Escolar Documentos
Profissional Documentos
Cultura Documentos
in
Open
Office
Situations
Introduction
vertical surfaces can help the acoustics in undivided Masking helps in these situations, as does so-
work spaces (i.e. bull-pen offices), but it usually wont called spot acoustics. When cubicles are merely low-
provide speech privacy. er-height panels, the panels do not play a significant
role in acoustical control. Without any barriers to block
There is a difference of about 9dB between the speech, the spoken word can be heard 50 to 70 feet
sound level when the speaker and listener are close and away without any type of sound masking and as much
facing one another than when they are facing away from as 25 to 35 feet away with sound masking.
each other. So, employee orientation when working at a
desk is important and will depend on how much or little In addition to using sound masking, acoustic con-
direct interaction is necessary for the work to get done. trol can mean providing multiple venues for work, each
supporting specific types of activities. These can in-
Ventilation systems should be designed to be rea- clude separate rooms with high NRC and CAC acoustic
sonably quiet, but with an understanding that some panels, sound seals around doors and retractable door
background noise will help mask what would otherwise bottoms to help seal a closed door.
be disruptive activity noises. Other noise sources also
should be chosen to impact ambient noise as little as
possible. For instance, telephone ringers can include
low-level tones, as well as flashing or blinking lights.
Summary
In addition to acoustic materials on the ceilings and
W
walls, as well as design components, such as carpeting
ell planned acoustics are crucial to the success
on the floors, acoustic consultants often recommend
of any open office situation and should be a part
sound masking. Blending many sounds sometimes
of the initial planning and design. The overall plan must
serves to mask individual sounds. Without this mask-
take the functions and locations of those working within
ing, the individual sounds can be distracting. Research
the environment into consideration, as well as the re-
shows that low frequency sounds can mask higher
quirements for noise control and sound privacy. Good
frequency sounds, even if the difference is only slight.
noise control will comprise a number of components
This works in part because the human ear perceives and there is no one size fits all solution.
sound differently at different frequencies. Any sound
measuring system used to evaluate acoustics in a
space should account for these differences. Frequency
weighting networks weight the contribution of different
frequencies to the overall sound.
FSTC (field sound transmission class) Same as STC, Privacy Index (PI) A measure for rating the speech
but measured in the field and used to quantify actual as privacy performance of an architectural space. A privacy
built partition transmission loss, incorporating corrections level of PI > 95% represents confidential speech privacy,
for the sound absorption of the room. a PI between 95 80% represent normal or non-intrusive
privacy, and PI < 80% is poor privacy.
Hertz (Hz) Measure of sound frequency in cycles per
second. The human voice, like many sounds, is com- Reverberation time, RT60 A measure for rating the
posed of a combination of many frequencies. Typical quality of the acoustic environment within an architec-
human hearing range is 20 Hz 20,000 Hz. tural space, and its appropriateness for various uses.
Specifically, the reverberation time is the time it takes
Kilohertz (kHz) One kHz equals 1,000 Hz for reflected sound within a space to decrease by 60 dB
after the sound was made. An RT60 < 1 sec. is beneficial
Lombard effect Tendency of speakers to speak louder for good speech intelligibility, whereas RT60 > 1.5 sec is
and at a higher pitch when there is loud noise around appropriate for symphony music.
them in order to make themselves heard and understood.
Sabin Unit of total acoustic sound absorption named
Lombard Reflex Actual change in a talkers articulation for Wallace Clement Sabine, the founder of the field of
in order to be heard and understood over background noise, architectural acoustics.
i.e. talking louder, higher pitch and better articulation.
Signal-to-noise Ratio (SNR) The difference between
Masking Sound Electronically generated background the level of a desired signal to the level of the back-
sound of a specified level and frequency content, that is ground noise. Often expressed in decibels.
introduced into occupied environments to provide masking
of intrusive noises and to enhance speech privacy. Sound Transmission Class (STC) A measure for rating
the performance of a wall system as a barrier to airborne
Noise isolation class (NIC) A single-number rating sound transmission between adjacent closed spaces,
calculated in accordance with Classification E 413 using such as offices. A wall system with an STC < 35 is con-
measured values of noise reduction. It provides an esti- sidered low performance, whereas one with an STC > 55
mate of the sound isolation between two enclosed spac- is high performance.
es that are acoustically connected by one or more paths.
