Approximately 50 million Americans work in open plan offices. Open plan offices are environments in which workers do their job in closely-grouped cubicles. Though these cubicles are more space-efficient and improve the communication between workers, they are an acoustic challenge.

Conventional offices have been replaced, in many cases, with cubicles. This means that more workers can be put into the same amount of space, with everyone close to everyone else. However, advanced building methods, the use of absorptive materials, and quieter office equipment have all contributed to reducing office noise by a significant amount.

Sound masking – often referred to as “white noise” – has been a particularly successful solution. A sound masking system contains a set of speakers that produce an engineered background sound all through the facility. This hum is for the most part frequently compared to that of gently blowing air.

Sound masking has many benefits the most significant of which is reduced distractions with conversations and a more relaxed working environment. Sound masking can be easily set up and fits easily into new or existing facilities regardless of size. It provides a very efficient and affordable way to tackle acoustic troubles without having to perform structural modifications.

An example of sound masking that you might be very familiar with occurs in your home on a regular basis. Consider the situation where you are in the kitchen doing dishes, and a person in an adjacent room speaks to you. You will recognize a voice, but probably be unable to make out the actual words, due to the sound level of running water.

At this point, we should discuss the definition of a “noise floor”. This term is used by sound engineers to describe the ambient sound level in your environment. If it is too high, you might be annoyed by the “background noise”. Conversely, if it is too low, typical sounds such as people talking in the distance might become a nuisance.

Masking is a way of ensuring privacy, producing a noise level adequate to conceal noises, but not high enough to produce discomfort, with decibel levels generally between 42 to 48 dBA. By doing this, a system can effectively mask sounds, without being a distraction itself.

Conventional walls are being replaced by modular workstations, as more workers are using the same working space, and everyone is seated in close proximity to one another. You will also see, though, that modern building methods, along with absorptive actions, and quiet machines, have decreased the ambient level of office noise, reducing the volume considerably. Sound masking systems consist of speakers which emit an overall sound throughout a factory or office. This is often described as sounding like the humming of a gentle breeze. Privacy can be achieved via masking, which establishes a noise level sufficient to hide intrusive noises, but sufficiently low so as not to be bothersome.

- Bruce Davidson

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