Acoustic Comfort | Paragraph 2

Acoustic Solutions

Acoustic solutions for healthier, happier spaces.

Sound shapes how we feel, think and interact. It impacts mental health, productivity, customer satisfaction, and academic results. Research shows uncontrolled noise can reduce productivity by up to 66%, increase stress hormones, and impair concentration.

In schools, poor acoustics lower comprehension and knowledge retention. For neurodivergent learners, who are often sensitive to sensory overload, reducing reverberation supports inclusion, wellbeing, and self-regulation.

In hospitality and retail, acoustic comfort directly influences dwell time and repeat visits. People simply do not linger in – or return to – acoustically uncomfortable spaces.

In workplaces and videoconferencing rooms, inferior sound quality leads to fatigue, loss of productivity, and heightened anxiety. Yet many spaces are designed with aesthetics in mind and little thought for acoustics.

Acoustic design – making sense of sound.

Reverberation Time (RT60) is the time it takes for sound to decay by 60 decibels. This is the most critical measure of acoustic comfort. Reverberation occurs when sound waves bounce off hard surfaces, creating echo and listening fatigue. For offices and classrooms, the ideal RT60 is 0.4–0.6 seconds, yet many modern spaces exceed 1.2 seconds, causing discomfort and poor speech clarity. Managing reverberation is the single most important factor in delivering acoustic comfort.

Frequency (Hz) refers to pitch. High frequencies (treble tones) are relatively easy to control, while low frequencies (bass tones) travel farther and are harder to absorb. The speech frequency spectrum spans roughly 85 Hz to 4 kHz, and Acoustic Panels are engineered to target this range for maximum clarity. Sound masking – such as white noise or background music – can help in specific locations, but it is not a substitute for proper acoustic treatment.

Decibels (dB) measure sound pressure or loudness. High dB levels are not always the enemy; a lively restaurant can be loud yet pleasant if reverberation is controlled. The real challenge is uncontrolled reflections. Acoustic Panels absorb mid- and high-frequency reflections, reducing reverberation time and improving intelligibility without deadening the space.

Sound insulation reduces noise transfer between rooms – essential for privacy, but irrelevant to speech clarity inside a room. A holistic approach considers flanking paths (air conditioning ducts, doors, glass, ceiling voids), structural elements (walls, ceilings, doors, ceiling heights, floor construction), and adjacencies – don’t put a noisy activity next to a quiet space and expect optimum acoustic comfort! And remember, in modern buildings, creating a completely “soundproof” room is almost impossible.

 Great acoustic design isn’t about eliminating sound—it’s about shaping it. When you control reverberation, you create spaces that feel vibrant, comfortable, and inclusive. Acoustic Panels make that possible.

Acoustic Ceiling Panels

Horizontal acoustic rafts and vertical acoustic baffles

Acoustic Ceiling Panels are made from 65% recycled PET. They offer an attractive, cost-effective and economical way to reduce reverberation and noise levels.

Acoustic Wall Panels

Sound absorbing wall mounted panels

Sound has a powerful influence on our wellbeing, and Acoustic Wall Panels are a great way to achieve optimum acoustic comfort in any public or private space.

Acoustic design is a complex subject

Our expert team offers free acoustic audits and tailored design advice to make your learning and meeting environments the best they can be.

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