that define Framery, like ergonomic furniture and an array of color combinations would help the pods stand out from the crowd. 

“A smart pod should emphasize the end user and provide superior usability to fulfill the needs of the office worker.”

Timo Inkinen
Head of Product

“Combining privacy with excellent acoustics and ventilation, inviting design elements, and advanced technology allows easy working both inside and outside of the pod,” continues Timo.

The new pods would look and feel like a natural progression in Framery engineering. Our new line of smart pods feature automated lighting and pre-set lighting modes for virtual calls and focus work. A 4G connection enables automatic over-the-air software updates, and integrated bookability functionality. 

Learning from our experience with Framery One, we developed features such as mmWave radar, adaptive ventilation, and an embedded office sound masking system, that run unnoticed in the background. And a high-resolution 8-inch touchscreen panel puts the user in control of their preferred settings.

Developing a smart office operating system

The new user-focused features of our smart pods support a culture of hybrid work – making it easier than ever to get things done at the office. In addition to calendar integration and advanced bookability capabilities, these pods contain integrated technologies that produce real-time data about when they are used, and when they sit empty. 

“Capturing real-time, accurate data from the office is the first step to understanding how to tailor the workspace to the true needs of employees.”

Arto Vahvanen
Head of Digital Offerings & Customer Experience

To provide an accurate picture of the entire workplace landscape, we set out to create a way to collect usage data from any space in the office. The ability to outfit any room with a palm-sized sensor that can easily be installed to any room. This aggregated usage data from the smart pods and the sensors creates an overview of the space usage across the entire organization.

For the first time in the history of the office, facilities managers would now be able to adjust their space to help the people who use it. Using data and analytics to provide the right pods in the right places, and removing the guesswork in office design. 

Pioneering the smart office ecosystem

With the infrastructure in place, our vision of a smart office ecosystem was nearly complete. Office layout could now be optimized based on behavior. Private workspaces can be made available when and where they’re needed. And offices can now meet the demands of hybrid work with Framery smart pods. 

The final step in creating this office ecosystem would be giving employees more control over their workday. A convenient mobile application that makes it easier than ever to find available rooms and pods in real time, reserve spaces on the go, and manage calendar bookings – all in one place. 

And while room-booking applications are nothing new, Framery would be the first company to combine smart pods with digital integration and management. Resulting in a fully-integrated and connected workplace.

Ushering in the era of Framery smart pods

After more than half a decade of designing, developing, and engineering, the vision for a new smart office ecosystem is complete. Framery smart pods and office solutions are here, and ready to improve offices, and the lives of working people, everywhere.

We have made it our mission to empower and enable workers to achieve their best. And we are committed to ensuring that our new line of products are offered at an affordable price point. This commitment serves to democratize the workplace, making it inclusive and accessible to workers and offices globally.

Workplaces everywhere can now adapt to the ever-changing needs of how people work. Offices can grow and adjust to the people who work there. And companies can provide supportive resources, and continue to develop their infrastructure in a sustainable and cost-effective way. 

From revolutionizing office design to engineering innovative technologies, Framery is redefining the workplace one workday at a time. Now, and well into the future.