Your office is constantly noisy and distracting. What can you do to create a more peaceful work environment?

Much like temperature, I find noise isn't solved through a textile or technology, but rather a result of empowering employees with autonomy and freedom. The last thing you want is an office where you can hear a pin drop, that is a key indicator of poor culture. Better to have settings that have been purposely designed to be noisy and others for quiet, based on a number of factors, including personality, type, task etc. The employee will choose which setting best serves their needs and auditory requirements.

Maybe it's time to introduce more biophilic design to work spaces. It not only helps absorb sound. It improves mental wellbeing and improves productivity. If you introduced a Grobrix urban farm wall it has added benefits.

Sound and noise differ fundamentally: sound encompasses all audible vibrations, while noise specifically refers to unwanted or undesired sounds. Excessive noise can disrupt cognitive processing and productivity. To create a peaceful work environment, it's crucial to distinguish between collaborative sounds and disruptive noise. Designing the workspace to separate quiet, focus areas from collaborative zones can help strike a balance. Utilizing solutions like soundproofing and designated activity zones can ensure that collaborative sounds don't interfere with concentration, fostering a harmonious and productive workplace.

Noise is our nb one prio in the New HQ for M?lnlycke Healt Care. In fact, we go so far that some architects argue we will have to little noise. Some actions; 70 mm inner ceiling, avoid more than 12 desks in any space, 25% of all walls have acoustic tiles, more focus rooms per employee than most other buildings, more walls than most office buildings, magnificent social spaces away from work areas, etc. In this office, all type of work is prio - collaboration and individual. Welcome in 2025!

Source of Noise: 1) Without the source we cannot have resources and plan of action. 2) Measurement of noise is equally important as source to understand the -duration, frequency,risks 3) To understand the job demand of the person going though the noisy environment eg: Purpose of being in that area,Duration and what other exposures are present. All of this will help us understand the risk and help us get the solution.

Using Acoustic Panels above an open ceiling will make surely add a difference. If you have tight budget perforated acoustic gypsum also works. Consider carpet with high NRC and wall panels.

This one is the most obvious solution. But to enhance their effectiveness it is best first to understand the behaviors of the various teams in the office and zone them according to their work styles. Imagine a telemarketing team sitting next to the accounting team, far from ideal. Also, these zones can be isolated from each other by strategic placement of work cafe's, meeting rooms, collaboration areas, etc.

I’d refer to the publication by @Nigel Oseland in close cooperation with Ecophon as a really good paper to start reading when thinking about acoustics in the Workplace environment.

Using sound absorbing materials is the first step, but also consider making spaces that are varied and allow for different types of interaction. Encouraging movement based on the employee work mode is effective if communicated well. For a good variation, each office (regardless of size) should have public (more noisy);such as receptions areas, cafes; semi private such as worklounges and open plan areas and private spaces (more quiet); such as meeting rooms, phone booths and quiet rooms. Then employees can choose a space to work knowing that there are spaces available for focus as well as collaboration. The noise in open plan can vary depending on country and office culture, how teams work and even specific departments.

One of the major reasons why offices are noisy is because of the lack of sound-absorbing materials in the infrastructure. Many a times to create great visuals, acoustics is overlooked. One has a little control over people and their communication, but certainly the environment around can be altered to minimise the escalating sounds. Use of Class A sound absorbers in the ceilings and wall call be of great help. This will reduce the sound levels and curb sound from propagating too.

As someone with mild ADHD I am easily distracted by adjacent conversations, my headphones are invaluable. I pair them with an app called "A soft murmur" which uses nature sounds to generate white noise and really helps me to channel my focus.

Of course, this is a way to help and control your own personal environment - but it's not a longer-term solution that would work for everybody.

This is helpful if you work in an environment where you dont' have to frequently interact with others. But for many people, having to take these on and off constantly is a big impediment to productivity. It's not a long term solution.

We know the most distracting noise in an office is speech. Noise cancelling headphones are designed to reduce steady, low frequency noise - like aircraft engines (for which they were designed). As the point states, it’ll help with AMBIENT NOISE - so they won’t be much use in your office if speech is the weapon of mass distraction for you. In fact, it might amplify the problem because the ambient noise provides cover for speech you might not have necessarily perceived in the first place. Another thing about noise cancelling headphones is that if you make calls using noise cancelling headphones, you’ll be annoying everyone else because you can’t easily regulate your own volume. I understand they offer something though..just not quiet.

Actualmente creo que los colaboradores toman esa decisión de manera personal al usar sus audífonos para concentrarse. Algunos con música que los inspire, concentre o con ruido blanco. Y hay colaboradores a los que el ruido de fondo no afecta en lo más mínimo. La tecnología actualmente lo permite ya que desde la pandemia creamos maneras distintas de hacer las cosas. Ya incluso la interacción verbal se ha visto reducida. Nos encontramos escribiendo por el chat corporativo a la persona que está enfrente o a un lado. Por ello también se facilita este tipo de acciones sin repercusiones en productividad o el trabajo en equipo

This is by far the most efficient but also the most difficult to achieve solution. Behaviors take time to form and even longer to break/change. So a robust change management program is a must, this needs to be followed by constant sustenance activities.

