Acoustics play a very important role in terms of productivity within a workspace. Poor acoustics can lead to distractions which ultimately affect overall performance of a team.
With careful design and specification of partition, a perfect balance of cost saving and acoustic performance can be achieved.
To help, we have put together a summary table to start you off:
| dB Rating | What this means | Where it could be used | Suitable system |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 33dB | Loud speech can be heard, normal level talk is hard to interpret | Standard offices, small non-confidential meeting rooms | Single Glazed Partitioning |
| Up to 44dB | Normal level conversations can barely be heard, loud speech can only just be interpreted. | All offices, private meeting areas, board rooms | Double Glazed Partitioning |
| Up to 50dB | Loud speech can’t be heard. | Very confidential meeting spaces (HR, board rooms) or very loud collaborative areas to keep the noise within the room. | Acoustic Glazed Partitioning |
Note
Each partition system can be modified to ensure the optimum level of sound insulation. For example, an acoustic pane of glass can be paired with a standard pane to achieve a specific decibel rating required.
Design
Design of the office space is a very important consideration in terms of acoustic performance. The glass door is a typical weak spot in terms of sound transfer from room to room. Test conditions for the dB rating of partitioning don’t consider the use of a glass door (however they are quite important to get into the room!). When we are working with you to help with the design of the office, we will help make suggestions such as moving the location of the door to ensure optimum acoustic performance.
To discuss acoustics further, please get in touch.
