Open Plan Office Acoustics: How to Control Noise in Shared Workspaces

Open plan offices are designed to bring people together. Fewer walls make collaboration easier, use floor space efficiently and give workplaces a modern, flexible feel. But without acoustic planning, the same openness allows conversations, phone calls, video meetings and movement to travel across the entire floor.

Open plan office acoustics is the discipline of controlling noise in shared workspaces so that people can concentrate, communicate and hold conversations without disturbing everyone around them. It is not about making the office silent. It is about controlling how far speech travels and how intelligible it remains.

For corporate, government, co-working and mixed-use workplaces across Saudi Arabia, AcouStick supports open plan acoustic design with assessment, acoustic modelling and KSA-manufactured ceilings, baffles, wall panels, desktop screens, booths and partitions.

This guide explains why open plan offices become noisy, how open plan acoustics is measured, the main design strategies, how to plan zones, and practical steps to control noise in shared workspaces.

Why Open Plan Offices Become Noisy

Research consistently identifies acoustics as one of the weakest aspects of open plan workplaces:

• UC Berkeley Center for the Built Environment — Kim and de Dear (Journal of Environmental Psychology, 2013) found enclosed private offices clearly outperformed open plan layouts in most aspects of indoor environmental quality, particularly acoustics and privacy, and that the benefits of easier interaction were smaller than the penalties of more noise and less privacy.

• U.S. General Services Administration — its "Sound Matters" guide reports a survey of 24,000 workers that found virtually no difference in satisfaction between high and low cubicle partitions, while dissatisfaction with speech privacy exceeded complaints about overall noise.

Common physical causes include:

• Hard, reflective ceilings, floors and glazing

• Exposed concrete soffits with no absorption

• Long, unobstructed sight lines between desks

• Collaboration, pantry and circulation areas next to focused work

• Video calls and speakerphones at the desk

• HVAC and equipment noise

Key insight: in open plan offices the main problem is usually intelligible speech, not overall loudness. Understanding the words of a nearby conversation is what breaks concentration.

Learn more about office acoustics to understand its role in acoustic design.

How Open Plan Office Acoustics Is Measured

ISO 3382-3, the international standard for measuring open plan offices, describes how speech travels across the floor using several parameters:

• D2,S — spatial decay rate of speech — what it describes: How much the speech level drops per doubling of distance from the talker; good conditions (iso 3382-3, annex a): ≥ 7 dB.

• Lp,A,S,4m — what it describes: Speech level 4 metres from the talker; good conditions (iso 3382-3, annex a): ≤ 48 dB.

• rD — distraction distance — what it describes: Distance at which the Speech Transmission Index falls below 0.50; good conditions (iso 3382-3, annex a): ≤ 5 m.

• rP — privacy distance — what it describes: Distance at which the Speech Transmission Index falls below 0.20; good conditions (iso 3382-3, annex a): —.

A shorter distraction distance means fewer colleagues can clearly understand a conversation. A higher spatial decay rate means speech dies away faster with distance.

ISO 22955:2021 takes a complementary, activity-based approach. A 2025 DAGA conference paper by Eva Wassermann of Müller-BBM explains that for open plan areas combining several activities, the standard gives indicative in-situ speech attenuation between zones of 12 dB (between two acoustically active areas) up to 32 dB (between highly active social spaces and areas for focused individual work).

The Core Strategy: Absorb, Block, Cover

The GSA's "Sound Matters" guide organises open plan acoustic design around three complementary strategies.

1. Absorb

Absorption reduces the sound reflected from surfaces, especially the ceiling, which otherwise carries speech across the office. GSA recommendations include:

• Open plan offices — Minimum NRC 0.9 across 100% of the ceiling

• Meeting and training rooms — Minimum NRC 0.8

• Private offices with confidentiality needs — 50% of the ceiling at NRC 0.8 or better

Where ceilings are exposed, suspended baffles and clouds provide absorption without a full suspended ceiling. Wall panels, acoustic carpet and soft furnishings add further absorption.

2. Block

Blocking interrupts the direct path between talker and listener using screens, partitions, furniture and storage. The GSA guide recommends workstation partitions for seated privacy of no more than 51 inches, with a maximum total height of 66 inches, to avoid creating false privacy that encourages louder speech.

