The Quiet Revolution: Part 1 | The Challenge of Noise in Modern Workspaces Poor acoustics make it difficult to communicate and even harder to concentrate – affecting productivity, learning, and overall wellbeing. Excessive noise is a major source of workplace stress, impacting both mental and physical health. The assault on your ears can come from traffic outside, mechanical equipment in adjacent spaces and, critically, interactions, phones and voices within the workspace. Coupled with this is an increase in density in open plan offices with bench desking. Banks of people on Zoom/Teams calls can be distracting, even colleagues catching up and chatting can interrupt your focus. Acoustic Design Must Support Different Work Modes As many organizations in North America embrace hybrid work patterns, the challenges increase with people working in different modes. Real estate company JLL’s 2024 U.S. and Canada Design Trends and Cost Guide cited: “A shift towards human-led design is revolutionizing workplaces, placing a strong emphasis on the creation of spaces that facilitate seamless remote and on-site collaboration while promoting focused work.” The JLL Human Experience (HX) survey assessed data from projects in the U.S. and Canada to identify the key HX factors influencing occupier and employee satisfaction. Employees cite the lack of “sound privacy” as well as access to “focused workspaces” and “private workspaces” as key reasons for lower satisfaction rates. With the on-going requirements for predominantly open plan spaces to support flexibility and collaboration, there is a growing need for: ● Quieter zones for focused work to take place, with noise from adjacent spaces kept to a minimum, and ● Meeting rooms with controlled acoustics for confidential or contained conversations, conference calls etc. Designing for Neuroinclusivity Along with consideration for multi-modal ways of working, designers are also being asked to consider neuroinclusive environments – spaces that support the sensory needs of all users. Kay Sargent, director of thought leadership, Interiors, at design firm HOK, and Tom Polucci, firm-wide director of Interiors, presented their research on the relationship between the built environment and sensory processing at the South by Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas last year. Their presentation was entitled “The Future of the Workplace is Neuroflexible,” highlighting opportunities for creating more inclusive workspaces that accommodate neurodiverse individuals. The office soundscape now demands attention: audio clutter is on a par with visual clutter if we are to support productive working for all. Consideration of Acoustics Starts at Design Stage While the functionality and aesthetics of the workspace are key to the designer, today a more holistic view of the occupant experience embraces acoustic comfort. The acoustical environment of a workspace has until now primarily focused on sound absorption to support speech legibility or privacy. However, denser/busier areas in today’s workspaces with a lack of effective sound control, providing distractions for all, has now become a major concern. Clients want and need exceptional performance solutions when it comes to acoustic sound insulation in modern workspaces. Understanding Sound Transmission Class (STC) ratings is important because this data helps designers to achieve the required types of sound isolation in different spaces. STC is a numerical scale and a measurement of the amount of airborne sound energy a product or system prevents from transmitting from one room to another. For this testing, a loud noise is played in one room and a device measures how much of that sound energy is transmitted into the next room. A STC rating of 38-42 is considered good soundproofing for residential, for example. Target STC ratings for traditional commercial spaces and classrooms are typically 40-45, while a STC rating of 50-65 is professional, commercial soundproofing for recording studios, etc. Trusting the Data: Tested & Verified Performance At PurOptima, all our demountable glass wall partition and door systems are independently tested in a UKAS-accredited laboratory. Full test reports are available upon request – helping specifiers accurately compare products and ensure they meet project-specific acoustic goals. Approved data (third party accreditation) from verified laboratories is critical for specification in order both to accurately compare product solutions as well as determine how well a building partition will attenuate (reduce) airborne sound. Christian Mabey, PurOptima’s President says: “We like to work in a consultative manner and therefore information we give out will be based on our testing. Architects and designers can get this information from us, with the documentation that relates to our testing showing objective values that have been measured. This is critical to give clients what they have asked for, for example, a privacy rating to allow for confidential discussions to take place within a broader open environment.” We are pleased to say that PurOptima’s glass wall systems and doors provide market leading acoustical performance – Fact. Our third-party accredited documentation demonstrates sound insulation can be achieved for total privacy up to 53 STC on wall system configurations. Acoustic Design & Sustainability Go Hand-in-Hand Measurable and effective acoustic design can also be critical in meeting project sustainability goals, achieving points for Indoor Environmental Quality in the LEED rating system for example. WELL certification evaluates various elements of the sound environment, including sound level measurements, speech privacy, noise reduction and soundscapes. High performing acoustical solutions bring demonstrable value to clients and the possibility of achieving high LEED and WELL Building Standards cannot be overlooked. With consideration early in the project design and development phase, we can provide for workspaces and classrooms that promote occupants’ well-being, productivity, and communications through effective acoustic design. Further Reading Read more on how we helped Estee Lauder achieve an agile workspace to support collaboration. Find out more on a shift toward human-led design, influenced by the stabilization of hybrid working patterns in JLL’s report here. You can listen to a recording of the The Future of the Workplace Is Neuroflexible here.
