The sound of New Work

New Work. Our designer for room acoustics elements likes to immerse herself in the world of open-plan spaces. For them, “New Work” is not just a short-lived trend. For them, it is an inevitable change in the world of work, which brings with it many different facets. In addition to change management and digitalization, the focus is shifting to space – the place where everything happens. This creates spaces for communication and collaboration that go far beyond mere corporate philosophy and identity. These rooms should inspire and become places of well-being. In recent years, the topic of room acoustics has gained more attention. But according to the latest OFFICE ROXX reader survey “Room acoustics 2023” commissioned by the “Quiet please!” acoustics campaign, one in three office workers still suffers greatly from acoustic disturbances.

Complex sound environments:

New Work spaces are becoming increasingly common in offices. Today’s working environments are following the trend towards openly designed rooms in the form of open spaces. These are very complex sound environments, as two theoretically contradictory activities have to be balanced in relation to the acoustics – oral communication and concentrated individual work. In such spaces, the disruption caused by speech can lead to tension between people who want to concentrate and people who need to speak in order to carry out their work.

The effects of noise on the human body and cognitive performance have already been extensively documented. An acoustically optimized environment not only increases job satisfaction, it also leads to increased performance and lowers stress hormone levels at the same time. This is where it becomes clear: New Work does not work without a good, acoustically balanced working environment.

You can read the full article on LinkedIn.