Acoustic Design - What's the hype?
So, what is the need for acoustics in the workplace?
By popular demand, open plan office environments is on the rise. It creates a much smoother work environment and creates a better sense of community; it brings colleagues closer. Due to this rise of open plan design, office noise levels are also increasing, therefore reducing work output. Having soft music playing in the background is one thing, but background chatter is another.
An example of this could be someone working at their laptop in a breakout/café area they have their ipod on and are listening to music at, say, 70 decibels but still happily working and focussed on the work on their PC. The following day they are in the same place but with no ipod, but there is a person on a mobile phone sitting a few metres away talking about their holidays at around 30 decibels. The person on the pc cannot focus on their work and is being distracted by a conversation on the other side of the room. Our auditory senses just 'lock-on' to human voices; it's annoying, I know. Imagine working in a call center with no acoustic panelling...
Once we have established that all sound is not a bad thing and noise is more of a nuisance, we can start to assess the types of issues present in the modern working environment. For one individual, noise issues may stem from one of their colleagues who has a slightly louder voice and is prone to discuss football and his social diary when his colleagues are trying to focus on work. Another person’s issues may be the constant noise from a hyperactive photocopier positioned near their workstation. There are many different solutions out there to deal with the different types of noise.
Below I have outlined some great solutions for sound proofing your office workspace.
The Vitra Workbays
The New Vitra Workbay system provides a modern (and more comfortable) take on the office cubicle. The main difference now is that Workbays are designed as small hubs where office workers can go for shorter periods of time when they need focus or privacy as opposed to the old cubicle system which people were supposed to work all day.
The sound proofing afforded by the Workbay walls allows this workplace solution to be used for a variety of tasks from small meeting areas through to singular bays for touchdown meetings or private calls.
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Orangebox Air Meeting Pods
A great solution for private meetings, or focused work areas is the Orangebox Air. The aesthetic design of AIR is a combination of high quality glass and soft acoustic panelling, creating a greater level of insulation and speech privacy. Interchangeable panels allow you to swap, change and refresh your colours and fabrics anytime, giving Air a unique and fresh look.
It has a revolutionary and internationally patented opening roof system featuring an advanced fire safety system for sprinklered office environments. It closes and opens in 8 seconds and enhances the airflow allowing users to manually control the release of heat build up and enabling instant fresh air.
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Connection Thynk Sofas
The Thynk range of armchairs and sofas provide a sanctuary for personal privacy and contemplation or social interaction within busy offices and public spaces, making it perfect for breakout areas. Thynk can aesthetically coordinate or contrast with a variety of architectural landscapes. Thynk sofas placed facing one another form a small, intimate meeting area - a place of refuge. High backs provide optical and acoustic screening as well as partitioning elements, all with no permanent fixtures, allowing the space to be easily reconfigured.
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Wall Panels
To catch and absorb background noise in general, using acoustic wall panelling is an ideal solution. They usually aren't big and clunky so they won't take up space, and they add an aesthetic feel to your office environment. A popular acoustic wall panel solution is the Offect Acoustic Tiles. They come in a wide range of designs and sizes; just follow the link to see for yourself. The wall panel solution that I prefer is the Ahrend Living Wall, pictured right.
The reason being is that the Living Wall not only acts as acoustic tiling, but also as a place to go during breaks, or to meet colleagues. This is due to its built in seating and desking, and because of the soft panelling, it's comfortable to lean against.
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So in summary, sound or noise control is a key factor in helping to create an effective working environment, and there are many tools available to reduce noise levels. Whilst it is advantageous to reduce specific noise issues we would not advocate trying to massively reduce general office noise levels.
Recent research has suggested that general office noise can help stimulate the brain and help us focus on our work as we associate this background noise with our work environment. Active ergonomics relies on all our senses and body being comfortable that is why a more holistic view of the workplace is necessary. For more information on any aspect of ergonomics or any of the items discussed above, please do not hesitate to call or e-mail us.
Our independent status allows us to research the market place and find the right solution for our clients rather than having to ‘force feed’ a solution from a manufacturing partner. This same independence allows us to negotiate a competitive buy price whilst still maintaining high service levels.