Office Acoustic Solutions
Unwanted noise can result in annoyance, heightened stress levels and reduced performance.
At Pure Office Solutions we specialise in high quality, aesthetically designed and innovative acoustic noise control solutions to help overcome a range of noise related challenges in your workplace.
Good acoustics are essential to productivity and creativity in the workplace. Achieving a good sound environment is essential to suit the variety of activities which take place in your working environment.
Acoustic Office Furniture
The evolution of the open-plan office, flexible working, new technology, and team working are just a few driving forces behind changes to office space design. These have led to the requirement for a wide variety of work zones all of which increases demands on acoustic performance. These include:
- Training and learning areas.
- Meeting rooms and spaces for both informal and formal meetings.
- Social and relaxing space.
- Quiet working space or rooms.
- Workstations.
- Printing, copying and stationary hub.
- Storage, server rooms and post rooms.
- Staff welfare including toilets, showers, cloakrooms, first aid and faith rooms.
- Atria and receptions.
The balance between the need to communicate, the need for privacy and the ability to concentrate need to be managed.
Unwanted noise can result in annoyance, heightened stress levels and reduced performance, which is why acoustic solutions will benefit your business in many ways.
Noise Reduction in the Workplace
If you are you experiencing issues with noise in your working environment but are not sure what can be done to minimise it. The best place to start is by using the following three main design considerations, these include;
THE SPACE
What is the size of the space?
What activities are performed there?
Does it have hard services such as wooden floors or bare concrete walls?
What equipment is being used which create noise such as printers or fans etc.
ACTIVITY
What activities is the space used for such as phone calls, team meetings or focused computer work?
Is confidentiality an issue?
PEOPLE
How many people will be working in the space?
Do they have any special needs?
Understanding the interaction of the People involved, the Activity taking place and the qualities of the Space is crucial for a successful working environment.
Acoustic Control
Sound can be controlled in two distinct ways:
SOUND ABSORPTION
How efficient are the materials in the office space at absorbing sound energy that reflects from it? Sound absorption will be very low if the area has a high proportion of hard services including hard wood and concrete. This means noise is being reverberated around the area making general office noise much more prominent.
Sound absorbing products range in weight, density, thickness and surface finish, and each has its relative merits in terms of its ability to provide effective sound absorption.
SOUND INSULATION
Airborne sound can travel from one adjacent area to another through gaps and cracks in the buildings elements and services. Typical sound leakage paths include poorly fitted doors, openings in walls or floors through which distribution services pass or joints between modular elements of partitions, ceilings and raised floors. Density and mass are key to blocking the passage of sound from one room to another or reducing noise from buildings or services outside.
How We Can Help
Acoustic Ceiling & Wall Insulation
Acoustic ceiling and wall insulation systems are designed to reduce noise transmission through ceiling and wall construction. The aim is to improve the ability of the ceiling/wall to absorb sound energy and vibrations - this is normally achieved by adding different high mass/density products.
The ceiling and wall insulation systems are simple but very effective.
Acoustic Wall Panels
These high specification modular acoustic wall panels are the most popular sound absorbing solution. They are durable, fire rated, visually decorative and offer excellent acoustic performance. The panels are used extensively to transform areas such as multi-purpose halls, open plan offices, conference suites, studios and interview rooms into softer, quieter and workable environments.
Available in square, triangular, rectangular, circle, diamond, hexagon, eclipse, star, cloud or abstract.
Panels are finished in high quality acoustic fabrics and come in a wide range of colours.
Acoustic wall panels can turn an empty wall into a creative work of art which not only looks aesthetically pleasing but also provides excellent acoustic performance.
Acoustic Suspended Ceiling Tiles
These can be suspended from the ceiling and hung at various heights to offer multiple levels of more focussed acoustic control, creating a unique feature that enhances spaces visually and acoustically with an unobtrusive addition to the working area. They can be positioned above the noisiest areas to help dissipate and absorb the sound, whilst providing a colourful and modern addition to the working environment.
Available in square, triangular, rectangular, circle, diamond, hexagon, eclipse, star, cloud or abstract.
Panels are finished in high quality acoustic fabrics and come in a wide range of colours.
