Recycled Plastic Shapes Sound And Light In Ninefold Installation
Ninefold: A Distributed Resonant Field is an immersive installation that demonstrates how recycled plastic can actively influence sound, light and spatial perception. Created by design practice Pre- and Post- in collaboration with Jeremy Muller and Misri Patel, the work consists of nine sound-producing objects positioned throughout an exhibition space.
The installation is presented at the Reeves House Visual Arts Center at Woodstock Arts in Woodstock, Georgia, from July to September 2026. It formed part of Plastic Reimagined: Material Agency + Circular Design, an exhibition examining new uses for plastic within circular design.
Geometry Influences Acoustic Performance
Each object was digitally fabricated from recycled plastic. Instead of treating the material solely as a sustainable substitute for virgin polymer, the designers explored its functional and sensory properties. Variations in geometry, material thickness, translucency and surface articulation determine how each object interacts with sound and light.
The plastic forms act as acoustic mediators. Their shape and construction affect how sound propagates through the room, while their translucent surfaces influence how visitors perceive illumination and depth. Material, geometry and acoustic performance therefore operate as parts of one interconnected system.
The project shows how digital fabrication can transform recycled plastic into objects with carefully controlled characteristics. Changing the fabrication parameters allows each element to maintain a distinct formal identity and contribute differently to the overall acoustic environment.
A Distributed Material System
The nine objects produce a series of interdependent harmonic voices that alternate between sustained tones, rhythmic pulses and shifting textures. Networked devices allow the sounds to synchronise, separate and recombine.
Visitors do not experience the work from a fixed listening point. As they move between the recycled plastic forms, sounds overlap, intensify, disperse and recede. The spatial arrangement of the objects is therefore as important as their individual material properties.
By giving recycled plastic an acoustic, visual and structural function, Ninefold moves beyond its use as a decorative or low-value secondary material. The installation presents it as a versatile resource for digitally fabricated, multisensory applications. This approach may offer inspiration for architects, interior designers and product designers investigating recycled polymers for acoustic elements, lighting features and experiential installations.
Source & photos: Pre- and Post-