Open-plan offices have become a staple of modern workplaces, encouraging collaboration and making better use of available space. However, they also come with familiar downsides: constant noise, limited privacy, and the challenge of finding a quiet place for phone calls, video meetings, or focused work. Traditionally, solving these problems meant constructing new meeting rooms—an expensive, disruptive, and often permanent undertaking.
A Finnish company called BlockO takes a different approach. Instead of modifying the building itself, it offers a range of freestanding modular meeting pods that can be installed almost anywhere. Available in open and enclosed configurations, the pods are designed to provide everything from single-person phone booths to spacious collaboration areas for small teams, all without requiring major renovations.
A family of modular workspaces
Rather than focusing on a single product, BlockO has developed an entire family of meeting pods tailored to different workplace needs.
At the compact end of the range is the BlockO ONE, a private booth intended for one person. It serves as a quiet space for phone calls, video conferences, or concentrated work, making it particularly useful in busy open offices where distractions are common.
The BlockO TWO provides an open lounge-style workspace for one or two people. Designed for informal meetings, brainstorming sessions, or coffee discussions, it encourages collaboration while still offering some acoustic separation from the surrounding office.
For users who require greater privacy, the company also offers the BlockO TWO Quiet, an enclosed version featuring glazed butterfly doors and enhanced sound insulation for confidential conversations.
Larger teams can choose from the BlockO FOUR and BlockO FOUR+ models, which accommodate up to four people. Both are available in open configurations for collaborative work or enclosed “Quiet” versions that function much like traditional meeting rooms while remaining completely freestanding.
The lineup also extends beyond conventional meeting spaces. The BlockO COZY creates a comfortable lounge environment suitable for relaxation, informal gatherings, gaming, or media viewing, while the BlockO EAZY has been developed with accessibility in mind. Its wheelchair-friendly layout and height-adjustable table are designed to create a more inclusive workspace for employees and visitors with varying mobility needs.
For organizations looking beyond indoor offices, BlockO also manufactures weather-resistant outdoor models capable of seating up to six people. These pods can be installed in office courtyards, campuses, hotels, parks, and hospitality venues, creating sheltered meeting spaces without constructing permanent buildings.
Built for privacy and comfort
The primary goal of a meeting pod is to create a quieter environment, and BlockO places considerable emphasis on acoustic performance throughout its product range.
Open models use sound-absorbing materials to reduce surrounding noise, while the enclosed Quiet versions provide significantly greater speech privacy through insulated construction and acoustic glass butterfly doors. The company has also received Quiet Mark certification, an independent recognition for products designed to minimize noise.
Many enclosed models include integrated ventilation systems that continuously circulate filtered air during occupancy. According to the company, the ventilation combines coarse and fine-particle filtration to help maintain indoor air quality while users are inside the pod.
Another unusual feature is the optional Spectral Blue surface-disinfection system. Rather than relying on ultraviolet light, the technology uses a specific blue-light wavelength designed to continuously disinfect frequently touched surfaces while remaining suitable for occupied environments.
Integrated technology for everyday work
Modern meetings require more than just a table and chairs, and BlockO incorporates several built-in conveniences to support daily office use.
Most models include USB-A and USB-C charging ports alongside conventional power outlets, allowing laptops, smartphones, and other devices to remain powered throughout meetings. Integrated dimmable LED lighting provides a comfortable working environment, while concealed cable management helps maintain a clean appearance.
Many models can also be fitted with optional transport wheels, making it easier to relocate the pods as office layouts evolve. This flexibility makes the system particularly attractive for companies that frequently reorganize departments or expand into new workspaces.
Designed to fit different interiors
Unlike many traditional office booths that prioritize function over appearance, BlockO places considerable emphasis on design and customization.
Customers can choose from a wide selection of upholstery fabrics, laminates, wood finishes, colors, seating arrangements, and accessories to match existing office interiors or corporate branding. The company also offers options for custom logos and branding, allowing organizations to integrate the pods into their workplace identity.
The overall aesthetic leans more toward premium furniture than industrial office equipment, helping the pods blend naturally into reception areas, collaborative spaces, libraries, coworking environments, hotels, restaurants, and educational facilities.
Sustainability is part of the design
Environmental considerations are another recurring theme throughout the BlockO range.
The company states that its products are manufactured using responsibly sourced European materials while aiming to minimize production waste. Offcuts generated during manufacturing are repurposed into other products wherever possible, and BlockO also says it plants one birch tree for every meeting pod produced.
These efforts have contributed to several design and sustainability recognitions, including a Best of NeoCon Sustainability Award and an Archiproducts Design Award.
More than just an office booth
Although meeting pods have become increasingly common in modern workplaces, BlockO differentiates itself by offering solutions that extend well beyond private phone booths.
The product family includes spaces for focused work, team collaboration, accessible meetings, relaxation, hospitality, and even outdoor gatherings. Combined with integrated ventilation, charging facilities, optional surface-disinfection technology, and extensive customization, the pods are designed to serve as flexible alternatives to permanent meeting rooms.
As companies continue to rethink how offices are used, modular workspaces such as these offer a way to add privacy without committing to expensive renovations or fixed construction.
Pricing and availability
BlockO supplies its meeting pods through an international dealer network. The company does not publish standard retail pricing, instead providing customized quotations based on the selected model, finishes, accessories, shipping, and installation requirements.
For reference, UK distributor pricing starts at approximately £6,025 + VAT for the open BlockO TWO, around £6,950 + VAT for the single-person BlockO ONE, and roughly £10,400–£14,100 + VAT for enclosed Quiet models, depending on size and configuration. These figures are intended only as a pricing guide, as costs in other markets may vary depending on customization, shipping, and local installation.
Source: BlockO
