Office acoustics — design and improvement in Berlin and beyond
Whether in an open-plan space or a classic multi-person office, acoustic quality determines how well people can concentrate, how confidential conversations remain, and how comfortable the workplace feels. Thoughtful office acoustics creates exactly this quiet — from analysis through concept to construction.
Overview
Modern work environments are open, flexible, and communicative — and this is precisely what makes them acoustically demanding. Glass surfaces, exposed concrete, and open floor plans look good but quickly lead to long reverberation times and a high ambient level at which even the conversation at the neighbouring desk disturbs concentration. Office acoustics means designing these conditions so that people can work without disturbance and also collaborate well. In Berlin, the spectrum ranges from renovated late 19th century buildings to fitted-out commercial spaces to new-work campuses. This also encompasses not only the sound in the open space but also the sound insulation between enclosed offices and meeting rooms, so that confidential conversations remain confidential. This page is addressed to architects, planners, employers, and operators who wish to design a new office space or to meaningfully improve an existing one.
What good office acoustics means
In an office, it is less about a particularly beautiful sound and more about undisturbed working. What matters is that the overall noise level stays low and that speech becomes unintelligible quickly with distance — because it is precisely intelligible conversations at a neighbouring workstation that cause the most distraction. The key parameters for this are the spatial decay of speech and the distraction distance.
This is achieved through a combination of absorptive surfaces, screening elements, and a well-considered arrangement of workstations. A highly effective acoustic ceiling typically forms the foundation, supplemented by screens, acoustically effective furniture, and a zoning that separates noisy and quiet activities.
Sound insulation between rooms
Beyond the sound in the open space, structural sound insulation between rooms also plays a role in offices — for instance to ensure that conversations in meeting rooms, HR offices, or executive rooms remain confidential. VDI 2569 assigns these rooms to different levels depending on the required confidentiality and specifies requirements for sound insulation.
This is only effective through the combination of partition wall, door, and flanking components such as raised floors or continuous ceilings — because the weakest element determines the result. More on these structural aspects can be found on the building acoustics page.
Standards and guidelines
For acoustic quality in interior spaces, DIN 18041 is the key standard, providing target reverberation times for offices. Specifically for multi-person and open-plan offices, VDI 2569 provides supplementary criteria — for instance on spatial sound propagation and the acoustic separation of work areas. It also describes how different office types can be meaningfully assessed.
Where occupational health at the workplace is concerned, the workplace guideline ASR 3.7 applies. It defines for employers the requirements of the German Workplace Ordinance (ArbStättV), specifies maximum assessment levels depending on the activity, and requires that noise at the workplace be limited. Good design connects these requirements with the actual workflows within the organisation.
Acoustics, health, and productivity
Poor office acoustics is not merely unpleasant — it has measurable effects on health and performance. Persistent noise triggers a physical stress response that can manifest in elevated stress hormones, higher blood pressure, and increased cardiovascular strain. The World Health Organisation and occupational health research — including work by the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA) — classify sustained noise as a serious stressor whose consequences range from irritability and rapid fatigue to long-term health impairment.
Particularly disruptive is not the level alone, but intelligible speech from a neighbouring workstation. The so-called irrelevant speech effect describes how comprehensible background conversations impair short-term memory and concentration, even when one does not wish to listen. This is precisely where thoughtful office acoustics intervenes. When the ambient level falls and speech becomes quickly unintelligible with distance, stress and distraction decrease, while concentration, wellbeing, and productivity noticeably improve. Good acoustics is thus not merely a matter of comfort, but also of health protection and economic efficiency.
Typical tasks
My office is in Berlin, but projects are supported throughout Germany and beyond. The tasks often resemble one another. In newly fitted-out spaces, open floor plans, glass, and exposed concrete produce long reverberation times and a high ambient level. Late 19th century rooms with high ceilings are appealing but acoustically demanding. Co-working spaces, agencies, and start-ups require flexible solutions that can adapt to changing occupancy.
From the first conversation to the concept
It begins with the question of how the space is used and where the current problems lie. For existing offices, a measurement establishes the baseline and makes the problem tangible. From this, an acoustic concept with concrete measures is developed, which can be verified in a simulation before investment is made. This makes the effort and effect calculable, and acoustics become a natural part of the design of the work environment.
Frequently asked questions
Why is acoustics in an open-plan office so important?
In open offices, many people share a space, and conversations at the neighbouring desk are the most common source of distraction. Good office acoustics lowers the noise level, limits the propagation of speech, and ensures that conversations become inaudible after a short distance. This noticeably improves concentration, wellbeing, and productivity.
How does office noise affect health and productivity?
Persistent noise in the office triggers a physical stress response, which can manifest in elevated stress hormones, higher blood pressure, and increased cardiovascular strain. Added to this is the irrelevant speech effect, whereby intelligible conversations nearby impair concentration and short-term memory — even without consciously listening. Good office acoustics lowers the ambient level and the intelligibility of distant speech, thereby improving wellbeing, health, and productivity alike.
Which standards apply to office acoustics?
For acoustic quality, DIN 18041 applies; for multi-person and open-plan offices, additionally VDI 2569 with criteria for the spatial decay of speech and the distraction distance. Where occupational health is concerned, ASR 3.7 is added. Which standard takes precedence depends on use and occupancy.
How can conversations in meeting rooms remain confidential?
Confidentiality is primarily a matter of structural sound insulation. VDI 2569 assigns meeting rooms, HR offices, and executive rooms to different levels depending on the required confidentiality and specifies requirements for sound insulation between rooms. This is only effective through the combination of partition wall, door, and flanking components such as raised floors or continuous ceilings — because the weakest element determines the result.
How loud may an office be?
It depends on the type of work. For predominantly intellectual work, ASR 3.7 specifies an assessment level of at most 55 decibels; for simple office tasks, at most 70 decibels. More important than a single limit, however, is that speech from a neighbouring workstation becomes unintelligible quickly — because it is precisely intelligible conversations that are most distracting.
Does sound masking help in an office?
A quiet, even background sound can reduce the intelligibility of distant conversations and thus lower distraction. Sound masking is not a substitute for absorptive surfaces, however, but a complement. The ceiling, screens, and furniture should first be acoustically effective — a masking system can then be usefully calibrated.
Can an existing office be retrofitted?
Yes. Many projects concern existing spaces that are too reverberant and too loud. A measurement establishes the baseline, and on that basis absorptive ceilings, screens, acoustically effective furniture, and a well-considered zoning can be planned precisely and in a design-appropriate way — often while the office continues to operate.
Discuss your project
Are you planning a new office space, a renovation, or would you like to improve the acoustics of an existing office? Describe your space and your goal briefly — together we will find the right approach.
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