Office Acoustic Advice
Expert Office Acoustic Design Consultants
Office environments rely on effective communication, concentration, and speech privacy. Poor acoustic conditions can undermine productivity, increase distraction, and lead to dissatisfaction among occupants, particularly in open-plan, hybrid, and activity-based workplaces.
Office developments are commonly subject to planning and building control requirements related to noise, building services, and change of use. Acoustic performance is therefore a relevant factor in securing approval and delivering spaces that function as intended once occupied.
Why Office Acoustics Matter
Modern offices often combine open work areas, meeting spaces, collaboration zones, and mechanical services within the same building. This creates competing acoustic demands, where speech, movement, and background noise must be controlled carefully to avoid distraction and loss of privacy.
While planning approval and completion sign-off are important milestones, acoustic issues in offices frequently emerge after occupation. Layout changes, evolving working practices, increased occupancy density, and the introduction of additional services can all expose weaknesses in the original acoustic design. These issues can affect staff performance, tenant satisfaction, and the long-term usability of the space.
Early, proportionate acoustic input helps ensure that office environments support focused work, clear communication, and flexibility over time, rather than requiring disruptive or costly retrofit once the building is in use.
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How We Typically Support Office Projects
Office developments require acoustic input at several defined stages. The specific services depend on the building type, occupancy model, and surrounding environment, but commonly include the following.
Planning-stage noise assessments
Noise assessments are prepared to support planning applications, change-of-use proposals, and the discharge of noise-related planning conditions where offices are introduced into mixed-use or noise-sensitive locations.
Design-stage acoustic advice
Acoustic input during design supports the development of layouts, partitions, ceilings, and finishes that balance speech intelligibility, privacy, and background noise control across different office functions.
Completion and post-occupation support
Acoustic input may be required at completion or after occupation to verify performance, address operational issues, or support changes to layout, tenancy, or working patterns.
Mechanical and building services noise control
Plant, ventilation, and building services are assessed and controlled to prevent noise and vibration from undermining internal acoustic conditions or causing disturbance to neighbouring premises.
Early identification of the relevant stages helps avoid disruption, dissatisfaction, and loss of flexibility once offices are occupied and operational.