Office and auditorium acoustics can be tricky to control. Both open-layout offices and auditorium spaces feature large rooms that, unless approached deliberately, can be difficult or impossible to use for their intended purposes. With large footprints, high ceilings, and an abundance of concrete, wood and glass, these types of rooms tend to have acoustical issues such as unwanted background noise and very poor speech intelligibility. Since these types of spaces rely heavily upon maintaining an ability to communicate clearly, treating them for acoustics is essential.
Poor acoustics can create issues that have a negative impact on concentration, productivity and comfort. An overabundance of noise not only makes it difficult to communicate with others, but causes us to naturally raise our voice when speaking to be heard and understood – further contributing to the problem. Some spaces are so loud that occupants experience elevated stress levels, impacting productivity and affecting both our mental and physical well-being.
Solving noise challenges in offices and auditoriums often requires a surgical approach. Designing spaces with acoustical treatment and aesthetics in mind is a great place to start as retrofitting an existing space offers its own set of challenges. Either way, it is ideal to incorporate the right amount and types of acoustical treatments to reduce reflections and reverberation while maintaining your aesthetic vision for the space.
Noise Challenges in Open-Plan Offices
Open-plan offices often experience acoustical and reverberation issues due to people talking and office equipment / computer noise as well as mechanical noises from services like the HVAC system and elevator equipment. When uncontrolled, elevated noise levels combined with reverberation affect the ability of employees to communicate clearly and concentrate on the work at hand. In some cases, it can even lead to increased stress levels that contribute to cardiovascular and mental issues, as well as tinnitus and hearing loss in extreme circumstances. Focusing on open-plan office noise reduction in some key areas reduces the chance that employees will experience these negative effects.
- Reducing background noise and distractions
- Maintaining privacy
- Containing noise from collaborative areas
- Controlling noise from office equipment
- Maintaining employee well-being and mental health
Effective Solutions for Office Noise Reduction
One of the challenges we face in tackling open-plan office noise reduction is the fact that there are typically multiple sources of sound, each as important as the next. The sales team needs to communicate effectively with clients on the phone while groups must be able to collaborate without one disrupting the other. There are several attractive and effective noise control solutions for tackling these unique issues.
Sound-Absorbing Partitions and Wall or Ceiling Panels
One of the most common and effective tools for noise reduction in any type of space is the acoustical panel. These sound absorbing panels are crafted from soft and absorptive materials to reduce sound reflections and dampen sound energy. This combination allows them to significantly reduce the amount of noise in a space.
Sound absorption panels may be mounted directly to walls or ceilings to reduce problematic sound reflections or introduced as partitions that create designated work zones to break up the space visually. Because partitions and dividers do not inhibit the shared air space between workers, they will not reduce sound transmission from one area to the next, but by adding absorption to the room and lowering the ambient noise level in the area, everyone will benefit.
Acoustic Ceiling Tiles
Swapping standard ceiling tiles for higher performing, specialty acoustic ceiling panels in drop ceiling grids can make a big difference in reducing acoustical issues in office spaces. Introducing absorptive products that have higher performance than a standard tile above workspaces helps to control vertical sound waves, improves speech intelligibility, and helps to keep sound from traveling. Specialty drop ceiling tiles with a higher acoustical absorption rating can both look great and, when backed with a dense/heavy vinyl, reduce noise created by overhead mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) systems, which often represent significant sources of ambient noise.
White Noise Machines
In offices that experience too much noise due to conversation or mechanical operation, it’s not always possible to create a completely quiet space. White noise machines are effective at balancing background noise to improve speech intelligibility and protect conversational privacy in offices and conference rooms.
Strategic Furniture Placement
The type of furniture used in the office, as well as its placement, can have an impact on workplace acoustics. Using softer, more absorbent seating options scatters mildly effective sound absorbers throughout the space. This can be especially helpful in reducing reverberation. Heavier furniture can also be laid out so that it blocks sound and creates quiet work zones within the room.
Acoustics in Auditoriums: The Key Issues
Auditoriums can also suffer from poor acoustics. Improperly designed and untreated spaces deliver poor speech intelligibility and uneven sound distribution that can take away from the speaker or performers’ messaging, which can make events less effective. Acoustically treating them for some key issues ensures every word or note is heard clearly from every seat in the house. These issues include:
- Reverberation time
- Sound distribution and coverage
- Speech Intelligibility
- Isolation from external noise
- Bass response
- Noise control inside the space
- Stage acoustics
- Audience seating arrangement
- Architectural considerations
- Technology integration
- Accessibility and inclusion
Solving Acoustic Challenges in Auditoriums
Auditoriums also benefit from the inclusion of the sound absorbing wall panels and other absorptive surfaces. However, due to their unique shapes, high ceilings, and the way auditoriums are used, we often need to incorporate specific products to achieve the desired results in sound quality required by presenters and performers.
