Improve acoustics in existing spaces

Often, people don't think about acoustics until they experience a real problem with sound: excessive background noise, too much distraction, or lack of privacy. Acoustic solutions are usually not part of the design process of a building or space right from the start. The good news is that there are very good solutions to thoroughly improve acoustics in existing spaces.

But how do you know the right solution for the acoustic problems in your office? To arrive at the best solution, there are a number of steps you can take. In general, there is no “one size fits all”. This blog is therefore primarily intended to steer you in the right direction to achieve the best acoustic comfort and thus improve your employees' happiness at work.

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Step 1: Detect the source of the acoustic problem

In general, we can say that there are two sources that can cause an acoustic problem: building acoustics and room acoustics.

‍Building acoustics has to do with the building and the transmission of sounds from outside to inside and between structural elements of a building, such as floors and walls. Consider the following situations:

- Sound from outside to inside (e.g. cars, trams, or planes passing by)
- Sound from floors (e.g. footsteps stamping on the upper floor)
- Noise from adjoining rooms, (for example, meetings in meeting rooms next to your workplace)

‍Room acoustics refers to sound within a room or space. Instead of focusing on isolation to prevent the transmission of sounds, the key to room acoustics is absorption. Absorption prevents sound waves from bouncing back and forth in a room. This includes the following examples of complaints in the field of acoustics. We often encounter these complaints in practice.

- Obstacle from chatty colleagues
- Air conditioning and heating
- Disruption due to conversations in common areas
- Difficult to concentrate with too many distractions
- Visual distraction, for example when you sit next to the entrance or reception
- Need for privacy when colleagues can hear conversations

If you recognize any of these problems, you're probably dealing with poor room acoustics. For this, there is a large number of solutions available. Each type of problem requires a different solution. That's why the next step is to define the specific type of acoustic problem you need to solve.

Step 2: Define the type of acoustic problem to solve

The problems that often occur with poor room acoustics are often many, but when you group them together, it comes down to the following:

Reverberation and echo
Reverb is the persistence of a sound after the original sound has stopped. The brain will recognize the sound as one extended event. So when we're talking about sound transmission in a room and sound going from one end of a room to the other, the reverb time is too high - or, in other words, it takes too long for the original sound to “die”. Reverberation sounds can come from people talking, air conditioning, or other mechanical devices such as copiers or printers. Echo, on the other hand, occurs when a beat of sound can be heard two or even more times. In this case, the brain will perceive the sound as separate events. In 99% of the cases, it's the reverb, not the echo, that causes sound problems in workspaces.

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Background noise
Examples of background noise include:

- Talkative colleagues
- Ringing phones
- Mechanical devices such as air conditioning, coffee makers and printers

Background noise - or noise pollution - is one of the biggest causes of:

- Lack of concentration,
- Disrupt productivity
- Hinder well-being and happiness in the workplace

Lack of privacy

In addition to acoustic privacy (e.g. speech privacy), we also deal with visual privacy (e.g. visual distraction). That's why you should consider all aspects of privacy when looking for a solution to privacy complaints, as one solution doesn't automatically solve both issues.

Step 3: Choose a solution for the type of space

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Different activities require different solutions

Finding the most appropriate solution also depends on the activity of the space, whether it's a cafeteria, conference room, lobby, library, open office, auditorium, private office, or restaurant.

When we talk about reverberation time, there is no universal standard that applies to all spaces. The recommended reverberation time depends on the size of the room, the type of activity you want to perform, and the number of people who are usually in the room. Much depends on the activity and the need to concentrate, meet or socialize.
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Soft or hard surfaces‍

Depending on how the space is built, for example with lots of soft or hard surfaces, you need different solutions. If the room already consists of a number of soft, porous materials, such as carpets, rugs, plants, and even people, these elements also help absorb sound waves. In other words, you are already halfway and you need fewer sound-absorbing solutions.
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Distance from hard surfaces

In addition to determining the number of soft materials, another crucial aspect is determining the shortest distance to the hard surface in your space. Why? Sound waves automatically bounce off the nearest hard surface, and knowing where this is helps you decide where to place acoustic solutions rather than placing them randomly in the room. Think of an average conference room with a medium-sized conference table in the middle. When people start talking, the sound waves from their conversations will usually hit the walls or ceiling first, depending on the height. To prevent the sound from bouncing back and forth between the walls, you want absorbent materials on the walls apply.

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Filled or roomy?

In a space that is already occupied by other pieces of furniture, it can be difficult to find space for acoustic solutions. However, often not much happens between floor and ceiling and in rooms like this, it can be a major improvement to use acoustic ceiling panels and acoustic lighting, for example. When you have a more spacious environment, perhaps not yet furnished, you have the chance to choose solutions based on the type of activity of the space. Reconsider the standard meeting setup and use soft lounge seating elements or set two privacy cabins together to keep conversations private. In general, keep in mind that for larger and larger environments, the sound will naturally spread better because the distance from hard surfaces is greater than in a small room.

In general, the more porous materials you have in a room, the less sound transmission will occur. To overcome problems related to background noise, there are many options. Think of partitions, acoustic panels or sound-absorbing lighting. And if you're looking for visual or acoustic privacy, there are also good solutions. Opt for solutions that offer “shelter”, such as phone booths or meeting cubes. You can also think of free-standing elements, such as partitions whether desk walls to divide spaces and reduce sound transmission between specific zones.

In an open office space, adding desk screens to existing desks and furnishing them with cubicals can be a solution to create both acoustic and visual privacy. In large spaces, you can use different zones with room dividers divide or create small imaginary islands with acoustic lighting.

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