concept and first tests
Penco, Chile. 2009
“The identity of Chilean design is far from the big brands and their big factories. Chile, being a country in process of development, does not count on major industries that develop and produce sufficient everyday items for its people. This causes that the little tradition and identity that can be found in Chilean design are in care of its craft-workers hands, who by means of inherited techniques from master to disciple, generate the material capital representative for this country.
Mapuguaquén – name that was born as a link to our territory and culture, looking for an own accent – means in Mapudungun “sound of the earth”, and it was created as a proposal that rescues this manufacturing tradition, respecting local identity, and resolving current needs.”
Pictures: Santos Herrera, first Mapuguaquén prototype potter
our Story
the impetus for starting
Berlin, Germany. 2010-2013
This first prototype was shown in the design contest “The intelligent hand” on Designboom (one of the world’s first and coolest design platforms). We did not win, but were covered on the front page of this website, which made the publication go viral all over the world. At that time we actually only had a ‘pretendo type’ which was neither solved designwise nor technically or acoustically.
But after years of receiving emails from people interested in purchasing the speakers, we decided that the challenge of bringing the idea to life would be worth it.
Research & prototype design
Berlin, Germany / Algarve, Portugal. 2013-2014
One of the first great difficulties would be to find a master potter who could manage to make ceramic vessels that were precise enough to “connect” with the industrially made pieces. We were very lucky to meet Ricardo Lopes, a craftsman, trombonist and surf-enthusiast (multi-talented in the arts and in how to live life), who not only had the skills to make the pieces, but also had the sensitivity to make contributions and teach us the secrets of a technique which was new to us.
Pictures: Ricardo Lopes in Olarikaya workshop
First minimum viable product
Berlin, Germany. 2013-2014
After making the first tests in Portugal, Ricardo traveled to Germany twice and we developed more finished versions of our first ideas (at the beginning 3-4 different models). By that time, we had found an electronic engineer, Sebastían González, who was motivated to make the first amplifier prototypes for the speakers. Once we had the first drivers, we could finally assemble the speakers and make first acoustic testings. All our efforts went to achieving a fully functional prototype to be presented to the public, approving if it made sense to continue with this journey, which’s scope we were just realizing.
Pictures: Ricardo Lopes, and Sebastián Gonzalez
First exhibition in Salone Satellite Milan & first awards 😉
Milan, Italy. 2015
After a lot of work, and having only one piece per model to display, (with adapted electronics “borrowed” from other equipments). We were invited by Salone Satellite and supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Chilean government to exhibit our speakers to an international design audience in Milano.
We were one of the simplest and most modest stands, but being there as a team, showing in situ how a cabinet was made on a potters-wheel, and playing our favourite music on the speakers, made us draw a lot of attention and even allowed us to get an honorable mention.
First real acoustic tests
Aachen, Germany. 2016
At this time, we still did not know the full acoustic potential that our speakers could have.
Having a background in design & crafts and a more ideological motivation behind the product, after the overwhelming feedback in Milano we decided to get real guidance from an acoustic engineer. We wrote to the Technical University of Berlin asking for master students who would be interested in working with us, and were surprised to be answered by Dr. Prof. Ing Anselm Görtz, who offered to test our prototypes in his studio in Aachen. The results of material and shape were amazing; the density of the ceramic helped to minimize natural oscillation, and the rounded asymmetric shape of the cabinet avoided internal annulation (acoustic short circuit – typical problem in squared cabinets) prevents the speaker from resounding or entering the frequency phase.
Pictures: Anselm Görtz & Oli Strauch, in IFAA Aachen
Electronic development
Berlin, Germany / Shenzen, China. 2016-2017
Now we were only missing the ‘heart’ of the speakers, the amplifier.
We searched for months for someone who could develop it from scratch, considering our demands (space, connection panel, etc). We had very specific needs but didn’t have much money to invest in the development, and also only a relatively small first order. (many companies take MOQ starting from 1,000 pieces). Our dream of producing a first series seemed almost unreachable at this time … but in one of the hundreds of emails we sent was answered by Benny Jhu, offering to make a first prototype. From this moment on Benny has become a guardian of the project, solving all types of technical problems with tremendous patience and producing the drivers and amplifiers of our speakers with excellent quality.
Mapuguaquén production!
Nacimiento, Chile. 2017-2018
Thanks to a design grant from the Chilean government (Fondart), we were able to establish ourselves for a year in the south of Chile to give life to the first series of Mapuguaquén speakers. We found all the necessary materials for our production; wool for internal insulation from Isla Huapi and the surroundings of Temuco, recycled wood for the tips and back panels made of raulí and hazelnut in Villarica at the hands of Don Heraldo Mora, leather from a manufacturer in the central south, certified wooden boxes for the outer packaging, in combination with the excellent clay and pottery of Nacimiento at the hands of Marco Barra and his family. During that year we did dozens of tests to understand the shrinkage and firing temperature of the clay, the texture (terra sigillata) and color (dark brown through smoking and oxygen reduction), we contributed in the grounding, finishing and firing process, etc. and parallely continued with the electronic development and testing of the amplifiers in an ‘office’ mounted on ceramic pots.
