Paper Partitions
As recent, money-minded, architecture school graduates in the early 2000s, Stephanie Forsythe and Todd MacAllen inhabited a small live/work studio apartment. In sharing the compact space, the two creatives wanted to achieve some semblance of privacy so one person could sleep while the other worked. They aimed to section off the single-room home yet retain its relative openness—which eventually led the duo to invent their signature partitions.
“We were and still are very interested in how buildings can adapt to change over time. Life is very dynamic and our buildings should be too,” says Stephanie. “We started by making really small, little paper models. We originally thought of the paper as more of a modeling material and that we would eventually transition to a real material as [the design] became something full-sized.”
Instead, Stephanie and Todd decided paper was the answer all along, so they founded molo to produce paper products. The first was a prototype of the paper softwall, which realized their vision to create flexible spaces. The accordion-like partition acted as a room divider that could be arranged in any curved or linear shape, thanks to the layers of paper arrayed in a honeycomb structure. Over 18 years later, the Vancouver-based team is still making a version of this original paper piece, and for good reason: The material and the mission are as relevant as ever.
Molo uses paper that is FSC-certified, which ensures that it’s sourced from environmentally conscious and responsibly managed forests, and 100% new fiber, which offers strength and durability. The adhesives and fire retardant used to construct and protect the products are nontoxic, and the manufacturing process is nearly zero-waste. Though the items are meant to have a long life, the paper is recyclable and biodegradable in the end.
Stephanie and Todd also thoughtfully engineer their inventions to maximize material and minimize environmental impact. “We use design and geometry to make the paper go a really long way,” Stephanie says. “Each softwall expands to 100 times its compressed form to become a 15-foot-long, freestanding wall. Flexible space-making is also a sustainable alternative to the wasteful practices of tearing out drywall and remodeling fixed spaces.”
Relevant Website: