Face Shield 2.0: adjustable face shields

The project

In April 2020, amid shortages of medical supplies during the spread of COVID-19, Archicercle had produced and donated more than 2,000 face shields to hospitals across Spain in two weeks. Following that initial production, the studio revised the support and fastening straps, focusing on both the fit of the shield and its manufacture and distribution.

The shield combined a rigid acrylic support with an acetate sheet as the front screen. Archicercle’s documented contribution comprised producing and donating the shields and redesigning components of an existing solution; no authorship of the original concept is claimed here.

For version 2.0, the rigid support was made smaller and lighter. The way the upper strap slotted into it was also revised to make fitting easier. The redesign addressed both the geometry of the component and its connection to the other parts.

The side straps incorporated a series of adjustment points, allowing their tension to be altered once the knots required for assembly had been tied. The revision went beyond the shape of the support to address how the shield was assembled and adjusted.

According to the project documentation, these changes improved material use and production time, while reducing the space needed to handle, organise and dispatch the parts. Product development therefore also addressed the initiative’s manufacturing and logistical needs.

Donations to hospitals and other healthcare centres were central to the initiative. The April 2020 communication also presented purchases by companies and businesses as a way to contribute to the cause.

The acrylic support receives the acetate front screen and the upper fastening strap.

Adjustment points on the side straps allow tension to be altered after the assembly knots have been tied.

Processes and materials: fabrication services · available materials · studio machinery.