Acoustics in co-working spaces: offer the right mix of spaces

The increasing popularity of co-working spaces has significant implications for acoustic design. Where in the past, acoustics were mainly about reducing noise to comfortable silence, co-working spaces are now being designed as “lively and exciting” places.

A distraction takes you more than 23 minutes!

according Gloria Mark research, professor of computer science at the University of California, it takes an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds after a distraction before you get back to focused on the task you were doing. How does this rhyme with a work environment where interruption is not seen as a nuisance?

The right mix of office spaces: activity based

The solution lies in offering the right mix of different spaces within the same office: quiet spaces for concentrated work and lively spaces for fun and informal activities.
Specialized acoustic rooms are also needed. For example, acoustically secured meeting rooms where voice privacy is important or where AV/phone noise needs to be reduced. Also larger spaces where employees can come together and where meetings can be organized. We call this activity-based design: designing the ideal work environment based on the activities and processes that take place within your company. How do you set up your office so that it supports the work in the best possible way?

Acoustic challenges: 2 categories

This mix of different spaces raises acoustic challenges, which can be roughly divided into two categories:

Acoustic challenge 1:
Acoustic buffer zones between rooms

It's important to take acoustics into account early in the design process. A lot can be achieved by planning the layout of your office with a view to acoustics. For example, by using ancillary areas (such as aisles) as buffer zones between quiet and loud areas. This is also often easy to solve with movable partitions, shielding by (acoustic) furniture or acoustic ceiling panels. What often makes co-working spaces more challenging is that there is generally more emphasis on aesthetics than acoustics, often with the wish that open spaces flow seamlessly into each other.

Acoustic Challenge 2:
The right “acoustic feel” for every space

Steelcase research shows that poor acoustics impair concentration and reduce productive time by up to 86 minutes a day, and noise literally makes you sick. It causes stress, higher blood pressure and heart rate, and complaints such as headaches and migraines.

However, there is no single acoustic environment that is suitable for all activities, or even for all individuals. Research has also shown, not surprisingly perhaps, that extroverted personalities prefer working in a louder, more dynamic environment, while introverts work best in a quieter, calmer environment. The trend to build teams with mixed personality types clearly poses challenges in defining a suitable acoustic environment for the entire team! In our experience, the best results are achieved by creating a mix of acoustic environments that can be used depending on how the person is feeling at the moment and the task at hand.

Dynamic environments you generally create by limiting acoustic absorption in the room. So lots of hard, acoustically reflective surfaces, which provide a higher noise level and a livelier atmosphere. This technique is often used by bars and restaurants aimed at a younger target group.

Calmer environments you create by using acoustic absorption. In open offices, the ceiling is usually the most important surface here. A good starting point for creating a peaceful environment is a high-quality absorbent ceiling, either as a standard lattice ceiling or as hanging partitions or rafts. Extra absorption can be added by means of wall panels, room dividers or furniture and/or upholstery.

Would you like to know more about acoustics in the new office environment and the multi-space approach? Then take contact with us. Our specialists are happy to help you.

Watch here our solutions for comfortable working from home or read here more about the changing office environment after corona.

Learn more about the relationship between acoustics and work productivity

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