Acoustic Ceiling Grid Tiles
Standard ceiling tiles with balanced acoustics provide the necessary combination of sound absorption and attenuation to control noise in exterior environments, offering complete noise control and design flexibility for every space. Ceiling grid tiles are designed to fit directly into standard ceiling grid systems to dissipate sound. They are a colourful and modern alternative to traditional ceiling tiles. They are lightweight and easy to fit with no disruption.
Acoustic Wood Veneered Panels
Wood veneered acoustic panels creates a naturally aesthetic solutions to noise control. The unique features of the wood panels give a warm organic appearance offering a finish to compliment every area. Wood veneered panels are exceptionally durable and abuse resistant making them particularly appropriate for area that may require a high degree of impact resistance.
Surface choices include real wood veneers, wood print laminates and paint finished timber acoustics panels.
Acoustic Baffle Boards
These are particularly useful in situations where roof space needs to support various services, or it is important to allow natural light. They are designed to be hung in vertical rows to reduce high levels of reverberant noise in large open areas. The increased surface area will provide a highly effective sound absorber which can reduce reverberation by up to 50% thus making the space comfortable acoustically. Not only do they provide excellent acoustic results but are aesthetically very appealing and can transform a space.
Panels are available in rectangular or wave.
Acoustic Foam Panels
Designed to be glued onto existing or new ceilings, they are extremely lightweight foam sounds absorbing panels. They have virtually no weight and are simple to fix. They are fibre and CFC free as well as having excellent fire ratings. Foam tiles are made from flexible open-cell soft melamine foam; therefore, they should only be used in places where they cannot get hit or damaged.
Panels can be supplied plain white or textured.
Acoustic Internal Doors
Acoustic doors are extremely high-performance sound reducing timber door sets.
These high-quality door sets are available in a wide range of finishes and are fire rated. Used in areas which require high sound reduction performance such as theatre, radio/TV studios, music rooms, interview rooms, cinemas, schools and confidential offices.
Soundproof Partitions
Soundproof partitions achieve a level of sound reduction which will help to reduce the level of speech intelligibility, which will be sufficient for most offices. This depends on the construction of the soundproof partition and other factors including: wall construction, floor and ceiling finish, and furniture that can help or hinder the level that is achievable for soundproofing an office.
Solid office partitions will achieve a higher level of sound reduction than a glass partition. There is the option for double glazed partitions, which will perform better than single glazed partitions. Our soundproof office partitions include the option to have frameless glass doors with an acoustic seal.
Sound Masking / White Noise
Where background noise levels are very low – perhaps where natural ventilation is being used and there is little sound entering the building from the surrounding area, it can be helpful to introduce ‘shaped’ background noise to mask sounds and block out conversations.
Sound masking/white noise introduces unobtrusive background noise into an office to reduce interference from distracting office sounds. It can also render speech from co-workers virtually unintelligible.
Used in open and closed offices when ambient sound level is too low, it involves the electronic projection of sound, like softly blown air, through speakers. This sound is evenly distributed in the area being masked and can be adjusted to individual privacy requirements.
Carpets / Flooring
Acoustic flooring reduces levels of impact noise within commercial interiors.
Expertly combing aesthetics with performance, the robust formulation, polyurethane reinforcement (PUR) and impact sound reduction level of 19dB, meets the demands of today’s commercial interiors whilst offering a suite of modern colours and designs.
Acoustic Office Furniture
Acoustic office furniture adds additional sound absorbing surfaces to the workspace. They can be placed almost anywhere within the office environment and have multiple uses to aid the workforce. They create divides and quieter spaces for work or meetings. High backed soft seating enhances acoustic privacy and reduces the need for building partition walls. Acoustic armchairs and privacy seating can be positioned individually for private work or phone calls or positioned/linked together to create larger team meeting areas. Many sofa ranges include linking walls which create booths.
Privacy Soft Seating
High-back individual chairs are available in one, two or three-seater options. When placed facing each other the high backs create a semi-enclosed space that shelters users from general office noise, minimises distraction and offers privacy for individual concentration or casual meetings. The sofas are freestanding and can be rearranged into new layouts and configurations as and when required.
Meeting Pods
Elegant and slimline, meeting pods offer a flexible solution for all meeting and breakout spaces.
The link panel can support a display screen and cable ports may be specified in both the link and table top, enabling integration with contemporary collaborative technologies.
Meeting pods can be supplied with a meeting table with access ports.
