Serene Noise Purifier by Kyudo Lee is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 Bronze A' Design Award in Lighting Products and Fixtures Design Competition Category.
BronzeLighting· 2026
Serene Noise Purifier
by Kyudo Lee
Client: Kyudo Lee
Bronze A' Design Award Winner in Lighting Category
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #182509The Design
About Serene Noise Purifier
This acoustic noise purifier is a wellness appliance designed to mitigate urban noise pollution. Utilizing Mit's thin piezoelectric speaker technology, it features a flexible membrane integrated with recycled Pet fabrics. Micro microphones detect low frequency sounds, triggering anti phase sound waves to neutralize ambient noise by 30dB. Complemented by ambient lighting, the device replaces traditional audio masking with active spatial purification, creating a quiet sanctuary for modern living.
The Recognition
About the Bronze A' Design Award
Serene Noise Purifier is a Bronze A' Design Award winner, a highly prestigious recognition granted to outstanding designs distinguished by creativity, ingenuity, and astuteness. Bronze winners are amply skillful and strikingly creative artifacts that authenticate the vast experience, imagination, and resourcefulness of their designers. Serene Noise Purifier is expected to be a highly regarded, admired, and cherished object that is notably professional and innovative. This Bronze A' Design Award-winning design incorporates best practices in art, science, design, and technology, and is excellent for its attention to detail. Serene Noise Purifier splendidly satisfies needs, touches desires, charms feelings, and appeals to curiosity.
Interviews
Grand Interview
The Serene Noise Purifier transforms a centuries-old domestic object, the room divider, into an active acoustic instrument that cultivates silence as a designed spatial quality. Is there a particular dimension of the Serene Noise Purifier that you feel has not yet received the attention it deserves, and what would you most want designers, architects, and wellness advocates to understand about what this work represents as a product category that did not previously exist in the home appliance space?
What often goes unnoticed is that the Serene Noise Purifier is not just a furniture piece or an audio device; it represents a paradigm shift toward 'ambient wellness.' I designed it specifically as an acoustic device for those struggling with the relentless noise pollution of urban living. I want architects and designers to view this as an active environmental appliance—much like an air purifier, but designed to cleanse the auditory atmosphere. Ultimately, it redefines 'silence' not as a mere absence of sound, but as a curated luxury and a premium experience in modern homes.
Urban noise pollution is now firmly linked in clinical research to cardiovascular strain, hearing degradation, and chronic stress among city dwellers, yet the interior design industry has largely responded with passive acoustic panels or auditory masking devices. How does the Serene Noise Purifier fundamentally reframe this conversation, and in what ways do you believe the design philosophy embedded in the Serene Noise Purifier could redirect how interior designers and wellness product developers approach acoustic comfort as a primary dimension of healthy living rather than an afterthought?
Traditional passive panels treat noise as an architectural afterthought, merely dampening reflections. Serene reframes this by treating acoustic comfort as a proactive health intervention. By actively neutralizing stress-inducing frequencies, it introduces the design philosophy that acoustic wellness should be an intentional, integrated function of our living spaces, directly contributing to our cardiovascular and mental health. Furthermore, by integrating advanced technology developed at MIT, I wanted to demonstrate the possibility of creating a significantly elevated and better user experience utilizing cutting-edge existing technologies.
The Serene Noise Purifier achieves a 30dB active noise reduction by adapting piezoelectric thin-film speaker technology, a material that originated in academic laboratory research, into a flexible, fabric-based consumer appliance built with recycled PET textiles. How did you navigate the precise engineering and design decisions required to ensure that the Serene Noise Purifier could sustain reliable anti-phase noise cancellation performance within the physical and material constraints of a lightweight, textile-integrated membrane intended for everyday domestic use?
The primary challenge was balancing the rigid constraints of acoustic wave generation with the soft, tactile nature of a domestic room divider. To achieve this, I integrated a paper-thin speaker technology. Through rigorous iterative prototyping, the recycled PET textile was engineered to act not just as a cover, but as an acoustic membrane that complements this piezoelectric thin-film. The precise tensioning and material density were carefully calibrated to ensure structural integrity without compromising the anti-phase noise cancellation performance.
