What are acoustics?
Simply put, acoustics it is the expansion of sound in a room. Sound “spreads” in the air with an average speed of 340m/s and within a confined space; this traveling sound strikes surfaces such as floors, ceilings and walls producing sound reflections and reverberations. Yikes…. This sounds like a science lesson!
Can these be bad?
Of course, yes! Bad acoustics can limit speech eloquence in a room causing additional strain in an open office space or restaurant causing among other things, loss of concentration, a lot of frustration, (temporary deafness?) and can hinder people in receiving your message. Who would’ve thought??! Zzz…
According to a recent study, noise reduces productivity in an open plan office setting by 66%. So, it stands to reason then, if we work better in a noise-friendly environment that we could make our businesses more profitable simply by focusing more on acoustics and not only on the aesthetic aspects of our work spaces – agreed?
Once you start thinking about it, you can imagine the benefits of good acoustics in schools (imagine how much gets lost in translation here?), in restaurants, hospitals (have you ever tried to get some sleep in a hospital bed?), in large halls and auditoriums –the list is endless once you apply your mind.
Fixing the problem for good:
At Shospec, no one is getting any younger (continuing with our ageing theme here it seems….) so maybe that is why good acoustics are high on our priority list. We work together with the guys from OWA who are the masters in acoustic ceilings and panels. Together with these guys, we place high value, not only on how our buildings look and function, but also on how it feels to actually live and be totally comfortable and happy in a space.
So instead of feeling like you may be living in the twilight zone with your colleagues, give a bit of thought to the acoustics of you space – maybe it’s time for a revamp?
