Sound Masking in Corporate Environments

By TN

Corporate ,
30 Mar

Why You Might Need Sound Masking

“Noise is a common office complaint. Facilities that require sound treatment frequently look to sound masking systems that have been designed to emit low-level, structured white noise through in-ceiling speakers via direct-field technology. The benefits of systems are that they can be zoned to treat specific problem areas and that these zones are invisible. No awkward walls are added, carpeting or absorbent paneling is not necessary- in fact, facility managers can install the systems themselves in a matter of hours for immediate, effective sound coverage!”

International Interior Design Association: What’s that sound?

“Current research says unwanted noise in open-plan interiors can influence worker productivity, employee morale, corporate profits and even—in the case of healthcare facilities—patient outcomes. Some experts use these findings to persuade commercial designers to approach acoustic design with a much broader, evidence-based mindset, where the owner and occupant—not the building—become the center of research and planning.”

Open-Plan Offices Kill Productivity, According to Science

“Here’s some new evidence from a study of more than 40,000 workers in 300 U.S. office buildings–by far the most comprehensive research on this issue. The results, published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology, came to the following conclusion:

“Enclosed private offices clearly outperformed open-plan layouts in most aspects of IEQ (Indoor Environmental Quality), particularly in acoustics, privacy and the proxemics issues. Benefits of enhanced ‘ease of interaction’ were smaller than the penalties of increased noise level and decreased privacy resulting from open-plan office configuration.”

Why Open Offices are Bad for Us

“It’s not just loud and sniffly, open offices are actually hurting our brains.”

“We don’t collaborate like we think”

For many of us, it’s the noise that disturbs us the most. Professors at the University of Sydney found that nearly 50% of people with a completely open office floorplan, and nearly 60% of people in cubicles with low walls, are dissatisfied with their sound privacy. Only 16% of people in private offices said the same.”