Open Plan Office Acoustics: A Complete Guide to Better Sound Environments at Work
Open plan offices are the default layout for most modern workplaces, and for good reason. They encourage collaboration, reduce the need for cellular office space, and make better use of square footage. But they come with one persistent problem that no amount of good intentions can fix on its own: noise. Conversations bleed across desks, phone calls carry across the room, and the general hum of a busy floor makes it genuinely difficult to concentrate. This guide explains how open plan office acoustics work, what the relevant British standards require, and how to select and position acoustic treatments that actually make a difference.
In 2021, new standards (BS ISO 22955:2021) were released providing technical guidance on achieving the best possible acoustic comfort in open plan offices.
Why Open Plan Offices Struggle with Acoustics
The very features that make open plan offices appealing are the same ones that create acoustic problems. Hard floors, exposed ceilings, large expanses of glass, and minimal soft furnishings all reflect sound rather than absorbing it. When sound reflects repeatedly between hard surfaces, reverberation builds up, and speech intelligibility drops. People respond by speaking louder, which raises the ambient noise level further and creates a cycle that becomes increasingly disruptive as the day progresses.
The issue is not just about volume. Research consistently links high background noise in offices to reduced cognitive performance, elevated stress levels, and lower productivity. Employees working in acoustically poor environments report more difficulty concentrating, more frequent errors, and greater fatigue by the end of the working day. For facilities managers and interior designers specifying new or refurbished spaces, acoustic treatment is not an optional extra — it is a core part of making the workplace function properly.
British Standards for Office Acoustics: What You Need to Know
In the UK, office acoustic performance is guided primarily by BS 8233:2014, which sets recommendations for sound levels in workplaces, and BB93, which covers educational buildings but is frequently referenced in commercial contexts. For open plan offices specifically, the relevant target is typically a background noise level of between 40 and 45 dB(A), with reverberation times kept low enough to allow clear speech at normal conversational distances.
Reverberation time (RT60) is the measure most commonly used to assess acoustic quality. It describes how long it takes for sound to decay by 60 decibels after a source stops. In a typical open plan office, a reverberation time below 0.6 seconds is generally recommended. Achieving this requires a sufficient area of sound-absorbing material relative to the volume of the space — which is where acoustic panel specification becomes critical.
Panels are rated using the Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC) or, under European standards, the weighted sound absorption coefficient (αw). Products rated Class A under EN ISO 11654 represent the highest level of absorption available, with an αw of 0.90 or above. Specifying Class A products wherever possible gives you the most efficient path to hitting the reverberation targets set out in British standards, using fewer panels and less wall or ceiling coverage.
Understanding Sound Absorption vs. Soundproofing
One of the most common points of confusion when specifying for offices is the difference between absorption and soundproofing. Acoustic panels — whether wall-mounted, ceiling-hung, or suspended as rafts — are absorption products. They reduce the amount of sound energy that bounces around within a room, lowering reverberation and making the space feel quieter and clearer. They do not prevent sound from passing between rooms or through walls and floors.
Soundproofing, by contrast, involves mass, decoupling, and airtightness — typically addressed through the construction of walls, floors, and ceiling systems rather than through decorative panels. If your goal is to reduce noise transmission between separate offices or meeting rooms, that is a structural issue. If your goal is to reduce echo, lower the ambient noise level, and make conversation more comfortable within an open plan floor, acoustic panels are the right solution. You can explore the full range of acoustic products suited to commercial spaces to find what fits your brief.
Where to Treat First: Ceilings, Walls, or Both?
The ceiling is almost always the first surface to treat in an open plan office. It presents the largest unobstructed area in any room, it reflects sound from every direction, and ceiling-mounted products have minimal impact on usable floor space or desk layout. Suspended ceiling rafts and baffles work by intercepting sound before it reaches the hard ceiling surface and absorbs it, preventing it from bouncing back down into the space below.
As the most important area, the British standard recommends approximately 50-60% coverage of the ceiling with Class A absorbing panels to be installed. Suspended panels allow you to retain the existing air circulation and services within the building, and also tend to be the most effective solution.
Wall panels become important once the ceiling has been addressed, particularly on longer walls where sound can travel significant distances across a floor. They are also effective near noisy sources — around collaboration zones, phone booths, reception areas, and anywhere that generates concentrated sound. A combination of ceiling and wall treatment is almost always more effective than either approach alone, because it addresses multiple reflection paths simultaneously.
