businessinfomag.uk
magazine
26
OFFICE DESIGN
Today, almost half (49%) of UK
offices are open plan, more than
double the global average of 23%,
according to the
Steelcase Global
Report
. That’s no surprise: open plan
offices promote collaboration and
are a cost-saving option for business
owners. On the downside, the lack of
internal walls makes them somewhat
noisy.
Noise travels much easier in an open
space, which can cause real problems for
workers, especially those who require
quiet to concentrate or who are quiet
by nature, as Jonathan M. Hindle, group
managing director of KI EMEA, points
out.
“Disruptions arising from large open
plan office environments compromise
concentration and have a more
pronounced impact on introverts. On
average, introverts make up almost
half the population of the UK, so the
impact of office noise should not be
underestimated,” he said.
Frequent distractions inevitably take
a toll on staff productivity as it takes
time for people to get back into the
flow once interrupted.
Andy Deacon, commercial director
at Era Screens, has done the maths: “It
takes an average of 15 minutes to regain
concentration levels if disrupted whilst
completing an important task, so five
disruptions over an 8-hour day equate
to a 15% reduction in productivity. In
a business of 60 employees, this is the
same as paying 9 people to do nothing
all day.”
Businesses that spend money
controlling unwanted noise will often
see a return on investment, which
perhaps explains why noise controlling
products in Era Screens’ AgileWorking
Driven to distraction
The workplace
strategy
for many
companies is
transforming
from traditional
open plan bench
environments
to having
more variety
and choice to
support flexible,
active working
range represent its largest area of
growth, accounting for 34% of revenue
last year.
Serena Borghero, director of media
relations and 360° communications
at Steelcase, points out that exposure
to noise can also affect one’s health,
contributing to sleep disorders and
impaired cognition. “A busy road
produces around 85 decibels and open
plan offices produce up to 65 decibels.
This makes intellectual work harder than
it should be,” she said.
Activity-based working
So what can be done to reduce the
problem of noise in the open plan
office?
Intelligent and thoughtful office
design is a good starting point. Consider
having separate, dedicated areas for
collaborative work and quiet work or
keeping shared printers in one area
rather than having personal printers on
every desktop.
“Creating an ecosystem of spaces,
including some that support private
moments and others that support
collaboration, is critical to promote
employee creativity, engagement,
wellbeing and, ultimately, drive
innovation,” explained Steelcases’s
Borghero.
“Whether it’s a private office on an
upper floor or an open-plan workstation,
people are discovering that one type of
work space is no longer enough. Choice
and control is not only a significant
component in building engagement;
it has become the new status symbol
for today’s workers.When workers can
choose from a palette of places – an
ecosystem of interrelated zones and
settings that support their physical,
cognitive and emotional needs – they
can draw inspiration and energy from
others, as well as being restored by the
calm of privacy.”
Hindle agrees that a one-size-fits-all
approach is no longer adequate. “The
workplace strategy for many companies
is transforming from traditional open
plan bench environments to having
more variety and choice to support
flexible, active working,” he said.
“A good starting point is to develop
an understanding of individuals in a
team and the nature of the tasks they
regularly undertake. As a rule of thumb,
we like to encourage our customers
to provide an office landscape rich in
variety and choice, so people can find
their ideal work setting. This ensures
they can find a bit of peace and quiet
when they need it and a lively, more
vibrant space when that’s appropriate.”
Noise reduction also comes down to
individual responsibility. It is important
to remind staff to be considerate to
those around them; to be mindful
of how loud they’re talking when
others are working; to take personal
conversations outside the workspace;
and not to use a speaker phone.
Easy as ABC
These steps can be complemented
with the use of acoustic products that
absorb, block and cover unwanted noise
– the ABC of acoustics.
Absorb.
Hard materials reflect
sound, bouncing it around an open
space, while soft materials absorb sound
Open plan offices are notoriously noisy, but they are also cost-
efficient and good for collaboration. Tayla Ansell explains how
to maximise their benefits and minimise their drawbacks
Era Screens EdenWall Tiles
Era Screens Nautilus
Phone Booth
Steelcase BrodyWorklounge
Era Screens (Quiet Space)
