Open-plan offices have become increasingly popular in recent years due to their enhanced teamwork and collaborative environment, and now it has become a trend. However, some people also reported side effects, such as excessive background noise.
Sometimes, harder background noise becomes so unacceptable and unignorable that it causes various problems, such as increasing mental stress, fatigue, and headaches. Sounds like talking, horns, phones ringing, or typing can be annoying and distracting, especially when you’re trying to work or thinking deeply.
Acoustic products are the best solution to reduce the office background noise.
How Does Noise Affect Productivity?
A completely silent environment can also impact productivity. It feels unnatural and uncomfortable because of the sounds that will inevitably occur. Similarly, a completely silent office also feels unnatural and painful, so having ambient noise improves our environment and lessens the feeling of unnaturalness.
Studies have shown that low-level background noise can enhance concentration and creative thinking. We present to you some examples of low-level background noise that boost productivity and make the atmosphere comfortable and acceptable.
Noise of certain kinds, such as gentle rain, forest ambiance, the sound of a crackling fire, ocean waves, white noise, and brown noise, helps us focus easily. Some mobile applications are specially designed to produce background noise.
As well as low background noise being beneficial for us, too much noise can also be harmful. Studies show that excessive noise affects the work process. More than half of the employees have presented their ideas that excessive noise makes it hard for them to focus. And ambient noise improves their satisfaction. Too much noise increases stress, making people feel tired or annoyed more quickly.
What are Acceptable Office Noise Levels?
Acceptable noise levels vary depending on the task. But they should be low to allow people to focus on their work. According to the World Health Organisation, acceptable noise levels are 65 dB, and in an office, they should be around 45-50 dB.
People have different levels of tolerance for certain types of sound.
For example, the sound of a phone ringing may not be irritating to one person and can be irritating to another. Different sounds have varying impacts on the human brain. Keeping the sound level in a reasonable range helps improve focus and overall productivity.
So it is tough to find the ambient noise level that is peaceful for everyone.
How to Reduce Noise in Open Plan Offices?
In an open-plan office, some hard noises are difficult to avoid. However, by employing various strategies, such as acoustic wall panels, carpet or rugs, and noise-canceling headphones, the noise level can be significantly reduced.
Hard places reflect sound waves, cause echoes and Reverberation, and impact our daily activities, especially in the office. Whereas soft materials, such as acoustic ceiling and acoustic wall panels, and other sound-absorbing materials absorb sound and prevent it from reflecting. For example, the sound of our footsteps on hard surfaces can be reduced by using rugs.
Background noise can also be reduced by using devices specifically designed for this purpose, such as sound-reducing headphones and white noise generators.
Sound-reducing headphones pick up the external background noise and produce an inverted sound to reduce noise. Moreover, an exceptionally designed sound-reducing material is used to reduce sound in headphones.
Five Best Noise Reduction Products
1. Acoustic Office Screens or Partition Screens
One of the best ways to reduce sound in an open-plan office is to install an Acoustic office screen. Acoustic panels are an effective way to reduce sound. An acoustic office screen is a specialized partition designed to improve sound quality and reduce noise in open-plan workspaces. Using acoustic panels can help reduce the noise for certain activities, such as breakout areas, open spaces, public spaces, and especially privacy. Moreover, it can help us to improve our focus and meditation.
2. Acoustic Fabric Wall Panels
Acoustic fabric wall panels are not only used to reduce noise, but it also increase the attraction of our walls. Because they are easy to install and assemble, they have now become a popular choice. The main reason for their popularity is that it is very flexible.
Acoustic panels are specially designed to absorb sound. They absorb 45% of office noise, helping to maintain an ideal noise level in the office. They prevent sound from reflecting and reduce echoes. An ideal noise level helps to improve our focus and reduce mental stress, leading to a calm, distraction-free atmosphere.
3. Acoustic Desk Dividers
Acoustic desk dividers are basically used in open-plan offices. It is mounted around or between the desks. The primary purpose of an acoustic desk divider in an office is to improve employee efficiency, especially when privacy is required.
Acoustic desk dividers are very effective in creating a quieter and more comfortable environment for employees. In large companies where a quiet space is required for important meetings and other activities, acoustic desk dividers or acoustic room dividers play a crucial role.
The installation of the acoustic desk divider does not require specialized expertise. A single person can easily install them. Their installation is not very complicated; it can be installed with a common screw.
4. Acoustic Ceiling Solutions
Install acoustic ceiling panels in offices that mitigate the ceiling noise. In many offices, teamwork is an integral part of day-to-day business, but often space and layout issues prohibit the number of team pods and meeting rooms.
Employees quickly become frustrated in open-plan offices, companies, and agencies due to the lack of different options. The problem of continuous noise from team members can be solved by installing acoustic ceiling panels.
5. Acoustic Lighting
Acoustic Lighting is an innovative solution that improves both the visual and acoustic environments in offices and other workspaces. It addresses two key needs in modern office design: adequate lighting and noise control.
Acoustic lighting has dual functionality, combining both lighting and sound absorption. You can find many designs of ceiling-mounted acoustic lighting.