Acoustic Ceiling Panels and Rafts for Open Plan Offices
Suspended ceiling rafts are among the most widely specified products for open plan offices, and with good reason. They hang below the structural ceiling on wires or rods, absorbing sound on both their upper and lower faces. This means they are significantly more efficient per square metre than a flat panel fixed directly to a ceiling surface, because they can absorb sound coming from below and also sound that has already reflected upward.
The Ecophon 'Solo' Rectangle suspended ceiling raft is a well-established product in commercial acoustic specification. Available in 1800 x 1200mm and larger formats, it carries Class A absorption and is supplied in White Frost as standard. The Solo range is designed for open plan environments where a clean, minimal appearance is needed alongside reliable acoustic performance. The Ecophon Solo in the narrower 2400 x 600mm format offers a more linear, architectural look that suits contemporary interiors with a grid-based ceiling design.
For projects that need more design flexibility, the SilentSpace fabric-wrapped raft range offers custom sizing and a wide choice of fabric colours. The SilentSpace Fabric Wrapped Acoustic Ceiling Raft can be made to specific dimensions, which is particularly useful in irregularly shaped offices or where a specific coverage target needs to be met without wasting material.
Acoustic Ceiling Baffles: The Right Solution for High-Ceiling Offices
In offices with high or exposed ceilings — converted warehouse spaces, double-height receptions, or buildings with services left exposed for aesthetic reasons — horizontal rafts are often impractical or insufficient on their own. Vertical ceiling baffles provide a complementary or alternative approach. Hung vertically from the ceiling structure, baffles present two absorbing faces to sound arriving from the sides, making them exceptionally efficient in high-volume spaces.
The Abstracta Basic Baffle is available in multiple sizes and can be arranged in regular rows or more organic configurations depending on the design brief. The 14six8 Harmony suspended panel system offers a similar approach with a more refined aesthetic, making it suitable for client-facing or prestige office environments. You can browse the full acoustic ceiling panel and baffle range to compare formats and coverage options.
Acoustic Wall Panels for Open Plan Offices
Wall panels play a secondary but still significant role in an open plan acoustic strategy. Once ceiling coverage reaches diminishing returns, adding wall absorption reduces late reflections — the echoes that arrive slightly after the direct sound and smear speech intelligibility. Positioning wall panels at the first reflection points on the longer walls of a floor is an efficient way to extend the effectiveness of ceiling treatment.
The Ecophon Akusto One range is one of the strongest options for high-performance wall absorption in commercial settings. Available in square, rectangle, and circle formats, these panels deliver Class A absorption and are finished in a wide selection of colours including Sage, Acai, Oyster, Sea Salt, and Thyme. Circle panels from this range are priced from £599.00 per pack and include the fixings needed for straightforward wall installation. They work well in open plan environments where the panels need to be visible but not distracting.
For projects where large wall areas need to be covered efficiently, the Abstracta Soneo Wall is a modular system designed specifically for that purpose. Panels start from £245.70 and are available in multiple sizes and upholstery options, allowing designers to build up a coherent wall covering across significant surface areas. The Soneo system has a discreet, architectural profile that sits naturally alongside contemporary workplace interiors.
Design-Led Acoustic Products: Combining Performance with Aesthetics
One of the more significant shifts in workplace acoustic specification over the last decade has been the move away from purely functional, clinical-looking treatment toward products that contribute positively to interior design. Facilities teams and fit-out designers no longer need to choose between acoustic performance and a space that looks good.
The Offecct Soundwave Bella is a good example of this approach. At £121.80 per panel, the Bella is a 585 x 585mm moulded polyester fibre panel with a sculpted surface texture that provides both sound absorption and visual interest. It is part of the broader Soundwave family, which includes formats such as the Flo, Swell, Sky, and Scrunch — each with a distinct profile, all designed to be combined in modular arrangements across a wall surface. These panels suit offices where the acoustic treatment is intended to double as a design feature rather than sit invisibly in the background.
PET felt panels from brands like Autex and BAUX offer another route to design-led acoustic treatment. The Autex Cube and the Autex Groove are both large-format wall panels made from recycled polyester felt, available in a wide colour palette. The Groove's linear channelled surface adds visual texture to a wall while performing well acoustically, making it a popular choice for creative and tech offices. The BAUX Wood Wool ceiling panels bring a natural material quality to ceiling treatments, with the textured wood wool surface providing effective absorption alongside a distinctly warm, tactile finish.
