It's been a while since we heard anything from Molo, the Vancouver-based design duo that famously brought paper to new heights—or widths, we should say. Architects and founders Stephanie Forsythe and Todd MacAllen, who are "dedicated to the research of materials and the exploration of space making," made a splash with their paper Softwall nearly a decade ago; they followed up with their killer Softseating, and for a period of time it seemed like you couldn't go to a design gallery event or tradeshow without encountering either or both of the products. The ease of transporting the collapsible structures, the strength of their structure, the intelligent use of materials, and the sheer novelty made Molo the darling of design bloggers and racked up a list of design awards nearly as long as the objects themselves.

We've just looked in on them, and found Molo is now touting a new application for their expanding paper creations: Sound dampening. Turns out the right-angle-free, pleated honeycomb shape of their structures provides the perfect physics for sound absorption:

Laboratory testing of softwall's absorption properties show that it scores very well, especially in frequencies of the human voice, in comparison to modern sound absorption tiling and baffles (meeting or exceeding common absorption coefficients) but with the added benefit of being adaptable, storable, and transportable.

Molo sees applications in restaurants, homes and offices, and it seems to us the last option would be the most fun. Never mind the instant-conference-room option; to be able to quickly and efficiently encircle a coworker's cubicle, blocking the sound and even the sight of them, would be way better than the passive-aggressive Post-It-note writing that passes for intra-office sport these days.