Workspace Acoustics: Key Parameters That Make a Difference

Modern offices are flexible, multifunctional spaces that need to support both focused work and quick meetings or phone calls. In such environments, noise can be the biggest enemy of productivity, which is why proper acoustic solutions are essential for maintaining comfort and privacy.

Ensuring good acoustics involves not only carefully selected fabrics but also acoustic panels and screens, as well as furniture designed to absorb sound.

One solution that effectively supports daily work is acoustic booths – and their performance is best described by three key parameters: sound insulation, speech level reduction, and sound absorption coefficient.

Speech Level Reduction

This parameter indicates how much the booth reduces the voice of the person speaking inside – in other words, how many decibels quieter the voice is heard outside. When the conversation inside the booth is sufficiently lowered, the voice blends into the office background noise, and people outside cannot understand the content of the discussion. This ensures full privacy and eliminates distractions for colleagues.

Benefits of speech level reduction:

• increases the privacy of conversations,
• improves acoustic comfort in the office,
• minimizes distractions for coworkers.

*55 dB → 24 dB ≈ an 8-fold reduction in perceived sound volume from inside the booth.

During a conversation in a single-person Flathouse booth, the noise level perceived outside drops more than eightfold. Single-person Flathouse booths reduce speech volume by 31 dB, achieving Class A performance as confirmed by independent testing.
 

Sound Insulation

Sound insulation indicates how many decibels the booth reduces noise entering from the office. The higher this parameter, the more effectively one can block office noise and conduct conversations or video calls in comfortable conditions.

Thanks to high sound insulation:

• conversations are clear,
• external distractions are minimized,
• users recover faster and experience less fatigue.

Independent testing showed that single-person Treehouse and Flathouse booths achieved a very high weighted sound insulation rating of 34 dB. This means that the perceived volume of external sounds is reduced more than tenfold.

Sound Absorption Coefficient

Acoustic booths with upholstered exterior panels also improve the acoustics of the room in which they are placed. This is due to specially designed panels filled with acoustic fiber, a material that absorbs sound instead of reflecting it back into the space.

A single booth with upholstered panels can replace several wall or ceiling panels, making a significant contribution to overall acoustic improvement. This reduces the number of sound reflections in the room and noticeably lowers the general noise level..

Office acoustics is not just about quiet inside the booth – it also contributes to the comfort of the entire team. High sound insulation, effective speech attenuation, and large sound-absorbing surfaces make Treehouse and Flathouse booths one of the most effective ways to create a comfortable, focused work environment.