Design etiquette nudges into the spaces to empower/educate how people use them - acoustics, partioning, white noise, calm lighting, decoration.

In this dynamic approach to work, adherence to agreed design principles becomes paramount. Rules guide the fluidity of activity-based working—respecting shared spaces, maintaining cleanliness, and optimizing technology. Flexibility doesn't mean chaos; it means aligning actions with principles. When everyone sticks to the agreed design principles, the seamless flow of activity-based working transforms the workplace into a hub of efficiency and collaboration.

I believe this subject could be ideal for a task force, bringing together individuals from different services, diverse personalities, and various working styles to collaborate on finding a solution that suits the majority. It's crucial to involve the team, especially when establishing new rules, as this facilitates easier adoption and ultimately enhances efficiency. Avoid working on this in isolation, as the perception of something being too noisy or not varies greatly among individuals, leading to a wide range of answers and solutions on this matter.

I think that you can guide how and where video calls should be taken and having a general office etiquette that could be kept in office guidelines : i.e. 'how we use our office' Clear signage can also be used and communication from managers to their teams can be helpful.

Aha! Such a conundrum. Noise in a workplace is a product of energy, communication, vibe, collaboration, ideas and passion. It's something that WFH just can not replicate. It is about human connection and is the reason so many of us have left our loungerooms and are back in the office. I get it though....big thinking and deep work requires focus and (for most of us) temporary relief from the buzz. So how do we get the workplace to provide us both? Clever and creative design partnered with clever and creative rules of engagement. The latter being all about human behaviour and thus being the toughest to influence but equally the pathway to delivering a workplace that truly enables people to deliver their best work.

One practice I've found beneficial is synchronizing breaks with colleagues, when possible. This provides an opportunity to step outside or visit the office kitchen for a snack, creating a refreshing change of scenery. Beyond personal rejuvenation, it fosters team bonding and can enhance post-break productivity!

Encouraging breaks and scenery changes is vital, and creating designated quiet spaces within the office for relaxation or focused work can further support this goal. These spaces, equipped with comfortable seating and calming aesthetics, offer a retreat within the workplace for employees to recharge or engage in deep work without leaving the office. Additionally, organizing outdoor meetings or team activities in nature can offer a refreshing change of scenery, promoting well-being and creativity while fostering team cohesion.

Across a research sample of more than 1mn employees, office noise levels are one of the most consistent failings in the modern office. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that knowledge work is becoming more complex as automation removes the mundane and deep focused knowledge work becomes more common. So, fundamentally, workplaces have to get better at containing, shielding and absorbing, rather than masking noise. Workplace designers and employers must do more to understand this.

Soundscaping can be great for this! Generative, and particularly nature-based (biophilic) soundscaping can help with a number of related issues: - Often spaces described as “noisy” aren’t actually very loud (dB), but they are distractingly dynamic, with low ambient levels disrupted by attention-grabbing speech. - Generative soundscaping can help, recognizing distractions and responding with focus-enhancing sounds. - By using biophilic sounds, we don’t add noise to the equation, but instead use sounds that have been shown time and again to enhance well-being and make offices more appealing. Or course acoustics play a massive role, and overly loud spaces without sufficient acoustic treatment will experience diminishing returns.

Consider a sound masking system to increase ambient noise levels in open plan spaces. This gives the Listener (people in the office) a better chance of not being distracted by office noises - usually others’ conversations. Through loudspeakers hidden in the ceiling, a sound similar to airflow covers or masks unwanted sounds. The sound masking system itself shouldn’t be noticeable as it’s tuned to your space. Each system is tailored for the intended use of the space and any other acoustic characteristics it might have. The system works well with acoustic panelling to ‘even out’ the soundscape. I.e. the panelling will capture the peaks of sound and the sound masking will cover the nulls.

Remember, creating a more peaceful work environment often requires a combination of efforts from both management and employees. Collaboratively working towards the goal of reducing distractions can significantly improve the overall productivity and well-being of everyone in the office.

Consider the overall design of any open plan area. Sound can carry across a sea of desks very quickly, and visual movement can also be distracting. Whilst it is tempting to design with more desks to lessen real estate, planning your layout with upholstered furniture and planting will help break up the space and absorb the sound. Communication about how to work well with each other and regular check ins on improvements, both spatial and behavioural are important.Managers modelling good behaviour will impact teams and the environment. Working at home in a private space means we naturally find the office louder and we need to have a certain amount of tolerance when it comes to sharing our space to make it work for everyone.