Building and Room Acoustics: Designing Sound for Better Workspaces

When you step into a freshly designed office, it’s not just the aesthetics or layout you notice it’s the way sound behaves. Acoustics are one of the unsung heroes of productivity, comfort and well-being. Whether you’re planning an office refurbishment, managing a facility, or creating flexible spaces for the future, acoustics deserve a place at the table.

At feco, acoustics aren’t treated as an afterthought. They form the invisible framework that supports partitions, glazing and geometry so that speech comes through clearly, noise doesn’t intrude, and the environment feels comfortable.

Sound Insulation vs Room Acoustics – What’s the Difference?

These two terms are often used interchangeably, but they address different challenges:

• Sound insulation (or building acoustics) refers to preventing sound from travelling between rooms or being transmitted through walls, floors or doors.

• Room acoustics (in the narrower sense) concerns how sound behaves within a space – how much echo or reverberation there is, how clear speech is, how comfortable the volume and clarity feel.

  
  

Good partition systems must address both. For instance, feco’s systems incorporate fecophon acoustic elements perforated or slitted panels designed to absorb sound while still maintaining high barrier performance.

Why Acoustics Matter in Modern Office Design

Picture a meeting room where voices ricochet off glass and hard surfaces, or an open plan workspace where fragments of nearby conversation distract you. Poor acoustics erode concentration, raise stress levels and drain productivity.With thoughtful acoustic planning:

• Speech clarity improves – meetings and calls feel crisp, not muffled or chaotic.

• Privacy is enhanced – sensitive conversations stay contained instead of leaking into the open workspace.

• Noise fatigue decreases – employees no longer subtly dissolve into tiredness because of persistent background din.

• Flexibility remains intact – modular walls with acoustic treatment mean you don’t have to sacrifice openness for quiet.

What Makes a High-Performing System Wall?

Several factors need to align for true acoustic success:

1. Balanced component design

   • The weakest link determines the overall performance. For example, glazed walls or doors often limit insulation if not acoustically engineered.

   • Doors and edges must be properly sealed and mounted.

2. Addressing flanking paths

   • Even if one wall performs well, sound may sneak around via floor, ceiling or adjacent surfaces. The full building envelope must be considered.

3. Acoustic panels & absorption

   • To reduce reverberation, walls should include surfaces that absorb sound: slits, perforations or felt layers can tame echo in rooms heavy in glass or concrete.

4. Integration and early planning

   • Acoustics cannot be retrofitted easily. They need to be part of the initial layout conversation placing speaker zones, planning partition geometry and identifying room types early.

How This Helps Each Stakeholder

• Architects & Designers: Make acoustics a design feature, harmonious materials, transparent divisions, cognitive comfort.

• Contractors & Builders: When acoustic criteria are defined early, fewer surprises arise on site and system walls integrate smoothly.

• Facility Managers: Better initial acoustic design means fewer complaints, less retrofit work and more flexibility for reconfiguration.

• Developers / Investors: Buildings with robust acoustics deliver higher occupant satisfaction, better performance metrics and stronger value in the marketplace.

Final Thought

Sound underpins every space, every moment. When we integrate acoustics intentionally through modular partition walls, demountable systems and acoustic finishes our renovated spaces feel cohesive, functional and future-ready.

Let’s build offices where people don’t just see beauty - they hear calm.

feco. The office of tomorrow.