Ceiling Baffles and Clouds
In rooms with especially high ceilings, it is often helpful to use acoustic ceiling systems like hanging baffles or clouds. These hanging panels are used to reduce the reflection and reverberation of the space and help to control the overall reverberation time. However, they need to be installed in areas where they will not affect the fire suppression sprinkler system, lighting or HVAC in the room. Because they have more exposed absorptive surface area than a direct-mount panel, they can offer a bit more absorption than an equal amount of a surface mounted panel.
Both baffles and clouds perform exceptionally well in areas where speech or music is projected, near the stage, and over the audience seating area. Additional ceiling clouds are typically used in areas where ceiling reflections represent acoustical problems for certain seating areas.
Diffusers
Diffusers help to distribute sound evenly throughout the room, enhancing the overall auditory experience. There are numerous different types and designs of diffusers that allow for precision scattering of sound waves to maintain sound clarity while preventing echo and dead spots. In auditoriums, they are often placed on ceilings, back walls, side walls, and near the stage for effective acoustic enhancement.
Optimizing Speaker Placement for Even Sound Distribution
Proper speaker placement is crucial for auditorium sound optimization, delivering even sound distribution and preventing issues such as dead spots, hot spots, and poor audio clarity. The height and angle of your speakers will affect not only the prevalence of echo and reflections, but also whether or not everyone in the audience can hear the audio clearly.
Optimizing speaker placement ensures the auditorium is filled with crystal clear sound that is evenly distributed to every seat in the house. Selecting the proper height and angles for speakers depends on the type of speaker setup in use and the specific acoustics associated with the space. Consulting with professionals is the best way to evaluate a space and determine the proper placement of speakers.
The Role of Acoustic Panels in Sound Absorption
Reducing reflections with acoustic panels delivers important benefits. Not only do they deliver speech intelligibility improvement in large spaces, but they also improve acoustic balance and enhance sound quality for the comfort of everyone inside. Keep in mind, though, that different absorptive materials perform differently.
Materials like fiberglass, cotton, mineral wool, fabric-wrapped panels, and perforated wood panels are effective at absorbing mid- to high-frequencies, but unless they are extremely thick, don’t do a whole lot for lower frequencies. For very low-frequencies, bass traps are often required. For those with little experience acoustically treating spaces, working with professionals is the best way to find the right balance of products for unique spaces.
Balancing Aesthetics and Acoustic Performance
While noise reduction is incredibly important in both office space and auditorium acoustics, the products and solutions need to work with the existing aesthetic and decor. Acoustical panels and diffusers that are aesthetically appealing will enhance both the visual and audible qualities of the space. Certain acoustical products are designed to deliver on both fronts.
- Customizable acoustic panels
- Ceiling baffles
- Ceiling clouds
- Acoustic wood panels
- Diffusers
- Recycled and eco-friendly acoustic solutions
Industry Standards for Acoustic Performance
There are some industry standards and best practices surrounding acoustics in both offices and performance spaces. These modern acoustic design practices are aimed at making the space as usable as possible while protecting the health and hearing of occupants.
Organizations like OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) and ANSI (American National Standards Institute) have standards in place that help property owners maintain appropriate noise levels within occupied spaces. OSHA sets noise criteria limits on how much noise is acceptable over set amounts of time, while ANSI helps define standards related to sound measurements, noise control, and noise criteria, all of which are used in designing acoustically appropriate environments. Some best practices for performance spaces include:
- Understand the purpose of the space
- Optimize room shape
- Control reverberation time
- Ensure even sound distribution
- Manage low-frequency sound
- Utilize acoustic treatment materials
- Prevent external noise
- Design for flexibility
- Direct sound toward performers clearly
- Use of digital signal processing (DSP) and other technologies
- Lighting and acoustics integration
- Design with maintenance and durability in mind
How ASI Architectural Products Provide Solutions for Office and Auditorium Acoustics
ASI Architectural is dedicated to delivering professional, innovative and beautiful acoustic solutions for every project. We offer a wide range of ceiling and wall panel options to meet the acoustic and aesthetic needs of every type of space. Some of our most popular products in the office and in auditoriums include:
- Grille Ceiling and Wall System
- StrandTec acoustical panels
- Cloud wood ceilings (absorbers or diffusers)
- Fusion micro-perforated wood veneer acoustical panels
- Linear Alumaline with cotton absorptive backer
Conclusion
Improving office and auditorium acoustics delivers benefits that positively impact the health, happiness, and productivity of all occupants. Great sound can be accomplished through thoughtful planning and the inclusion of acoustic treatment products that fit seamlessly into interior designs. Focusing on the proper absorption and diffusion of sound wave reflections improves speech intelligibility, eliminates dead spots and hot spots, and maintains privacy and comfort throughout the space.
ASI Architectural carries all the professional acoustic products you need for acoustically treating and soundproofing offices and auditoriums, as well as all the spaces in your life that could use acoustical upgrades.