The WELL standard and BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method), are now becoming more and more popular as companies decide to either renovate their current buildings or move to new buildings. One element that is rising in popularity considerably is acoustic treatment, in particular sound masking.
Sound masking solutions provide multiple benefits for commercial environments, including enhanced wellbeing, increased privacy and improved productivity. The absence of sound masking can increase distractions and provide an uncomfortable acoustic background noise. Quiet environments can be just as unsettling, which is why sound masking is a great addition to both environments.
Privacy
Privacy in the workplace is essential for employees to feel comfortable in the workplace. The installation of sound masking contributes to creating an environment with maximum acoustic privacy, meaning confidentiality is restored.
Sound masking works by injecting an additional sound, likened to air flow, into the space. The frequency of sound masking is tuned to match the frequency of a human voice, having the ability to ‘mask’ any human speech, making the room appear quieter and cancelling out any unwanted background conversations.
Productivity
Noise is a well-known factor for decreased productivity in the workplace. According to a University of California Irvine study, it takes an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to get back into a task into a full concentrated state after being distracted. It turns out that we are more distracted than we realise as well, in Remark Group’s ‘Noise and Wellbeing at Work’ survey they found that 52% of UK office workers reported they are interrupted by noise distractions more than five times in a working day; that’s almost two hours a day wasted from noise distractions.
With increased privacy comes increased productivity. When sound masking is installed, background noise and distractions are decreased, meaning employees can concentrate on their work without any interruptions.
Office Comfort and Wellbeing
Wellbeing in the workplace is becoming increasingly important to employers and building regulators and there is a significant demand for workspaces that benefit employee health.
Exposure to unnecessary noise levels stimulates our nervous system – raising blood pressure and releasing stress hormones. In our ‘Noise and Wellbeing at work’ survey it shows that 58% of UK workers say that noise has a high impact on their stress levels in the workplace and 44% said that noise had a negative impact on their overall wellbeing.
Sound masking eliminates the background noises that can stimulate our nervous system, helping to decrease stress and over all wellbeing
How can the Remark Group help
Remark Group’s bespoke sound masking solution can be fit into any architectural concept. The solution has 360° driver technology so the installation needs fewer speakers to work effectively compared to conventional sound masking systems.
This solution has the ability to increase the privacy around the areas treated. Not only is the installation of this technology ideal to increase privacy in businesses, but it can also help to increase performance levels, eliminate distractions, and enhance the overall wellbeing of employees.
To organise a sound masking demonstration, get in touch with our experts today.
