Many products described as Acoustic furniture promise to give acoustical treatment to open offices. These products imply they can isolate sound, reduce, and absorb noise without the necessity of walls and ceilings. There is a possibility that the word “acoustic” is added to the description of this item as a selling point instead of a proven fact to help reduce sound. Visual characteristics of soundproof materials are added to confuse the buyer without any scientific proof that they actually reduce noise and absorb sound.
If you cannot add enough absorptive furniture or drapery in your space, consider using Acoustic Panels to absorb sound.
It is convenient for places like call centers and computer labs to have open spaces where they can fit more people also avoiding having to hire more supervisors and the list of benefits extend. But for obvious reasons, this is not the most effective method when you have employees trying to concentrate when they have coworkers surrounding them with no walls to avoid the distractions of overhearing conversations and annoying computer sounds.
Solve Acoustic Issues by Using the Four Elements of Soundproofing
Most acoustic problems are created by the absence of walls, using light materials to create separations between spaces, and flanking. The solution to acoustic problems is not to add furniture but instead to use the four elements of soundproofing. Decoupling, Absorption, Adding mass, and Damping are methods scientifically proven to soundproof a room.
Acoustical Furniture & Light Fixtures for Offices
Some offices spaces will only require acoustic treatment, especially if the space was designed with a lot of reflective surfaces. The industrial look has become very popular in office spaces recently – think exposed metal ceilings, brick walls, and polished concrete floors. In in office space like that, it can be almost impossible to have a comfortable conversation in person or on the phone.
Depending on the level of absorption needed, you can consider just using acoustic furniture and light fixtures to acoustically treat the office space. Acoustical furniture typically comes in the form of large booths made using highly absorptive materials such as felt or polyester. Acoustical light fixtures are similar to acoustic furniture, however instead of the light housing being made from plastic or metal, it’s made using polyester.
Although both acoustical furniture and light fixtures can help to absorb echo in a space, some large office spaces with a lot of reflective surfaces will also require acoustic wall panels to significantly reduce the echo.
Soundproof Office Furniture
Remember that acoustic furniture and soundproof office furniture are not the same. Acoustic office furniture works to absorb excess echo while soundproof office furniture is meant to act as a barrier to keep sound from traveling throughout different parts of the office.
Soundproof office furniture can include cubicles that go to the full height of the ceiling, soundproof room dividers and even soundproof phone booths. While cubicles can be helpful, if they don’t go all the way to the ceiling, sound can still travel up and over the cubicle wall. Soundproof phone booths are common in more modern spaces, and allow for a quite area to make a phone call or focus on an important task.
In open office spaces is can be tough to focus on your own work if your can constantly see and hear what all of your coworkers are up to. Although you might have to get approval to spend the money on some high-end soundproof furniture, it may be worth it to help employees focus on their work better.
Improving Speech Privacy without Adding Walls
Many open office spaces require or already have a sound masking system installed. Sound masking systems help to improve speech privacy issues in open and closed offices areas where it’s hard to keep your conversations private, and where it’s hard to focus when you can always overhear your other coworkers.
Sound masking systems are hung either above the ACT grid if there is one, or directly mounted into the gypsum ceiling. The speakers play white noise throughout the space, which works to increase the ambient background noise level. With a louder ambient noise level in a space, you’ll no longer be able to hear noises that would have otherwise been jarring or distracting without the white noise.
Consult an Acoustic Specialist for Office Acoustics
Acoustic is a term more complex than we think that involves formulas and background knowledge about how sound is reflected, transmitted, or absorbed. For this reason, when wanting to soundproof a space, furniture created by people who are not acousticians is not going to help solve the problem. It is better to consult experts in acoustics who can guide your needs and provide products like absorption panels and ceiling clouds that are assured to soundproof.