3. Cover

Covering raises the background sound slightly so that distant speech is less intelligible, usually with an electronic sound masking system. The GSA guide recommends masking levels of 45 to 48 dBA in open plan areas and 40 to 42 dBA in private offices.

The three work together: absorption and blocking reduce speech energy reaching the listener; masking reduces the intelligibility of what remains.

Professional acoustic treatment helps control sound reflections and improve room acoustics.

Zoning: Planning the Floor by Acoustic Activity

Acoustic treatment cannot fully compensate for poor space planning. The activity-based thinking behind ISO 22955 suggests grouping spaces by acoustic character:

• Focus work — acoustic character: Quiet, low distraction; typical design response: High absorption, screening, distance from activity.

• Collaborative work — acoustic character: Moderate activity; typical design response: Absorption, screens, nearby meeting rooms.

• Social / pantry / breakout — acoustic character: High activity; typical design response: Separation from focus areas, absorption.

• Circulation and reception — acoustic character: Intermittent noise; typical design response: Absorptive ceilings, routing away from desks.

• Phone booths and focus rooms — acoustic character: Private calls and concentration; typical design response: Enclosed booths with absorption.

• Meeting rooms — acoustic character: Speech clarity and privacy; typical design response: Sound-insulating partitions, doors and ceiling details.

Example: placing a pantry directly beside a focus area forces every other measure to work harder. Placing meeting rooms, storage or circulation between them creates a natural buffer.

Open Plan Acoustic Solutions

Acoustic Ceilings

The ceiling is usually the largest surface available for absorption and the most important reflector of speech across an open floor.

Acoustic Baffles and Clouds

Suspended baffles and clouds bring absorption into spaces with exposed services or high soffits.

Wall Panels

Fabric, PET and timber panels control reflections from walls, columns and glazing returns.

Desktop Screens

Screens block direct speech between neighbouring desks and add absorption at desk level.

Acoustic Booths

Booths give people a place to take calls and video meetings without disturbing the open floor.

Movable Partitions and Meeting Rooms

Enclosed rooms need sound insulation. Riverbank Acoustical Laboratories describes STC 50–55 as speech privacy at normal voice levels and STC 60–65 as suitable for executive offices. NRC Canada research warns that flanking along floors, ceilings and abutting walls can seriously impair a wall's insulation, so ceiling junctions, penetrations and doors must be detailed carefully.

Acoustic Carpet

Soft flooring reduces footfall noise and adds absorption at floor level.

How to Control Noise in an Open Plan Office

Step 1: Identify the Complaints

Is the problem overheard conversations, phone calls, meeting noise, footfall, HVAC noise or noise from adjacent rooms?

Step 2: Assess the Space

Review the layout, ceiling type, finishes, glazing, furniture and occupancy. Where needed, measure ISO 3382-3 parameters to establish a baseline.

Step 3: Re-plan Zones Where Possible

Move focus work away from high-activity areas and use meeting rooms or storage as buffers.

Step 4: Absorb

Treat the ceiling first, then add wall and baffle absorption.

Step 5: Block

Add screens at the right height and arrange workstations to avoid direct face-to-face speech paths across long distances.

Step 6: Provide Alternatives

Add booths and small rooms for calls and focused work.

Step 7: Consider Masking

Once absorption and blocking are in place, consider controlled background sound.

Step 8: Verify

Measure the completed space against the agreed targets.

Understanding sound absorption vs sound blocking helps you select the right acoustic solution for your space.

Open Plan Office Acoustics in Saudi Arabia

Open plan layouts are common in corporate headquarters, government workplaces, financial offices, co-working centres and mixed-use developments in Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and beyond. Many feature high ceilings, exposed services, extensive glazing and stone or hard floor finishes — all of which reflect sound.

Acoustic requirements should be coordinated with the applicable Saudi building and regulatory framework, the client's workplace standards, and the project's architectural and MEP design, ideally before ceilings, partitions and furniture layouts are fixed.

Common Open Plan Acoustic Mistakes

Mistake 1: Leaving Ceilings Hard and Exposed

Without ceiling absorption, speech travels across the whole floor.

Mistake 2: Relying on Tall Partitions Alone

The GSA survey found little satisfaction difference between high and low partitions; absorption and layout matter as much as height.

Mistake 3: Putting Social Areas Beside Focus Areas

Zoning mistakes are expensive to fix with products.

Mistake 4: No Space for Calls

Without booths, phone and video calls happen at the desk.

