Noise in the Office: Why Good Acoustics Start with the Floor Plan
Alessandro Nicotra
Acoustics
In short
— Acoustics is a design question, not an equipment question. It starts with the organisation, not with the material.
— Loud and quiet activities need a clear arrangement in the floor plan, with transitions in between.
— Room geometry and spatial contours direct the sound. Material is the final step and becomes part of the design.
Good office acoustics are not created by retrofitting absorbers onto walls and ceilings. It starts with asking who works where, how spaces are laid out, and where their edges lie.
Acoustics is a matter of design, not of furnishing.
Why is it too loud in many offices?
Because acoustics often only become an issue once the space has already been built. That's when phone calls clash with focused work, the coffee corner is right next to the quiet area, and acoustic panels, partition screens, and headphones follow as a result.
Yet it's not the volume level that is most disruptive, but what you can actually understand. SECO notes that even isolated snippets of conversation diminish concentration. A survey of over 42,000 office workers cites noise and a lack of privacy as the primary reasons for dissatisfaction in open-plan offices.
We reverse this order. Quiet and collaboration are part of the design from the very beginning, just like lighting and circulation paths.
Northeastern Switzerland Office. The blue wall is upholstered with fabric.
How do you improve acoustics in the office?
By planning in the right order. Each level takes on part of the work, and the earlier it takes effect, the less needs to be corrected later.
Organization. Interaction is close to the entrance and kitchen, while focus is located where there are few passing walkways. Meeting rooms and storage areas act as buffers in between.
Room geometry. Proportion, ceiling height, and layout determine how sound travels. A structured space sounds quieter than a large, uniform area.
Spatial contours. Where a wall ends, a built-in unit begins, or a shelf divides the room determines both visual connection and sound at the same time.
Material. Only at the very end do we choose surfaces that absorb because they are designed to do so. In one of our offices in northeastern Switzerland, the meeting rooms feature a layer of PET behind the shelving, the blue wall surface is upholstered with fabric, and an acoustic carpet dampens footsteps and conversations. None of these measures feels like a measure.
Why is an acoustic ceiling alone not enough?
Because it reduces reverberation, but does not prevent you from understanding your neighbour. A calculation example from the DGUV shows: in a two-person office, an acoustic ceiling and carpet meet the requirements for reverberation time, but speech intelligibility still remains too high. The SECO guidelines also recommend zoning for open-plan offices.
What is the difference between room acoustics and sound insulation?
Room acoustics describes how sound behaves within a room; sound insulation describes how much sound penetrates into the next. One ensures that you understand each other without raising your voice. The other ensures that a confidential conversation stays in the meeting room.
What helps against noise in an open-plan office?
Above all, clear zoning with retreat areas nearby. Anyone who knows that a room is available for a phone call will move their conversations there. Open does not automatically mean more exchange: a Harvard Business School study found around 70 percent fewer face-to-face interactions after moving to an open-plan office.
Northeastern Switzerland Office
Frequently Asked Questions
When should you think about acoustics in office planning?
Right from the start, during zoning and space allocation. The earlier acoustics are incorporated into the design, the fewer additional elements are needed later.
Does good acoustics require expensive acoustic elements?
Not necessarily. A lot can be solved through organization, room geometry, and built-in fixtures that are being planned anyway. Absorbing materials then become part of the design rather than an additional expense.
Does this also work for renovations in existing buildings?
Yes. Especially in existing spaces, new zoning often achieves more than additional acoustic panels because it reorganizes loud and quiet activities.
Does Studio Nicotra perform acoustic measurements and calculations?
No. We are interior designers and plan the space so that good acoustics are created. Where measurements or calculations are necessary, we collaborate with specialized acoustic consultants.
How do you notice if an office functions well acoustically?
You don't hear it. You speak at a normal volume, understand each other well, and can still concentrate. In the Workplace Check, you can evaluate the light and acoustics of your current space in just a few minutes.
Sources
Guidance on ArGV 3, Art. 22 Noise and Vibrations, SECO, 2021
Open-plan offices: How to protect employees' health, SECO, 2016
DGUV Information 215-443: Acoustics in the Office, German Social Accident Insurance, 2021
The impact of the «open» workspace on human collaboration, Bernstein and Turban, Harvard Business School, 2018
Workers dissatisfied with open-plan offices, University of Sydney, 2013
VDI 2569: Sound insulation and acoustic design in offices, VDI, 2019
You don't hear good acoustics. You feel them: in the quiet while working and in the ease with which you speak to one another.
Contact
Listening is our first draft.
Every project begins with a conversation. Tell us what you have in mind: a new working environment, a restaurant, a space for the future. We bring an open mind, curiosity, and experience in strategy, interior design, and lighting. We'd love to meet at our studio on Gutstrasse in Zurich. Or wherever your project is coming to life.