Behind the Design
Press Kit
Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.
- Unique Properties
- To support UN sustainable goals for health and cities, this project protects urbanites from severe noise. An acoustic noise purifier uses MIT's thin speaker technology to neutralize city sounds via a flexible, noise-canceling membrane. Integrated ambient lighting reduces eye strain, complementing this acoustic sanctuary. It transforms spaces into a personal silence retreat, a quiet, protected zone to rest and enjoy daily leisure free from stress.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- The device utilizes MIT’s ultra-thin flexible speaker technology. A piezoelectric thin film is sandwiched between acoustic fabrics made from recycled PET. Micro-microphones detect urban low-frequency noise, triggering the active film to emit anti-phase sound waves to neutralize it. This allows a complex active noise cancellation system to be manufactured as a lightweight, flexible, and sustainable home appliance.
- Tags
- active noise cancellation, acoustic appliance, noise purifier, urban wellness, paper-thin speaker, soundscape control, minimalist screen, silence retreat, health and well-being, sustainable interior
- Production Technology
- The device utilizes MIT’s ultra-thin flexible speaker technology. A piezoelectric thin film is sandwiched between premium acoustic fabrics from recycled PET. Micro-microphones detect urban low-frequency noise, triggering the active film to emit anti-phase sound waves to neutralize it. This allows a complex active noise cancellation system to be manufactured as a lightweight, flexible, and sustainable home appliance.
- Design Challenge
- The primary challenge involved translating MIT's lab-grade piezoelectric speaker technology into a consumer-ready home appliance. Integrating complex electronics into flexible recycled fabrics without compromising the 30dB active noise cancellation performance required precise engineering. Furthermore, shifting from traditional noise masking methods, such as white noise machines, to spatial noise purification required redefining how users approach acoustic privacy in dense urban spaces.
- Research
- The project applied research to mitigate urban noise linked to cardiovascular issues and hearing loss. The methodology included acoustic testing with sound meters and interviews with 20 apartment residents. Results indicated that traditional dividers are ineffective, and continuous white noise machines can exacerbate hearing strain. The key insight was applying MIT's thin speaker technology to a physical membrane, achieving a 30dB noise reduction. This approach impacts society by replacing auditory masking with active acoustic wellness in interior environments.
- Inspiration
- The inspiration stems from the limitation of traditional room dividers. While they provide visual privacy, they are ineffective against urban noise. The goal was to design an acoustic curtain. Inspired by how physical boundaries block wind, the project utilizes MIT's paper-thin speakers to materialize an invisible element, silence. It translates the intangible problem of acoustic stress into a tangible, elegant interior element, actively cultivating a boundary for personal wellness in dense, chaotic cities.
- Project Duration
- Developed over a 16-week research and prototyping period as a Master's thesis project. The process resulted in a physical prototype, which was officially exhibited at Milan Design Week in April 2023. This global showcase validated both its aesthetic design and technical feasibility to the public.
- Operation Flow
- A heavy marble base provides structural stability and features a toe-tap power indicator for intuitive, ergonomic activation. To eliminate bending, the top of the stand integrates dual sliders for noise cancellation intensity and ambient lighting, ideal for night reading or screen use. This thoughtful separation of controls—foot-tap for power, fingertip for precise environmental tuning—allows users to orchestrate a perfect audiovisual sanctuary effortlessly while standing.
- Patents
- This project is the original intellectual property of Kyudo Lee. All rights are reserved under international copyright law. The unique concept, technical integration, and industrial design are currently under review for potential patent protection.
- Team Members
- Kyudo Lee - Personal Project
- Image Credits
- All 3D renderings, product photography, and presentation media are produced by Kyudo Lee. Milan Design Week exhibition photography is credited to Kyudo Lee.
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