Press Release
Bronze A' Design Award in Lighting Products and Fixtures Design Goes to Serene Noise Purifier by Kyudo Lee
Kyudo Lee recognized for lighting products and fixtures design by the international grand jury of the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 15, 2026 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has confirmed the Bronze A' Design Award in the Lighting Products and Fixtures Design category for Serene Noise Purifier by Kyudo Lee. The recognition forms part of the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition and was decided through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who scored anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
What the Bronze A' Design Award Means
The Bronze A' Design Award is given to outstanding designs that showcase a high degree of creativity and practicality. It recognizes the dedication and skill of designers who produce work that stands out for its thoughtful development and innovative use of materials and technology. These designs are acknowledged for their professional execution and potential to influence industry standards positively. Winning this award highlights the designer's ability to blend form and function effectively, offering solutions that enhance people's lives and wellbeing.
Regarding Serene Noise Purifier
This acoustic noise purifier is a wellness appliance designed to mitigate urban noise pollution. Utilizing Mit's thin piezoelectric speaker technology, it features a flexible membrane integrated with recycled Pet fabrics. Micro microphones detect low frequency sounds, triggering anti phase sound waves to neutralize ambient noise by 30dB. Complemented by ambient lighting, the device replaces traditional audio masking with active spatial purification, creating a quiet sanctuary for modern living.
About Kyudo Lee
Kyudo Lee is a multidisciplinary industrial designer bridging the gap between environmental sculpture and modern innovation. As an exhibitor at Salone Del Mobile Milano 2023 and a GSMA 2023 Finalist, Lee focuses on creating award-winning human-centric solutions. By seamlessly blending analog craftsmanship with advanced technological prototyping, Kyudo delivers unique designs that solve real-world problems. As an independent professional, Lee is dedicated to developing sustainable and culturally resonant design solutions.
Award Record
This recognition makes Kyudo Lee a winner of 1 A' Design Award.
About the A' Lighting Products and Fixtures Design Award
The A' Lighting Design Award is an international lighting design competition recognizing good lighting designs by best lighting designers and brands worldwide. The competition is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to lighting designers, lighting architects, industrial design studios and lighting product manufacturers from all countries. Entries typically include chandeliers, pendant lights, wall sconces, table lamps, floor lamps and outdoor lights. Awarded lighting designs are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/lighting
About A' Design Award & Competition
A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade organized annually since 2008. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The A' Design Award has a philanthropic mission to advance society through good design by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Entries are peer reviewed and anonymously evaluated by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. The A' Design Prize granted to eligible laureates includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, the upload of a work and the preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. Further information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://dezigners.org/182509
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/182509
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!182509
- Laureate Profile: https://dezigners.org/d/380814
- Further Information from the Laureate: https://www.kyudolee.com/serene
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Serene Noise Purifier
- Function
- Noise Purifier
- Category
- Lighting Products and Fixtures Design
- Discipline
- Industrial Design
- Industry
- Furniture & Home and Electronics & Appliances
- Colors
- Silver, Gray, Dark Gray, Gainsboro and Dark Slate Gray
- Images
- 5
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Kyudo Lee
- Country
- United States of America
- Recognition
- Bronze A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2025 - 2026
- Design ID
- #182509
Credits
- Team
- Kyudo Lee - Personal Project
- Image Credits
- All 3D renderings, product photography, and presentation media are produced by Kyudo Lee. Milan Design Week exhibition photography is credited to Kyudo Lee.
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- To support UN sustainable goals for health and cities, this project protects urbanites from severe noise. An acoustic noise purifier uses MIT's thin speaker technology to neutralize city sounds via a flexible, noise-canceling membrane. Integrated ambient lighting reduces eye strain, complementing this acoustic sanctuary. It transforms spaces into a personal silence retreat, a quiet, protected zone to rest and enjoy daily leisure free from stress.
- Inspiration
- The inspiration stems from the limitation of traditional room dividers. While they provide visual privacy, they are ineffective against urban noise. The goal was to design an acoustic curtain. Inspired by how physical boundaries block wind, the project utilizes MIT's paper-thin speakers to materialize an invisible element, silence. It translates the intangible problem of acoustic stress into a tangible, elegant interior element, actively cultivating a boundary for personal wellness in dense, chaotic cities.
- Research
- The project applied research to mitigate urban noise linked to cardiovascular issues and hearing loss. The methodology included acoustic testing with sound meters and interviews with 20 apartment residents. Results indicated that traditional dividers are ineffective, and continuous white noise machines can exacerbate hearing strain. The key insight was applying MIT's thin speaker technology to a physical membrane, achieving a 30dB noise reduction. This approach impacts society by replacing auditory masking with active acoustic wellness in interior environments.
- Challenge
- The primary challenge involved translating MIT's lab-grade piezoelectric speaker technology into a consumer-ready home appliance. Integrating complex electronics into flexible recycled fabrics without compromising the 30dB active noise cancellation performance required precise engineering. Furthermore, shifting from traditional noise masking methods, such as white noise machines, to spatial noise purification required redefining how users approach acoustic privacy in dense urban spaces.
- Realization and Technology
- The device utilizes MIT’s ultra-thin flexible speaker technology. A piezoelectric thin film is sandwiched between premium acoustic fabrics from recycled PET. Micro-microphones detect urban low-frequency noise, triggering the active film to emit anti-phase sound waves to neutralize it. This allows a complex active noise cancellation system to be manufactured as a lightweight, flexible, and sustainable home appliance.
- Operation and Interaction
- A heavy marble base provides structural stability and features a toe-tap power indicator for intuitive, ergonomic activation. To eliminate bending, the top of the stand integrates dual sliders for noise cancellation intensity and ambient lighting, ideal for night reading or screen use. This thoughtful separation of controls—foot-tap for power, fingertip for precise environmental tuning—allows users to orchestrate a perfect audiovisual sanctuary effortlessly while standing.
- Project Duration and Location
- Developed over a 16-week research and prototyping period as a Master's thesis project. The process resulted in a physical prototype, which was officially exhibited at Milan Design Week in April 2023. This global showcase validated both its aesthetic design and technical feasibility to the public.
- Specifications
- The device utilizes MIT’s ultra-thin flexible speaker technology. A piezoelectric thin film is sandwiched between acoustic fabrics made from recycled PET. Micro-microphones detect urban low-frequency noise, triggering the active film to emit anti-phase sound waves to neutralize it. This allows a complex active noise cancellation system to be manufactured as a lightweight, flexible, and sustainable home appliance.
- Keywords
- active noise cancellation, acoustic appliance, noise purifier, urban wellness, paper-thin speaker, soundscape control, minimalist screen, silence retreat, health and well-being, sustainable interior
