Do you ever remember doing research or work in a library? I remember walking in and having to be very quiet as to not disturb anyone from their work. I would creep over to a desk, grab my book, and slowly peel open the pages as quietly as possible. This process was uncomfortable and forbid you ever had to sneeze. You get the awkward stare from everyone in the building. This does not sound like an ideal work environment because most of your focus is spent on trying to act like a church mouse.
Now picture this, you are on the beach with your favorite book. The wind is gently blowing, the muffled sound of waves crashing the beach, and every now and then you hear a faint bird crowing in the distance. In just a short amount of time you finish your book because nothing was on your mind but the captivating story at your fingertips.
Which sounds like the better work environment? Clearly the beach wins over the library. So why is this? It’s all about the acoustics. Most libraries are filled with hard surfaces such as hard floors, bookshelves, glass, etc. and very low ambient noise levels. There is nothing stopping sound from reflecting all around the space and continuing down the hall to disturb more workers. This is because there is very little in the way of sound absorption or sound covering (See ABC’s of Acoustics). Now looking at the beach you have many great acoustic qualities. The sand absorbs sounds and muffles footsteps. The gently blowing breeze and flowing water provides enough ambient noise to cover even the crying kids on the beach blanket only 20 feet away from you. These natural treatments coincidentally provided a great environment for you to focus on your work and not worry about disturbing others.
Now relate these two scenarios to your workspace. Is your office more like the library where your workers are afraid to make a peep that could embarrass them due to distracting fellow employees? Or do you have a beach environment where your workers are not worried about making noise to make them feel comfortable enough to focus on their task at hand? I hope you have a beach environment because this can increase productivity of a workforce. A productive workforce is obviously good for a company but it’s also great for the satisfaction of your employees. If your employees can complete their daily tasks, they do not have to go home and worry about catching up on work. This in turn makes them happier to work for your company.
So how do you turn your library office into a beach office? The solutions are simple and fast. All of them are mentioned the ABC’s of Acoustics but all you need to know is Absorb, Block, and Cover. By adding sound absorbing materials like acoustic panels, ceiling tiles/clouds, soft flooring, and sound masking you can create the ideal acoustical environment to give your employees a comfortable workspace.
Give SCS a call for more details and solutions!