Many organizations say they want offices that feel “alive.” Energy, conversation, and visible activity are often read as signs of a connected and collaborative workplace. At the same time, noise remains one of the most common complaints in open-plan environments.
This tension raises a larger question for the future of work: What should a productive office actually sound like? Is it possible to create a vibrant, social workplace without disrupting focus?
A typical office day already includes footsteps, keyboard clicks, phone calls, and conversations layered over HVAC hum. The issue is not whether sound exists, but how much, and what kind, supports collective performance.
Workplace acoustics have historically focused on minimizing sound transmission using metrics such as Sound Transmission Class (STC) and Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC). These standards prioritize dampening noise and preventing sound from traveling between spaces, but this approach does not quite align with how offices are used today.
Many workplaces now prioritize collaboration, visibility, and interaction over universal quiet. The objective is not total sound suppression, but identifying the “sweet spot” where sound is energetic but not distracting.
Measuring the Modern Workplace Soundscape
A recent site observation from HLW’s Ark Research Lab evaluated how “alive” a Raleigh-based client’s office felt. Decibel levels were measured and sound conditions recorded across 10 floors at multiple times throughout the day. The research aimed to determine whether collaboration and concentration can meaningfully coexist, and how sound levels shape that relationship.
What the Data Revealed:
- 55 dB Is Where Vibrancy Begins: The sound of the HVAC system is drowned out by voices, keyboard clatter, and papers shuffling. An occasional loud laugh or door closing spikes the recording to roughly 70 dB, but staff can still easily focus and an active energy is present in the space.
- There’s Focus, and Then There’s Deep Focus: While sustained work was easily supported in spaces averaging 50 dB, a distinct cognitive shift occurred in rooms measuring closer to 30–35 dB. Research suggests that in these quieter environments, the brain expends less effort filtering background noise, enabling deeper concentration.
- Acoustic Ceiling Tiles Make a Measurable Difference: Zones outfitted with acoustic ceiling tiles were consistently 10–20 dB quieter than areas with exposed ceilings, naturally creating designated “focus zones” within open floor plans.
- HVAC Sets the Baseline for Quiet: In quieter areas, the HVAC poses as the loudest sound and sets a baseline of about 45 dB in most spaces, which is an appropriate level for typical concentration.
- Density Doesn’t Always Equal Noise: Several open work areas with six to eight occupants maintained sound levels around 45 dB when acoustic desk barriers were present and phone use was minimal, challenging the assumption that more people automatically create louder environments.
Courtesy of Ark Research Lab
Why Peaks Matter More Than Background Noise
This research suggests that distracting noise is often driven less by steady background hum and more by high-amplitude peaks, sudden bursts of sound that linger or echo. A consistent HVAC baseline (between 40 and 50 dB) may be less disruptive than intermittent spikes that require cognitive filtering. Managing those peaks becomes central to balancing collaboration and concentration.
To address this strategic zoning and creating a range of sound environments, such as “buzz” and “focus” zones helps to make each space feel more effective by contrast.
In open offices the target range for overall sound is 40–60 dB. This allows enough ambient noise so people feel comfortable talking and taking calls. In this zone, peaks and valleys can blend more seamlessly with the HVAC hum, creating a truly buzzy environment.
In focus areas, the target is 20–30 dB for deep work. A deep quiet feels more impactful after experiencing a lively open office. Prioritizing dampening HVAC noise at its source with diffusers helps to create headroom for productive noise.
(Left): Confidential Consumer Products Client: Focus booths have more robust acoustic treatments on walls and ceilings, coupled with soft furniture for a deep focus zone.
(Right): Grant Thornton UK Office: Cork flooring limits noise from footsteps, while the open ceiling allows sound from conversation to reverberate, ensuring noise from a handful of people is enough to create a buzz.
Managing Reverberation Time
Managing Reverberation Time (RT) also plays a significant role in reducing peaks and creating a more acoustically balanced environment. RT is the time it takes for sound to decay within a space. When RT is calibrated effectively, sound dissipates quickly rather than bouncing repeatedly across hard surfaces.
Material selection and spatial geometry influence RT. Curved walls, wood surfaces, suspended baffles, and varied surface treatments disperse sound waves more effectively than flat, reflective planes. These elements help reduce echo and soften sharp peaks while maintaining a comfortable ambient buzz.
What This Means for The Future of Work
The future workplace may not be defined by open versus enclosed layouts, but rather by its acoustic range. Instead of debating whether offices should be loud or quiet, leaders may need to ask: Are we providing the right acoustic conditions for the task at hand?
Office sound is not abstract or uncontrollable. It is measurable, studyable, and ultimately designable. Through strategic zoning, thoughtfully specified ceiling systems, clearly communicated behavioral norms, and well-calibrated mechanical baselines, organizations can create environments where collaboration and concentration coexist.
The goal is not silence. It is alignment between the task, the environment, and employee needs.
