Designing a Space That Resonates

FACT will exhibit at NeoCon in June and distributes across the U.S. and Canada. Its tiles have made their way into libraries, classrooms and offices, visually delighting customers with unique fractal patterns and audibly changing the environment.

Founder Daniel Monier expounded the design process, how the tiles balance form and function and how the company is positively impacting learning.

What was the inspiration behind founding FACT?

FACT started with a belief that the spaces where we learn deserve more care than they usually get. Too often, acoustics were treated as a checkbox, something you fix after the design is done.

I wanted to flip that. Sound shapes behavior, attention and emotion just as much as light or color. FACT was founded to bring acoustics into the design conversation early, to make ceilings part of how a space teaches, not just how it functions.

A unique aspect of FACT is that we collaborate with and support artists from around the world, turning individual creativity into functional, beautiful ceiling systems. People like paper folding artist Peter Dahmen and origami artist Paul Jackson bring their distinct vision and expertise to our work, and we ensure that collaboration is respectful, meaningful and sustainable. Supporting these artists isn’t just about the designs – it’s about amplifying creative voices globally, giving them a platform and ensuring their craft is honored in every installation.

By combining this artistry with our engineering and acoustic expertise, we create ceilings that are functional, beautiful and emotionally resonant. Every tile carries a piece of human creativity, and that human element makes a real difference in learning spaces.

What are the benefits of installing folding acoustic ceiling tiles – especially in schools?

In schools, sound isn’t neutral. It either supports learning or works against it. Folding tiles help absorb noise while also softening the room visually.

We use folding not as decoration, but as a way to make spaces feel calmer, softer and more human. For students, that means less cognitive fatigue. For teachers, it means voices carry more clearly. And for designers, it means performance without sacrificing expression.

How do your tiles improve acoustics?

We think about acoustics spatially, not just materially. The folded geometry increases surface area and disrupts sound reflections, which reduces echo and improves clarity.

What’s important is that the performance is embedded in the form. You don’t see “acoustic treatment.” You experience a space that simply feels easier to be in.

What is your most popular product, and why do you think it resonates with customers?

Our Fractal tile collection has really resonated, especially in school environments. Fractal patterns show up everywhere in nature – in trees, rivers and clouds – and there’s strong evidence that these patterns can reduce stress and help people feel more at ease. In schools, where students are constantly processing information, that sense of calm is incredibly important.

The Fractal tile introduces variation without visual noise. It creates an environment that feels organic rather than rigid, which can subtly support focus, emotional regulation and overall well-being. Designers appreciate that it aligns with biophilic principles while still delivering real acoustic performance. Fractal patterns quiet the room acoustically and the mind emotionally.

More recently, that same thinking carried into our newest design, Canopy, which we developed in collaboration with Dahmen. Canopy is inspired by the idea of looking up through a tree canopy – layered, rhythmic and protective. The folding isn’t decorative; it’s engineered. Each fold increases surface area for sound absorption while creating a sense of shelter and softness overhead.

In educational spaces, Canopy changes how a room feels. It lowers reverberation, but it also lowers perceived intensity. With Canopy, the ceiling stops being a hard boundary and starts feeling like a place of refuge.

Where do your designers find inspiration, and how do they balance function and beauty?

Our designers often start outside the design world – looking at natural systems, folding structures and even how paper behaves under stress.

But every idea is filtered through a functional lens. If it doesn’t improve acoustics or enhance the experience of the space, it doesn’t move forward. Aesthetics aren’t added on. They emerge from performance.

What has been your favorite example of FACT tiles in a school?

Some of the most meaningful projects are libraries and shared learning spaces, places where collaboration and quiet coexist.

When a ceiling helps a room shift seamlessly from focused study to group discussion, that’s powerful. It’s a reminder that good acoustics don’t just reduce noise. They create flexibility in how learning happens.

Where do you source materials, and how do you ensure quality?

We’re very intentional about our materials. They’re selected for performance, durability and consistency because schools are demanding environments.

Quality, for us, is about trust. Designers and educators need to know that what they specify will perform the same way year after year, even as the space evolves.

What other markets do you serve beyond education?

While education is central to our work, the same principles apply elsewhere including workplaces, cultural spaces, healthcare and civic interiors. Anywhere people gather to listen, think or collaborate, acoustics become part of the experience. The difference in schools is the stakes are especially high.

How often do you launch new products, and what’s your most recent design?

We move thoughtfully. New products come from real observations – things designers and educators are asking for that don’t yet exist.

Our recent designs focus on non-directional patterns and randomness, allowing spaces to feel organic while remaining easy to install and maintain. It’s about giving designers freedom without adding complexity.

What are you most proud of about working at FACT?

I’m most proud that we design with empathy. We think about the student trying to focus, the teacher projecting their voice and the designer trying to balance budget, performance and beauty.

FACT is about creating spaces that feel considered, spaces that support learning quietly, day after day, without calling attention to themselves.