5 companies changing how offices handle noise

Open office spaces offer teams a wide range of benefits, including accessibility to colleagues and the ability to engage in unscheduled conversations. However, a new study highlighted a major downside to open-concept workplace designs: They make it difficult to concentrate, which can affect employee performance and productivity.

The study compared the brain waves of adults who were working in an open office environment or working in a single-person, closed environment. After interpreting the data, the study authors concluded that those in open offices had to concentrate harder to get their jobs done, potentially affecting how quickly and effectively they completed tasks.

This doesn’t mean that open office concepts can’t work, though. If their inherent downsides can be overcome, they can turn into efficient workspaces. And five companies have products aimed at solving one of those downsides, which is noise.

1. RPG Acoustical Systems

Many organizations bring in outside architectural elements like fabric dividers to dampen the sounds in open offices. However, RPG Acoustical Systems now offers a specialty process that is designed to decrease the need for those kinds of physical solutions by turning furniture into dynamic sound optimizers.

The process, called SoniQ Technology, involves making nearly invisible modifications to wooden furniture using a laser. After receiving the treatment, standard desks, credenzas, and other vertical wooden office surfaces can switch from being reflective to absorptive surfaces. This helps reduce sound reverberation to under half a second, which RPG reports is the typical sound reduction goal in offices. SoniQ Technology can be used alone or in tandem with other noise-reducing solutions.

2. AtlasIED

An effective method to address unwanted sound in an office is to mask it with neutralizing sounds. By overlaying a new sound on top of existing sounds, the collective noise level can be reduced to produce a calmer, more appealing workspace.

AtlasIED sells a line of sound-reduction systems built for commercial applications. A typical system includes an amplifier and loudspeakers that are ready to be installed in any space. While these kinds of systems can’t negate all noise, they can increase the privacy level of conversations, making them an ideal consideration for companies operating in highly secure industries like healthcare and finance.

3. Plant Solutions

Green walls and surfaces are a particularly unusual but highly eco-friendly option for companies interested in dampening sound with nature. As Plant Solutions explains, plants can be used to build living barriers in open offices. The barriers, whether in a form like rows of boxed greenery or a wall of moss, can produce a quieter atmosphere.

Plant Solutions designs and installs these kinds of horticultural noise-cancelling solutions for organizations interested in taking the most green approach to sound reduction possible. For companies unsure about a long-term commitment, a plant leasing program allows for temporary installations that can be removed or modified on demand.

4. Hushoffice

Sometimes, the best noise-cancelling strategy is providing employees with places to work that are outside the main open office space. Yet conventional conference rooms aren’t always feasible in some areas, such as rented spaces that don’t have existing rooms and can’t be physically altered.

In those cases, acoustic pods by Hushoffice can provide standalone alternatives to conference areas. The company’s lineup of pods includes different sizes to accommodate individual users as well as groups. Each booth can be installed without the need to modify the surrounding work zones, helping to make it simpler to find areas for private calls and virtual meetings.

5. Framery

One way to reduce noise in an open office is to give employees a quiet place to step away when they need to focus. This can be especially useful for private calls, virtual meetings, or tasks that require concentration.

Framery makes soundproof office pods designed for these situations. The company offers a range of booths in different sizes, from spaces built for one person to larger units that can accommodate small groups. Because the pods are freestanding, they can be added to existing office layouts without major construction. For organizations looking to create quieter work areas while keeping an open office design, acoustic pods can be a practical solution.