Office Design, Acoustics and Productivity
“It is well documented that our moods, emotions, and even health are dependent on the world around us.” The Past and Future City.
In essence, buildings are created for the people within it and the focus on individual’s wellbeing has never been so prominent in the built environment.
One of the key elements that the WELL Standards measure is sound level. It is no revelation that acoustics, office productivity and employee satisfaction are linked. Loud or continuous noises are not only distracting, but detrimental to employee health. Employers are losing money in lost time to these distractions and employee turnover because many traditional offices were not designed with modern noise levels in mind. Adjustments to the layout and design of an office interior can greatly affect employee happiness, health, and the business’ bottom line.
Whilst impressive design can inspire and excite individuals at first glance, once the reality of its acoustic inefficiencies set in, the admiration will soon fade. If an employee cannot even take a sales call without disruption, the design of the building is not doing its job. No matter how beautiful you make a space, if people aren’t comfortable, they won’t stay. A truly relaxed, easy to work in environment day after day will help with employee retention, which helps save money in the long run.
Following this, acoustics have played a central focus in recent office interiors for architects and designers, but you don’t have to soundproof the entire office. Products and systems that provide acoustical privacy for phone calls and meetings are perfect for open-plan offices. This provides a quiet space when it’s needed or, lends itself to lively debate without distracting those working directly outside.
Different products achieve different acoustic performances. For example, our acoustic partitioning systems range from mid to high dB (Rw), which each have their own benefits and purposes for different design requirements. These products largely influence employee happiness and productivity whilst also complementing the design. Ultimately, if employees are happy in their space every day, the design is meeting the purpose.
At Komfort, acoustic performance is a key element of our design and manufacture process. We continually train to ensure we are ahead of the latest developments which is echoed throughout our business from our technical and research team right through to our sales team. If you would like to know more about acoustic performance when specifying partitioning, contact your local sales manager or book onto our ‘Specifying Partitioning’ CPD.