Mistake 5: Meeting Rooms That Leak

Partitions stopping at the ceiling, unsealed penetrations and lightweight doors undermine privacy.

Mistake 6: Treating Acoustics After Fit-Out

Retrofitting ceilings and partitions is harder than designing them in.

Open Plan Acoustic Checklist

• Are focus, collaboration and social zones separated?

• Is the ceiling highly absorptive across open areas?

• Are exposed soffits treated with baffles or clouds?

• Are screens provided at seated height where needed?

• Are booths and small rooms available for calls?

• Do meeting rooms have suitable partitions, doors and ceiling details?

• Is HVAC noise appropriate for the space?

• Will ISO 3382-3 parameters be measured after completion?

How AcouStick Approaches Open Plan Acoustics

AcouStick's engineering workflow covers assessment and survey, acoustic modelling and design, specification and shop drawings, and site support and installation. For open plan workplaces, that means understanding the layout and activities first, then sizing absorption and selecting screening and enclosed-room solutions against the target.

• Absorb — acoustic ceiling tiles, baffles, PET, fabric and wooden panels, acoustic carpet

• Block — desktop screens and movable partitions

• Privacy — acoustic booths, acoustic doors and windows

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why are open plan offices so noisy?

Hard finishes, few barriers and many people in one space allow speech to travel far and stay intelligible.

2. What is the best way to reduce noise in an open plan office?

Combine absorption (especially the ceiling), blocking with screens and layout, zoning by activity, booths for calls and, where appropriate, sound masking.

3. What is distraction distance?

Under ISO 3382-3, it is the distance from a talker at which the Speech Transmission Index falls below 0.50. ISO 3382-3 Annex A associates good conditions with a distraction distance of no more than 5 metres.

4. Do desk screens work?

Yes, as part of a system. They block direct speech between neighbouring desks but work best with an absorptive ceiling.

5. What is sound masking?

A controlled background sound that reduces the intelligibility of distant speech. The GSA recommends 45–48 dBA in open plan areas.

6. Can an existing open plan office be improved?

Yes. Ceiling baffles, wall panels, screens, booths and zoning changes can be added to existing offices.

Final Takeaway

Open plan offices work acoustically when speech is controlled: absorbed by the ceiling and walls, blocked by screens and layout, kept away from focus areas by zoning, and given somewhere private to go. Designing these measures together — and verifying them against recognised targets — creates shared workspaces that support both collaboration and concentration.

Planning or upgrading an open plan office in Saudi Arabia? Share your layout and concerns with AcouStick for an acoustic review and product recommendation.

If your open plan office is noisy or your team struggles to concentrate, AcouStick can help you plan the absorption, screening, zoning and privacy your workplace needs.

Email: info@acoustick.co | Call: +966 51 130 809 | Web: www.acoustick.co

REFERENCES

• Kim, J., & de Dear, R. "Workspace satisfaction: The privacy-communication trade-off in open-plan offices." Journal of Environmental Psychology, 2013 (Center for the Built Environment, UC Berkeley, eScholarship): escholarship.org/uc/item/2gq017pb

• U.S. General Services Administration. "Sound Matters: How to Achieve Acoustic Comfort in the Contemporary Office." GSA Public Buildings Service, December 2011 / January 2012: gsa.gov

• International Organization for Standardization. ISO 3382-3, "Acoustics — Measurement of room acoustic parameters — Part 3: Open plan offices" — parameter definitions and Annex A values as summarised in ODEON A/S, "Application note: ISO 3382-3 Open plan offices": odeon.dk/pdf/Application_note_ISO-3382-3_Offices.pdf

• Wassermann, E. "Practical Application of ISO 22955 for Acoustic Design in Open-Plan Offices." Müller-BBM Building Solutions, DAGA 2025 (51st Annual Conference on Acoustics), Copenhagen — on ISO 22955:2021, "Acoustics — Acoustic quality of open office spaces".

• Riverbank Acoustical Laboratories. "Understanding Sound Transmission Class (STC) Ratings and Testing" — ASTM E90 / ASTM E413 procedure and STC ranges: riverbankacoustics.com

• Warnock, A.C.C. "Controlling Sound Transmission through Concrete Block Walls." Construction Technology Update No. 13, National Research Council Canada, 1998: publications-cnrc.canada.ca