• Office acoustics (acoustic design) affect well-being and productivity.
• Poor acoustics lead to noise distractions, reduced concentration, and stress.
• Advantages of improvements: increased concentration, better communication, reduced echo, enhanced productivity, well-being, and talent retention.
• Suggestions: acoustic consultation, noise-absorbing materials, acoustic panels, specific zones for different uses, and partitions to reduce sound travel.

Comfort, work quality and productivity are top priorities for any workplace and acoustic design has a bigger effect on these factors than you might realise.

In this article, we’ll take a look at why acoustics are important for employee productivity and well-being, along with design tips for reducing noise in the office and creating a more comfortable and productive work environment.

What are office acoustics?

Office acoustics products address how sound waves behave in an office environment, which will positively or negatively affect the workforce. The practice of influencing how sound behaves, reflecting and moving through an office, is referred to as office acoustic design.

Acoustics design is sometimes mistakenly referred to as ‘soundproofing’ but it’s actually more similar to sound absorption and manipulation.

In an office, sound bounces off hard surfaces, making it harder to concentrate and increasing noise levels and reverberation in the workplace. As such, office employees will need to raise their voices to be heard, further exacerbating the problem.

The practice of smart office acoustic design introduces noise reduction techniques and design features to assist with reverberation control, including echo elimination methods and sound absorption implementation. This disturbs the sound paths and reduces distraction by controlling this reflection effect.

Why are office acoustic solutions important?

Different people respond in different ways to their environment. Some people focus more on what their surroundings look like, while others will pay more attention to the sounds going on around them. For the latter group, modern offices and other busy workplaces pose a noisy challenge.

With many offices switching to open-plan layouts, the ease of cross-company communication has improved. This is great news for efficiency and morale, but might have the side effect of increased noise levels in the workspace. This is also coupled with sounds of typing, machines, phones ringing and much more, to create an atmosphere with a constant hum of sound.

For many, this is detrimental to their enjoyment of the office, and consequently their productivity and mood can be impacted. It can also result in ‘noise fatigue’ whereby listeners in this environment will experience tiredness and discomfort.

Other impacts of noise on employee well-being can include:

• Low productivity and work quality
• Increased stress levels
• Reduced concentration
• Ineffective communication
• Absenteeism
• High staff turnover

Luckily, there are a few easy ways to improve workplace acoustics while still benefiting from the aesthetic appeal of an open-plan office.

What are the advantages of office acoustics?

The importance of acoustics for office productivity and employee comfort is greater than you think. As well as improving the experience of the overall workforce, it can be particularly beneficial to those who are neurodiverse or more sensitive to their environment.

Advantages of office acoustic improvements include:

• Increased concentration
• Ease of communication
• Reduces echo and reverberation
• Boosts productivity and work quality
• Improves well-being and mood
• Promotes employee comfort
• Retains talent

Whether it’s improved meeting room acoustics or well-designed open-plan office acoustics, let’s explore the ways you implement design features.

5 ways to improve office acoustics

Everything comes down to design. Here are four key suggestions to improve office acoustics:

Acoustic consultation: The consultants here at Arc Business Interiors will listen closely to the issues your office and workforce are experiencing. We will then establish what your ideal outcome is before suggesting acoustic solutions that are tailored to the needs of your space. This office consultation period is essential for establishing your goals and ensuring the design plans and suggestions can support them.

Materials to absorb excess noise: Flooring covers a huge surface area of an office, and so will have a big impact on acoustic quality. Hard flooring will do little to absorb sound, so instead, opt for carpets or softer materials such as lino or vinyl. These will look and feel more comfortable, plus it will improve acoustics and reduce transmission of noise within the office and to the levels below. Soft furnishings or high-backed chairs can also have a similar effect on sound absorption, while also being welcoming and contributing to the style of the workplace.

Acoustic panels & ceiling baffles: To reduce noise levels and improve acoustics, consider including acoustic panels and ceiling baffles in your office design. Our experts will incorporate acoustic technologies into our fit-outs and redesigns to ensure your office is a comfortable, productive space to work. When it comes to choosing the right acoustic panels for your needs, our team will discuss the options that will best suit.

Create specific zones: When trying to focus, the last thing you need is somebody having a social lunch nearby or a long phone call with a client. In this sense, creating specific zones for specific uses is very important. Office breakout rooms, office kitchens, client meeting rooms – there are many zones that you could create to ensure that louder areas are kept apart from the general workspace. Noisy equipment, such as printers, may be better placed in a room of its own away from the general population. You could also create a policy that phone calls that are predicted to take longer should be confined to a breakout or meeting room. These office pods and meeting rooms can then have acoustic principles applied to them too.

Partitions: Office barriers and office partitions can also reduce sound travelling between areas of the office, whether they be movable screens or more solid, in-built partitions. These barriers don’t have to be stuffy or oppressive, and instead could be chic, contemporary glass to help encourage natural light flow and a feeling of spaciousness, whilst still reducing sound.

For more ideas and inspiration on how to improve office acoustics, simply get in touch with Arc Business Interiors. We specialise in office and workplace fit-outs, renovations and redesigns, and have years of experience creating spaces to enhance creativity, productivity and well-being. We serve businesses throughout the UK — including Leicester, Loughborough, Derby, Nottingham, Northampton, Sheffield and Coventry — so get in touch today.