Companies and their employees are looking for healthier work spaces that embrace natural light, fresh air, good acoustics and other aspects of a good indoor environment. Many companies also embrace open-plan offices which foster communication and collaboration. But with open plan offices, good acoustics is critical in order to create a comfortable and productive workplace.
LA Ceilings, your acoustic ceiling company in Los Angeles, offers design features critical for open-plan office spaces.
Noise Barriers
Employees should be able to have phone conversations at their workstations without disturbing their neighbors. Completely open work spaces allow sound to travel directly to people who are nearby. One way to block noise is by using partitions with glass tops to block sound, but still let light through.
Soundmasking
Soundmasking is an important element in open-plan office designs. This is the idea that a low, continuous and pleasant sound covers up speech sounds so that people who aren’t part of a conversation cannot make out the words. While soundmasking won’t do much good between colleagues who sit next to each other, it will reduce the intrusion from voices down the hall.
Soundmasking systems have a frequency spectrum that effectively masks speech.
Reducing HVAC Noise
The noises generated by the HVAC system simply cannot be ignored. Even with a soundmasking system, you will hear HVAC noise that is louder than the soundmasking.
HVAC noise resembles white noise in that it is at a low frequency, but the noise turns on and turns off throughout the day, which is quite distracting.
Modern office designs tend to include high ceilings and a lot of surfaces that are smooth and hard, like metal and glass. HVAC noise control begins with installing materials that absorb sound including carpets, drop ceilings, wall coverings and green plants.
Of course, you can also change the design of your HVAC system or choose quieter HVAC equipment, but having a drop ceiling installed is an easier solution.
Reduce Noise Build-Up
The cafe or lunch room is one of the places where colleagues gather throughout the day. Whether they are there enjoying a break, lunch or an impromptu meeting, noise build-up is always a problem. The goal is to reduce noise build-up and one solution is having highly-absorbent ceiling panels installed.
Sound Isolation
Conference spaces used for meetings and conference calls need to be isolated from open areas to help keep the noise down. These spaces must also be well-insulated and fully gasketed.
Using the Right Products
Different ceiling tiles serve different purposes. Highly absorbent fiberglass ceiling tiles should be installed in areas where groups of people congregate.
Less absorbing but denser ceiling tiles should be used if there is mechanical equipment above. Denser ceiling tiles do a better job blocking sound from passing through than fiberglass ceiling tiles.
Keep An Open Mind
When a company has had the same office layout for many years, there might be some hesitation when considering changes. It should be clearly communicated with employees the benefits of a new office design.
If you are interested in reducing office noise, contact LA Ceilings.
