Project: creation of a refreshment area in an open-space office
Room volume: 105 m3
Acoustic issue: creating an intimate and private space in a shared environment
In recent years, open-plan offices have become increasingly popular among companies, both large and small. This type of layout offers numerous advantages, including better communication and collaboration between employees. However, this type of solution also has its disadvantages, one of which is the lack of privacy. Providing a coffee corner, a space dedicated to breaks or informal meetings, is a great way to improve the comfort of all users. In this case study, we will look at the different ways in which sound absorbing panels can be used to create a refreshment area in a working environment.
In order to create a cosy and reserved space of approximately 105 m3 near the individual workstations, the use of 3 sound-absorbing D-Space partition panels measuring 120x180x5 cm with an aluminium grey painted base was proposed. Considering the Reverberation time assessed before the intervention – i.e. 1.39 s in the empty room – a reverberation time of 0.65 s in the empty room (at an average of 250-2000 Hz) was set as a goal. To achieve these results, it was also necessary to insert 2 Menhir sound-absorbing totems measuring 40x200x40 cm, in addition to the D-Space partition panels. With this configuration, the average reverberation time decreased from 1.39 s to 0.64 s.
| Average reverberation time without panels | Average reverberation time with panels |
| 1,39 s | 0,64 s |
Both solutions are free-standing and easily moved as required, making them particularly suitable for open-plan environments where great flexibility is required.