Envision a commercial space where conversations flow effortlessly, concentration reigns supreme, and distracting noise fades into the background. This is where the power of optimised acoustics in commercial interior design realises its full potential. And in today's design landscape, where there is an ever-increasing focus on wellbeing, improved acoustics can significantly lead to reduced stress levels, increased productivity, and enhanced communication and collaboration.
Below we explore the world of commercial interior acoustic principles for achieving a successful, thriving and inviting space where people want to spend time.
The principle of 3
When it comes to the optimal placement of acoustic products in any space, think in threes. For the most enhanced and even acoustics, we recommend placement on three surfaces in different directions. This could involve two adjacent walls and the ceiling, with the priority surface being the one with the greatest surface area (usually the ceiling or the longest wall within a space).
Explore our collection of Panels, including Plain, Pattern and Emboss, which match seamlessly across multiple surfaces.
The Flutter echo effect
Have you ever been in a large-scale space, such as a conference room or atrium, where people tend to talk unnecessarily loudly, making it difficult to understand them? This often occurs in rooms with uneven geometry, like long corridors or large rectangular spaces, where sound waves bounce off parallel surfaces, creating a series of distinct and repeating echoes known as a flutter echo. This phenomenon distorts speech, with consonant sounds repeating and vowels that blur together, making it challenging to have conversations.
To address this issue, it's crucial to ensure even acoustic treatment by installing acoustic products on multiple surfaces within the space.
Zintra Beams have been purposely designed for large spaces, while Zintra Sticks flawlessly transition from walls to ceilings, enabling coverage on multiple surfaces.
Enhancing Speech Privacy
Improving people’s sense of privacy in open-plan offices is paramount to productivity and trust. Proper acoustic design that employs a holistic approach to the overall space, including the application of acoustic products in adjacent offices and in open-plan areas, adds an absorptive finish that lowers background noise and improves one’s sense of privacy.
Ceiling treatments such as Zintra Mesh Baffles are perfect for controlling background noise and reducing reverberation in open-plan spaces.
Air Gap Advantage
Mounting Acoustic panels with an air gap dramatically improves the absorption capability of the product because the air gap acts as a spring that further absorbs acoustic energy. When designing your next project, consider leaving an air gap behind the acoustic panels placed on walls and lowering your ceiling panels for a superior acoustic outcome.
Zintra Box Baffles are an innovative, noise reducing replacement to mineral fibre lay systems, with their box shape design increasing the NRC rating by capturing sound within.
Diffusing the Problem
Large spaces, especially those with minimalist design and predominantly hard surfaces, often experience significant issues with echo. The most effective way to break up the echo within a space like this, is to use a combination of both sound diffusion (which spreads sound energy), and sound absorption (which soaks it up using porous materials such as acoustic PET). This approach scatters the echo, preventing it from bouncing back and forth between parallel surfaces.
Explore Zintra Box Tiles, Quadratic Sticks and Emboss Panels which all offer strong acoustic diffusion properties.
The Human Factor
In people-centric spaces, such as educational and office settings, where rooms are constantly filled with people, it’s important to consider where they typically sit or stand when planning the placement of acoustic products. Why? People are often the main source of sound in a space, so the placement of acoustic products as close as possible to where this sound energy is coming from is important – this is known as the first reflection point and is the optimal position to mount acoustic products.
The versatility offered by Zintra Clouds and Zintra Tiles allows for the strategic placement at this first reflection point.
For any questions or if you'd like to learn more about the principles of acoustics, our customer sales and support team is here to help. Get in touch today.