Enter the Quiet Zone: Meet Canopy by KFI Studios and Gensler

If your idea of working smarter (not harder) is scheduling your heads-down tasks for work-from-home days, then you’re going to love Canopy. This innovative freestanding workstation made in the U.S. by KFI Studios with the Gensler design team hit the market in January, and it’s just the solution for tuning out the steady hum of office activity.

Now that Canopy has debuted, the concept may seem obvious in hindsight. But its fully upholstered privacy hood—combining textiles with multidensity foam for sound absorption—is a real game changer. It softens ambient noise, minimizes visual distractions, and creates a dedicated zone for focused work or video calls. Best of all, Canopy achieves all of the above without requiring complete isolation from the team.

“Canopy is a beautifully considered answer to one of the biggest challenges in today’s workplace: how to give people privacy and control in the midst of an open floor plan,” says Chris Smith, CEO of KFI Studios.

It’s no surprise that Gensler's Global Workplace Survey consistently shows acoustics as one of the biggest challenges in today’s offices. Noise and a lack of speech privacy directly undermine productivity and employee satisfaction. “For deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals like myself, it's critical to have various layers of sound absorption in built spaces,” says Jacob DeHahn, presentation specialist at Gensler. “Canopy’s design also  benefits hearing and neurotypical individuals.”

Other key features include a height-adjustable work surface with intuitive controls, integrated dimmable lighting for tasks and to look great on video calls, optional lighting occupancy sensors, and built-in power for devices. The fully upholstered privacy hood can be specified in multiple fabrics, and the lower surround is available in wood veneer, laminate, or upholstery.

“Canopy emerged from a clear gap in the market,” says Daniel Stromborg, design director at Gensler. According to Stromborg, this product addresses two human needs frequently ignored in open environments: the desire for calm and the need for boundaries in a shared space. And Canopy delivers these essentials within a compact and super stylish footprint.

 —Diana Mosher