Modulise Extend&Retract: What if your meeting space could change size?
Date 02.09.2026 Author: Stuart Jones
Most workplace meeting spaces are designed around a fixed number.
Four people. Six people. Twelve people.
But the way we use those spaces isn’t fixed at all.
A meeting area that hosts four people in the morning might need to accommodate a project team of eight after lunch, before becoming a larger collaborative space later in the day.
That thinking has led to our latest development at AgileAcoustics: Modulise Extend&Retract.
From 4-person to 12-person in seconds
Built around our Modulise acoustic system, Extend&Retract introduces a simple idea: what if the space itself could expand and contract as requirements change?
Our initial Pergola concept uses a static central section with additional acoustic sections extending from either side.
Retracted, it creates a compact meeting or collaboration setting for around four people.
Extended, the same installation can create a significantly larger space capable of accommodating up to twelve.
Rather than providing several different fixed meeting spaces – each occupying valuable floor area regardless of whether it is being used – one space can potentially perform several different roles.
Designing for change, not just Day One
This is part of a wider question we're exploring at AgileAcoustics.
Why should workplace products remain fixed when organisations are constantly changing?
Teams grow and contract. Departments move. Projects begin and end. Hybrid working changes occupancy patterns. Buildings are refurbished and repurposed.
Yet much of the infrastructure we put into those buildings is designed for one configuration.
We think there is another way.
Extend&Retract builds on the thinking behind our patent-pending Raise&Relocate™ technology, which enables acoustic pods and structures to be raised, moved and repositioned within live environments.
The next step is to explore products that don't just move – but can also change their footprint.
More flexibility from the same floorplate
The potential benefit isn't simply about fitting more people into a meeting.
It's about making commercial space work harder.
Instead of asking:
"How many meeting rooms do we need?"
Perhaps the better question is:
"How many different ways can each space be used?"
A compact four-person collaboration setting could expand for a larger team meeting, workshop or presentation, before retracting again when that additional capacity is no longer required.
For organisations managing large estates, that flexibility could become increasingly valuable – particularly as workplace requirements continue to evolve.
Light, openness and acoustics
Flexibility shouldn't mean creating an enclosed box.
An important part of the Modulise Extend&Retract concept is maintaining a feeling of openness and natural light while introducing useful acoustic separation.
We're therefore exploring options including glazed elements and small roof windows within the fixed section of the structure, helping daylight travel through the workplace while retaining the visual and acoustic characteristics of the Modulise system.
The aim is to create something that feels integrated into the wider workplace rather than isolated from it.
A different way to think about workplace furniture
We're deliberately describing Extend&Retract as a concept in development.
There are engineering challenges to solve and different configurations to explore. That's exactly why we're sharing it.
Some of our most useful product developments have come from conversations with clients, designers, workplace teams and facilities professionals who look at an early idea and immediately ask:
"Could it do this…?"
Those conversations help us develop better products.
Our ambition is straightforward:
Create workplace spaces that flex, include & evolve.
Modulise Extend&Retract is another step towards making that possible.
If you're involved in workplace design, property, facilities or estates, we'd love to know what you think.
Would the ability to change a meeting space from four-person to twelve-person be useful within your workplace?