Fotos: production of the first series in Nacimiento. Material sourcing in the central south of Chile. Artisans & friends team
Crowdfunding campaign
Berlin, Germany / Bio-Bio, Chile. 2018
We had achieved it, we managed to produce a limited series of three of our first prototypes, Mapuguaquén (Mono, Stereo and 2.1), but we were still lacking funds to produce the MOQ of the amplifiers, drivers and everything related to the packaging, so we decided to launch a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter. The campaign was a total success, we managed to reach our funding goal in less than two hours(!), we sold speakers in more than 20 countries and achieved tremendous visibility thanks to all the national and …
… international press. Thanks to all the supporters!!
Finishing the product and delivering the first speakers
Chile / Germany / worldwide 2018-2019
Having sold our first speakers via Kickstarter, we finally had the necessary budget to finish the production. We finished the development of the amplifier, developed the packaging, and agreed a collaboration with the NGO Pronativo to plant two trees for every speaker sold. We put together an assembly team with Claudia and Daniel in Nacimiento; and started to ship and deliver the speakers sold through the kickstarter campaign. Within 2 month we were delivering in Chile, and after 7 month also abroad. Goal accomplished!
Pictures: Clau, Dani, Tavo in Nacimiento; Benny Jhu, and first backers 🙂
More exhibitions & Awards
Chile / Spain / China / UK / Germany / Portugal
Thanks to the visibility that the campaign gave us, we were invited to show our project in various international fairs, forums, competitions and exhibitions, and received recognitions like: finalists in product design at BID (Ibero-American Design Biennial) in Spain, finalist at Grand Design Live, UK, Selection 20 Years Salone Satellite Milan, Winner Consumer Electronics at Green Product Award, Germany, DMY, BuGa, Interzoom and other exhibitions from Haute Innovation, Algarve Design Meeting, International Forum for Rural Innovation. And undoubtedly one that makes us very proud, to be part of the permanent exhibition at the Futurium in Berlin, a museum dedicated to highlighting processes, materials and techniques to build a sustainable future.
Game changer, SoundHub Denmark residence
Struer, Denmark. 2019-2020
At the end of the year 2018 we were contacted by Sound Hub Denmark, with an invitation to become part of a new accelerator program for audio start ups, organized and supported by Bang& Olufsen, Harman lifestyle, Aalborg University & Accelerace. The program included a 3-month scholarship in which we could work with their guidance and technical support, including the Bang&Olufsen acoustic study and development facilities (like ‘the Cube’) and the support of their engineers to improve our product and business model.
Finally, we stayed for more than a year in Struer, improving our product and learning a lot from the experts.
Pictures: Jens Schönemann-Paul in Bang&Olufsen’s Cube, Peter Petersen CEO of SoundHub DK and the first SoundTech Accelerator badge.
New European series Development! Mapu preto
Struer, Denmark / Molelos, Portugal 2020-2021
So we began to devise a first series of speakers made in Europe. Together with the acoustic engineer Peter Chapman, and with the support of Jens Schönemann (30 years engineer at Bang&Olufsen) we analyzed the acoustic potential of our speakers and made all types of tests and changes to improve their frequency response. Mainly controlling the volume of the loudspeakers, adding a new bass-reflex design and making a completely new DSP design. Together with Benny Jhu we also changed the platform of our amplifier, increasing the power, changing the BT to v 5.0 and a number of small improvements and updates.
Parallely we started to work on the cabinet design together with the potter brothers Luis & José Lourosa, making first prototypes of our new ‘Mapu Preto’ and ‘Mapu Soenga’ speakers!
Pictures: Peter Chapman and Jens Schöneman-Paul, at Sound Hub DK
Mapu preto & soenga first production
Molelos, Portugal / Bremen, Germany 2021
When we heard about Molelos and his ancient potters community in northern Portugal, specialised in the traditional black pottery-work and the millennial pit-firing technique ‘Soenga’. and then we met Luís and José Lourosa, who took over the pottery workshop from their grandfather, we were immediately impressed by the perfection of their pieces and decided to join forces. Together we applied for the WORTH! Partnership Program, a Design Development grant by the European Commission that gave us time and resources to work on the finishing of the clay vases, as well as the sourcing of additional parts made of natural materials.
So we developed a new speaker line creating a bridge between tradition and technology, using local materials, ancestral techniques, and a unique regional aesthetic.
Pictures: Luís and José Lourosa in Molelos, Portugal.
the future we are working for
Our project and concept was born to migrate. All over the world there are incredible materials, special technics and unique ceramics; Morocco, Japan, India, Ethiopia, Mexico, Cuba, Italy to name only some of them, and everywhere talented crafts(wo)men are facing the same challenges.
Our dream is to develop further speaker series and other product designs in the near future, following the same principles of ‘heritage- led-innovation’. We want every series to be unique, inspired in regional aesthetics, materials and production techniques, and to ultimately keep old manufacturing tradition alive through the training of new artisans. We dream of a crafts-revolution! where everyone can be part of the construction of a new future!