How to Calculate How Much Acoustic Treatment You Need
Specifying the right amount of acoustic treatment requires calculating the total absorption needed to reach your target reverberation time. The standard formula for this is the Sabine equation, which relates reverberation time to the total volume of the space and the total absorption area (in Sabins or square metres). In practice, this means measuring the room volume, estimating the absorption already present from flooring, furniture, and occupants, and then calculating the additional absorption required to hit the target RT60.
For most open plan offices of standard ceiling height (2.7 to 3.5 metres), a rule of thumb is to aim for acoustic treatment covering approximately 15 to 25 percent of the total ceiling area with Class A products. This provides a useful starting point, but every space is different, and a proper acoustic assessment will give a more accurate figure. SONIO offers an acoustic calculator tool that can help you estimate treatment requirements based on your room dimensions and target reverberation time — a useful first step before committing to a specification.
Installation Options and Practical Considerations
One of the practical advantages of modern acoustic panel products is the variety of installation methods available. Wall panels can be fixed using adhesive, clip systems, or concealed brackets, depending on the wall substrate and whether the panels need to be removable. Ceiling rafts are typically hung on wire suspension systems that allow the drop height to be adjusted — useful in spaces where services or structure create constraints on hanging positions.
For refurbishment projects where disruption needs to be minimised, many products in the acoustic wall panel range can be installed during a single weekend or evening shift. Products like the Autex Quietspace Wrapped panels and the SilentSpace custom fabric panels are supplied ready to hang, with all fixings included. For more complex installations involving bespoke sizing or large-scale coverage, SONIO offers a fitting service to support projects where a professional installation is preferred.
Meeting Rooms and Acoustic Zones Within an Open Plan Office
Open plan offices rarely consist of a single homogenous area. Most floors include a mix of focus zones, collaboration areas, phone booths, and informal meeting spaces. Each of these zones has different acoustic requirements, and treating them accordingly leads to a much better overall result than applying a uniform approach across the whole floor.
Meeting rooms that open directly onto an open plan floor, or that are partially glazed, need particular attention. Hard-surfaced meeting rooms become highly reverberant on their own, and if they are not acoustically treated internally, conversations within them spill out and contribute to ambient noise on the floor. The acoustic panel range for meeting and conference rooms includes products specifically suited to these smaller, more focused spaces, where absorption needs to be high but the area available for treatment is limited.
Bespoke Acoustic Solutions for Complex Briefs
Not every office project fits neatly into standard panel sizes or off-the-shelf product ranges. Spaces with unusual geometries, specific branding requirements, or demanding acoustic targets may need a more tailored approach. Custom-printed acoustic panels, for example, can incorporate photography, artwork, or brand graphics while still delivering meaningful sound absorption — making them particularly effective in reception areas and client-facing spaces where visual identity matters as much as performance.
For projects that require a more hands-on specification process, SONIO's bespoke acoustic service provides support from product selection through to final installation. This is particularly useful for large or complex commercial fit-outs where acoustic performance needs to be demonstrated against specific targets, or where multiple product types need to be coordinated across a single floor.
Conclusion: Getting Open Plan Office Acoustics Right
Acoustic quality in open plan offices is not a luxury consideration — it directly affects how well people can work. The good news is that the products and knowledge needed to address it effectively are readily available, and even modest amounts of well-placed absorption can produce a noticeable improvement in comfort and intelligibility.
The most reliable approach is to start with the ceiling, prioritise Class A products where possible, and supplement wall coverage in areas with specific noise sources or long reflection paths. Use British standard guidance (particularly ISO 22955:2021) as your performance benchmark, and take advantage of calculation tools to size the treatment correctly before ordering.
Whether you are specifying a large commercial fit-out or addressing a noise problem in an existing office, the full office acoustic panel range at SONIO covers everything from high-performance suspended ceiling rafts to design-led wall panels from brands including Ecophon, Abstracta, Offecct, BAUX, Autex, De Vorm, and SilentSpace. If you are not sure where to start, the FAQ section covers common specification questions, or you can get in touch directly via the contact page for project-specific advice.