The number represents the approximate attenuation, in Speech privacy A general term that includes both the
dB, between two spaces. need by the talker to have privacy from being overheard by
unintended listeners and the need by the listeners not to be
Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC) A measure for annoyed or distracted by unwanted nearby conversations.
rating the overall sound absorption performance of a
material when used in an enclosed architectural space Sound Pressure variations the ear can detect.
such as an office, where sound is being reflected at many
angles of incidence. Specifically, it is the 4 frequency Spot Acoustics Using acoustical treatments to affect a
averaged absorption coefficients @ 250, 500, 1000 and localized section of an architectural space.
2000 Hz, rounded to the nearest 0.05. A material with
NRC < 0.50 is a poor absorber, and NRC > .80 is a very Threshold of hearing Lowest sound level that can be
good absorber. heard by the human ear.
Pink noise Random noise containing equal power White noise Random noise containing equal power at
between each octave. The result is noise that sounds all frequencies. The result is noise that sounds higher in
lower in pitch. pitch.
v - Carmichael, Sarah Green, Research: Cubicles are the xvii - Kroll, Karen Optimize the Acoustics of Open Offic-
Absolute Worst Harvard Business Review, November 13, es FacilitiesNet, August 2010 http://www.facilitiesnet.
2013, https://hbr.org/2013/11/research-cubicles-are-the-abso- com/designconstruction/article/Optimize-the-Acous-
lute-worst/ tics-of-Open-Offices11960#
vi - Helena Jahnke, Staffan Hygge, Niklas Halin, Anne Marie xviii - Ibid
Green, Kenth Dimberg, Open-plan office noise: Cognitive
plan and restoration Journal of Environmental Psychology, xix - Working by Design Ceilings & Wall Systems http://www.
Vol. 31, Issue 4, December 2011, pp 373-382 http://www. armstrong.com/common/c2002/content/files/83741.pdf
sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272494411000429
xx - GSA Public Buildings Service, Sound Matters, How
vii - Kylie Dunn, A Simple Solution to Open Plan Noise by to Achieve Acoustic Comfort in the Contemporary Office
Julian Treasure My Year of TED, June 11, 2014, http://www. December 2011, http://www.gsa.gov/portal/mediaId/172515/
kyliedunn.com/2014/06/a-simple-solution-to-open-plan-noise- fileName/GSA_Sound_Matters_(Dec_2011)_508.action
by.html
xxi - Carrol, Terry, Benching An Important Piece of To-
viii - Harry Bradford, Open-Office Plans Detrimental to Worker days Workplace https://www.kimballoffice.com/getattach-
Productivity, Study Finds The Huffington Post, August 24, ment/24780946-09d3-4495-9af4-6cc0b3595d87/Benching_
2013 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/24/open-plan- White_Paper_2011_11_17.pdf.aspx/
office-study_n_3810538.html
xxii - Paoli, Dave Ibid.
ix - Paul, Annie Murphy, Workplace Woes; The Open Office
is a Hotbed of Stress Time, August 2012 xxiii -Kroll, Karen, Optimize the Acoustics of Open Offices
Ibid.
x - Evans, Gary W., Johnson, Dana, Stress and open-office
noise Journal of Applied Psychology, Vol. 85(5), Oct. 2000, xxiv - The Value of Acoustical Privacy in the Open Office
779-783 Environment Resources http://www.arctecon.com/resources/
architecture/the-value-of-acoustical-privacy-in-the-open-of-
fice-environment/
xxxvi - Ibid.
xxxvii - Ibid.
v - Armstrong, Ibid
xvii - Owens Corning, Ibid
vi - Ibid, http://www2.owenscorning.com/around/sound/
definitions.html xviii - Armstrong, Ibid
vii - Owens Corning, Ibid xix - Castro, Joseph, What is Pink Noise Live Science,
http://www.livescience.com/38464-what-is-pink-noise.
viii - Armstrong, Ibid html
x - Armstrong, Ibid