The acoustics in offices often leave much to be desired. This is due to current architectural trends and changes in work culture. Together, these factors cause a worsening acoustic environment, which can lead to increased stress and reduced productivity among employees. Investing in good acoustics in the workplace leads to a better work environment, which improves employee performance and satisfaction.

Architectural trends

Modern office buildings increasingly have open spaces with hard surfaces such as glass, concrete and metal that reflect sound waves instead of absorbing them. When sound waves hit a hard surface, they are reflected rather than absorbed, leading to reverberation or echo. In a room with many hard surfaces, sound waves can reflect multiple times before they eventually die out. This can result in increased noise levels and a sense of noise, even when there are few sources of noise. When sound waves are reflected multiple times, this can lead to a distortion of the original sound signal. For speech, this means that the words become less clear, which makes communication difficult (speech intelligibility).

Changes in work culture

The growing popularity of flexible workplaces and shared office spaces is also contributing enormously to an increase in background noise as more people work and communicate in the same space. These areas often have shared tables and shared lounges. Although this setup can promote collaboration and communication, it also leads to increased noise levels due to the constant presence of talking and moving people. Shared office spaces, such as co-working spaces, have become popular among freelancers, startups, and small businesses. By sharing the space with different individuals and teams, various sources of noise are created that contribute to the general background noise. Using phones, meetings, calls, and even typing on keyboards can all contribute to noise levels.

Search for the source:

To improve acoustics, it is essential to make a good diagnosis and find out the source of the noise. Finding out exactly what the sources of the acoustic problems are is difficult. Identifying acoustic problems in the office can be addressed in various ways. For example, you can do the following:

• Observing: pay attention to areas where noise pollution appears to be a problem. These can be places with many employees or a place with a lot of echo, reverb or background noise.

• Request feedback from employees: ask employees to provide feedback about noise pollution. This can be done, for example, through surveys, interviews or interviews. Ask us for an example of a questionnaire!

• Measurements: Use decibel measurements, frequency measurements, or reverb measurements. Or do sound insulation tests. For a good measurement you need specialist equipment and acoustic knowledge. Our specialists are happy to help you.

• Identifying sources of noise: inventory which devices and machines produce a lot of noise.

• Identifying activities: identify what activities are in the room, such as phone calls, meetings, or brainstorming sessions

• Material use and layout: Inspect the materials used in the office (such as hard floors, glass walls, etc.) and the layout of the space. These can contribute to acoustic problems.

By using a combination of the above steps, you get a clear picture of the acoustic problems in the office and the sources of noise. Once you have a good idea of this, you can look for the solution with the most effect! Acoustic solutions come in many shapes and sizes. This includes: wall panels, ceiling panels, partitions, cubicles, lighting and furniture.

Next time, read on about the analysis of your work environment and what solutions are available.

Do you want a good diagnosis and a customized acoustic solution? Then consider the calling in the acoustic advisors by Akoesta. They specialize in assessing and improving acoustics.

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