Too Much Office Noise? Start With Your Space, Not More Walls

Searching for ways to reduce noise in an open office? You don’t necessarily need to start building walls.

For many Boston companies, the challenge is creating an open office design that supports collaboration while still giving employees enough privacy for focused work, phone calls and video meetings.

At Union Office Interiors, that starts by looking at the entire workplace; not simply adding an acoustic panel and hoping for the best.

Start With Office Space Planning

Where is the noise actually coming from?

Collaboration areas positioned beside workstations, employees taking Teams calls at their desks, and hard surfaces that reflect sound can all contribute to a noisy office.

Thoughtful office space planning can separate louder collaborative zones from areas intended for focused work. Furniture can also create boundaries without permanent construction.

Use Furniture to Create Acoustic Privacy

Acoustic office furniture, privacy screens, high-back lounge seating, workstation dividers, phone booths and acoustic pods can provide employees with different levels of privacy throughout the day.

When UOI designed 3Play Media’s Boston headquarters, the furniture plan incorporated privacy screens at height-adjustable benching stations alongside huddle rooms and collaborative spaces.

The goal wasn’t to eliminate the open office. It was to give employees different environments for different types of work.

Don’t Forget Materials

Carpet, upholstered furniture, acoustic ceiling treatments, fabric screens and acoustic wall panels can help absorb sound that would otherwise travel through a workplace.

For 3Play Media, UOI also consulted on flooring, paint, tile and office acoustics, allowing these decisions to work together as part of the overall workplace design.

Better Office Acoustics Start With Better Planning

Creating a quieter workplace isn’t about making an office silent. It’s about balancing collaboration, acoustic privacy and focused work.

For businesses considering an office redesign, open office renovation or commercial office furniture project in Boston, Union Office Interiors can help create a workplace where employees have the right space for the work they’re doing, no extra drywall required.

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