Have you ever asked yourself what work is like in these new good looking office buildings made of steel, glass and concrete which prominently crown architecture magazines? Form an acoustics point of view often not really a pleasure. What might look good in these magazines may relatively fast become unbearable for employees, especially in open space offices.
Sound-reflecting surfaces like glass or concrete increase the time of reverberation. An effect which is more than welcome in cathedrals but not in offices where concentrated work is king. The time of reverberation is important because it is the basis of all further acoustic optimization. It is not the only acoustic factor. The speech transmission index for example is another one, helping to optimize office acoustics even further. The reverberation time strongly depends on the volume of the office on the one hand and sound absorbing surfaces on the other. The more sound absorbing surfaces in the office, the shorter the reverberation time gets. Ideal is a reverberation time between 0,5 and 0,8 seconds depending on the size (volume, to be more precise) of the office.
Employers should have the acoustic situation in their offices in mind. Few things do more harm to concentrated work and well-being in an office or at a workstation than a badly designed acoustic surrounding The office planning tool “OFML Planer” offers now a brand new feature: the so-called Acoustic Plug In which gives users the possibility to calculate the approximate reverberation time of the office planned. And all that with just two mouse clicks. For more information, please contact sekretariat-sulzdorf@hund-moebel.de