A Complete Guide to Workplace Acoustic Solutions

Noise is one of the most consistently cited sources of workplace dissatisfaction. Whether it is the low hum of an open-plan office, the echo of a school corridor, or the ambient clatter of a healthcare waiting room, poor acoustics erode concentration, compromise privacy, and increase stress. The good news is that acoustic problems are measurable, and with the right combination of products and strategy, entirely solvable.

Last updated: April 2026 · Reading time: 2 min

Understanding the Problem: How Acoustics Are Measured

Before selecting any product, it is worth understanding what you are actually trying to fix. Two metrics matter most in commercial acoustics:

• Reverberation time (RT60) — the time it takes for sound to decay by 60 decibels after a source stops. Open, hard-surfaced rooms have long reverberation times, making speech difficult to understand and fatigue rapid. An office should typically aim for an RT60 of 0.4–0.6 seconds.
• Speech Transmission Index (STI) — a measure of how intelligible speech is between two points. High STI in an open office means private conversations carry further than they should. Reducing STI through absorption and masking improves both focus and confidentiality.

A simple clap test reveals a great deal about a room's character. Professional acoustic consultants use calibrated equipment for precision, but for most commercial fitouts, an experienced supplier working from room dimensions, surface materials, and occupancy patterns can develop a highly effective specification without formal measurement. Through our classroom design service, we help schools transform their spaces.

What Products Make Up the Acoustic Solutions Toolkit?

Acoustic treatment is never a single product fix. The most effective schemes layer complementary solutions across the room:

• Acoustic wall panels — fabric-wrapped mineral wool or foam cores mounted to walls. High NRC (Noise Reduction Coefficient) ratings of 0.85 and above make these the workhorse of any scheme. Available in virtually unlimited fabric and colour options, they function as design features as much as acoustic treatments.
• Ceiling baffles and rafts — suspended horizontally or vertically from a ceiling grid, baffles treat the largest reflective surface in most rooms. They are particularly effective in rooms where wall space is limited by glazing or storage.
• Desk-mounted and freestanding screens — fabric acoustic screens between workstations reduce the direct transfer of speech between adjacent colleagues. They do not eliminate noise but meaningfully reduce distraction at source.
• Acoustic phone booths and pods — fully enclosed or semi-enclosed pods provide genuinely private spaces for calls and focused work within open-plan environments. A well-specified pod with an STC (Sound Transmission Class) rating of 30 or above reduces sound by approximately 30 decibels — enough to make private conversation genuinely private.
• Soft furnishings — upholstered seating, carpet, curtains, and planting all contribute acoustic absorption. In reception and breakout areas, thoughtful specification of these elements can achieve significant improvement without any dedicated acoustic products.

How Do You Match Acoustic Solutions to Different School Environments?

Different environments have different acoustic priorities. In a commercial office, the primary goals are reducing reverberation and masking speech between workstations. In a school, the challenge is typically high background noise from hard surfaces combined with the need for clear teacher intelligibility — a combination that demands ceiling treatment and wall absorption in roughly equal measure. Healthcare environments prioritise speech privacy for clinical consultations, making high-STI-reduction solutions such as acoustic pods and partition screens particularly valuable.

The most common mistake organisations make is treating acoustics as an afterthought — a remedial measure once complaints arise rather than an integral part of the fitout specification. Acoustic planning at design stage costs a fraction of retrospective treatment and produces far better outcomes. At Werk Solutions, we work with clients at briefing stage to develop specifications that are proportionate, evidence-based, and designed to last.