Acoustic design for open offices and open spaces

Acoustic success at NRC 0.90+

For optimal acoustics in open offices, Madaras recommends focusing on high-performance sound absorption as the top priority. In his article, he describes how acoustic ceiling systems with a high Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC) can help compensate for the frequently missing components of good open office acoustics.

Data and visualization tools help explain sound absorption and the critical role played by ceiling tiles. The research shows that minimum ceiling absorption for achieving acceptable speech privacy is NRC = 0.90.

Madaras also reminds us that an NRC 0.90 ceiling over an open office space is only one of several requirements needed to make the space an acoustic success.

Speech privacy vs. distraction distance

In many cases, achieving speech privacy in open spaces may be impractical. If we want privacy, we may need to move our conversation to private, enclosed spaces. Within open spaces, Madaras suggests “distraction distance” is the more realistic way to approach the goal.

Listen to the podcast to hear four basics for shortening the distraction distance, and decreasing the total number of people that are taken off task and annoyed by each noise.

In conclusion, too many people mean less speech privacy and more distractions. By spacing people out and adding overhead absorption, zone barriers and sound masking, you can create acoustic comfort and acceptably small distraction distances.