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We can also do acoustics later!
The underestimated importance of room acoustics – Part 2
“We can also do acoustics later!” – We at apn® acoustic solutions are often only called into a project as “problem solvers” when the acoustic problem is already obvious. The new premises are already in use and suddenly the acoustic problem becomes apparent. The employees are frustrated because it is too loud. “I can’t concentrate, I want to go back to the single office…”
In the best-case scenario, the acoustics have not even been considered; in the worst-case scenario, acoustic measures have already been implemented that do not match the employees’ requirements or tasks. This is “suboptimal” for many reasons. First of all, the problem needs to be solved quickly, which often entails expensive revitalization measures. In addition, employees are already dissatisfied and frustration with the “new” office space is constantly growing.
If no acoustic concept is available, we develop a customized concept that is tailored to the specific office situation. There are numerous ways to influence existing buildings. If acoustic measures already exist, we try to optimize the situation by adding and implementing suitable measures. Elements that were purchased out of ignorance need to be rearranged, replaced, supplemented or readjusted.
An acoustic disaster in the new office complex
An illustrative, albeit sad, example of poor acoustic planning can be seen in a newly refurbished office complex. The employees complained about the acoustics, even though it was a modern new building with open-plan offices and high-quality furnishings. The architect had recognized the importance of acoustics and installed a high-performance absorbing ceiling. Great importance was attached to quiet ventilation and insulating windows. All around, a lot was done to create a quiet environment. But despite these measures, considerable acoustic problems arose.
Our acoustician carried out numerous measurements and determined a speech intelligibility of over 21 meters. The room geometry favored horizontal sound fields in combination with overdamped acoustics. This meant that every conversation, every phone call and even the faintest keyboard clatter could be clearly heard throughout the office. To give you a rough idea of this figure, although it is not an exact value: Our voice spreads out in a spherical shape and carries about 9 meters in free field, without the influence of absorption or reflection. In open-plan offices and especially in modern working environments where different teams work together, the aim is to achieve speech intelligibility of around 5 meters. This guideline comes from the new ISO 22955. This allows teams working together to communicate well, while other teams are not unnecessarily distracted.
VDI 2569 establishes a link between the intelligibility of speech (expressed by the speech transmission index, STI) and our cognitive performance. Studies have shown that with an STI value above 0.5, our short-term memory is strongly influenced by irrelevant speech. This has a negative impact on our ability to concentrate. To create a good acoustic office environment, the STI value below 0.5 should be minimized to 5 meters. In this way, the negative influences of irrelevant speech are dissolved and we are able to concentrate better.
To achieve this, diffusivity is required above all so that the irrelevant speech is transmitted diffusely and disappears in the background noise. In our example, however, the speech transmission was now more than 21 meters. This means that every word spoken by colleagues at the other end of the office could be heard – an absolute nightmare for the employees.
Optimization measures in the office: a balancing act between costs and sustainability
We took various measures to improve the acoustics in a newly refurbished office complex. The simplest solution would have been to remove the ceiling completely and refurnish the room in a targeted and three-dimensional manner. This would not only have meant temporarily closing down the space, but would also have been anything but resource-efficient. Not to mention the additional high conversion costs that would have been incurred.
Instead, we opted for a different optimization measure. Supporting elements were installed on the walls to minimize horizontal sound fields and a sound masking system was introduced. This creates an artificial background noise and has a speech masking effect. We have therefore solved the acoustic problem here.
Well-intentioned acoustic planning resulted in additional revitalization measures and the project costs increased considerably.
You might think that all is well now. Unfortunately, however, another phenomenon is emerging that is having a significant impact on the company: Employees have lost confidence in the new workspaces due to the poor acoustics and the resulting frustration. This leads to a drop in motivation and productivity and therefore has a negative impact on the entire corporate culture.
Frustration and disappointment: the challenges of poor acoustics in the office
A considerable amount of frustration has built up among the employees in this newly furnished office complex. They had to experience the negative effects of a poor acoustic environment. Psychologically speaking, the open-plan area is now “scorched earth”. Statements such as “It was clear that it wouldn’t work. We knew that beforehand. Open-plan areas don’t work” are widespread.
The positive effect that this new office space should normally bring – new motivation, inspiration and lively communication – does not materialize. It will therefore be a major challenge for the company and managers to get these employees back on board. Breaking down the existing barriers and turning the project into a success will require a lot of work and commitment.
Lessons learned from an acoustic misstep: the importance of early planning
What can we learn from this example? Early integration of room acoustics issues is essential. Seek advice from practical experts. Although the office space in our example was mathematically well equipped, the actual requirements were not taken into account. With sound acoustic know-how, such hurdles and stumbling blocks can be avoided in advance.
When we are called to a project, we first get to know our customers. Who is working here? Who will be working here? What do the activities and routes look like? This information helps us to optimize the acoustic concept. Many things can be solved by zoning and defining the room usage characteristics.
Good acoustics in the office are crucial for the well-being and productivity of employees. “We can do acoustics later!”, perhaps. But by involving employees at an early stage and tailoring the acoustics to their needs, expensive revitalization measures can be avoided and the associated added value fully exploited.
Acoustics is more than just an optimal listening experience. Acoustics is an interplay of many details and facets such as room geometry, activity, use of space, furniture and interior.
The advantages of early planning are
- Cost efficiency: savings on expensive revitalization measures, fewer days of absence, cost-effectiveness thanks to holistic space concepts
- Acceptance of the space: Benevolent acceptance of the working environment, psychological added value increases the success of new space and change management concepts
- Appreciation for employees: Increased satisfaction and motivation, the feel-good factor increases enormously, fluctuation decreases
- Optimal acoustic solution: Individual concepts tailored to the room and its usage characteristics as well as to the company itself
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