Conquering the Modern Conference Room: Top Soundproofing Tips for Meetings
The office conference room has evolved greatly over the past few decades. Business owners are ditching the seclusion of the classic, closed off conference room for glass walls and open spaces. While these modern design trends add a touch of class to the spaces where we close deals and entertain clients, they don’t do much for the acoustics.
The modern conference room requires some serious attention to detail to provide the interruption-free environment we need to conduct business efficiently. Luckily, there are some simple modifications we can make that will vastly improve the acoustical qualities of any modern conference room.
Why Modern Conference Rooms Create Acoustical Issues
Industrial materials and open spaces may be aesthetically pleasing, but those reflective surfaces and open spaces can wreak havoc on modern conference room acoustics if they’re not properly treated. This is due to the way sound waves interact with their environment.
Sound waves are vibrations through a surface or the air that continue along their path until something interrupts it. If the obstruction is hard and smooth, those sound waves will reflect back into the room and continue on their way. If the obstruction is porous and dense, the sound waves will get absorbed and gradually transition from vibrational energy into heat energy.
When too many sound waves are reflected back into the open spaces that define modern conference rooms, they can build up and lead to acoustical issues like echo and reverberation.
What are Echo and Reverberation?
Most of us are familiar with echo. A sound wave travels across space, strikes something reflective, and returns to its source. Echo is fun in the state park, but in the modern conference room, it can lead to troubles with communication.
If too many echoes build up in space, the additive effect of those sound waves build in intensity through a process called reverberation, or reverb. Reverb can further complicate communication and greatly increase ambient room noise. We can solve both issues through the introduction of porous, absorptive materials that reduces reflections and eliminates some vibrational energy from the equation.
The Importance of Sound Control
If your immediate thought is that these are minor issues, you may be missing part of the picture. When our office spaces suffer from too much noise, there are a number of effects that impact employee health and productivity, and ultimately, the bottom line.
Office noise distractions can be just as disruptive as any other type of distraction. They make it harder to concentrate on the task at hand, lead to miscommunications and missed deadlines, and increase stress levels, which can contribute to a whole host of serious physical and psychological conditions. Keeping the sound under control is an investment in your employee’s health and the health of the company. Luckily, there are some simple ways to make this happen.
Treating the Modern Conference Room for Better Sound
When considering noise in the modern conference room, there are usually a couple main sources: noise coming from the people and machines working in the space and noise that enters from the outside. Noise from each source is treated in slightly different but interconnected ways.
To reduce the amount of noise that originates inside the space, we must acoustically treat it to reduce sound reflections. To reduce the amount of noise entering from outside, we must add mass and introduce sound damping measures to prevent sound waves from traversing the outside wall and entering the office space. Here are some top tips to reduce noise in conference rooms.
Invest in Acoustical Wall Panels
The first step most people take in acoustically treating any space is to add acoustical wall panels. There are some great reasons we utilize acoustic panels for conference rooms.
First, acoustic panels are excellent at reducing the reflections that cause echo and reverberation. They allow sound waves to enter the panel and transform vibrational energy into heat energy. This creates a more pleasant sounding space that lends itself to better communication.
Second, acoustical wall panels are available in a range of different material and finish options. No matter what kind of aesthetic you’re after, there is an acoustical panel that fits seamlessly. That means you can present your clients with the brand image you really want to convey while increasing conference room productivity.
Utilize Acoustical Ceilings
Sound reflections don’t only occur on walls and solid furniture. The floor and ceiling can reflect just as much sound as the walls and windows do. Since floors can be tough places to add acoustical materials, an entire industry has blown up around creating creative ways to add attractive acoustical treatments to our ceilings.
There are now so many jaw dropping options out there that you can create nearly any type of scene your mind can dream up. Acoustical baffles introduce parallel lines and an airy feel that allows for partial vision of the overhead space. Grid systems add another dimension with perpendicular lines. Ceiling clouds are available in any shape under the sun and can be suspended and angled to create whatever look you’re after. No matter what you want out of your ceiling, there are acoustical ceiling treatments that deliver.
Implement Floor Soundproofing Solutions
Floor soundproofing solutions help to soften the impact of footfalls and reduce the transmission of vibrations into the structure below. One of the most effective products in this arena is the soundproof underlayment.
Utilizing a soundproof underlayment between the subfloor and the actual flooring material will add a layer of absorbency between those layers of hard flooring materials, providing a layer of noise control for meetings. We mentioned the softened impacts of footfalls earlier, but it is also a wonderful way of damping vibrations and preventing sound transmission through the structure.
If there is a floor above your modern conference room, this may act as a standalone solution for tackling noises entering from upstairs. The underlay will absorb footfalls, speech, and even music, preventing those unwanted noises from disrupting your important meetings. The underlayment damps vibrations and stops them in their tracks.
You can also utilize carpeting or area rugs to reduce some of the noise caused by people walking and rolling around in chairs, but these are not effective ways to achieve true soundproofing. To do that, we must add mass and damping ability, which is why a floor underlayment is the go to floor solution for soundproofing a conference room’s floors.
Strategically Place Furniture and Equipment
Another way to add a layer of sound absorption is to choose the right types of furniture and strategically place it throughout the space. Soft furniture like fabric upholstered couches and chairs can take some sound waves out of the equation, similar to the way acoustic panels work. They are not quite as effective at removing reverberation and echo in conference rooms, but every little bit helps.
You should also keep noisy equipment away from your conference room if you don’t want it disrupting your meetings. If this is not possible, you can utilize acoustical partitions to hide the equipment from view and absorb some of the sound energy it emits.
Embrace Technology for Enhanced Audio
Sometimes, a little amplification can go a long way. Fitting your conference room with microphones and an amplification system can give voices the boost they need to compete with environmental noises. Not only that, but it can add an extra level of professionalism to any meeting. If your office is too quiet, there is a simple technological fix for that too.
In office spaces that are already quite quiet, we may encounter a different type of communication pitfall. When spaces are too quiet, people are often hesitant to speak freely. This usually comes out of a feeling of anxiety from the thought of speaking too loudly or out of a dedication to privacy. If you want to add a little sound to encourage open lines of communication, consider utilizing white noise machines.
White noise machines add a low level of white noise to the mix, making the space sound a little livelier and masking speech to protect privacy. You would be surprised at what a little extra background noise in conference rooms can accomplish. Placing them in areas where open conference rooms meet the rest of the office can effectively mask noises coming in and going out.
Additional Considerations for Improved Conference Room Acoustics
Aside from the tips we’ve already listed, there are some additional ways of improving conference room sound quality and keeping outside noise at bay. These are some very simple solutions, but they can add up to create a great sounding modern conference room.
Sealing Gaps and Leaks
As a general rule of thumb, if water or air can pass through a gap, so can sound waves. By making sure any gaps around your windows and doors are well sealed, you can prevent a considerable amount of middle and high frequency noises from passing through. A simple bead of acoustical caulk is all it takes. It’s one of the easiest and best soundproofing solutions for conference rooms, and it should be a part of every soundproofing plan. However, if you aren’t well-versed in the application of caulk, hire someone who knows how to do it right to maintain the professional appearance of your office.
Window Treatments
Windows are capable of both letting outside noise in, and also at reflecting interior sound waves. If your windows are old or you like to leave them open to let fresh air in, outside noise can certainly become a problem. Windows are also incredibly reflective, meaning they can easily contribute to echo and reverb issues. Treating them is a must if you want to keep your space quiet.
One of the most popular acoustical window treatments on the market is the soundproof or acoustical curtain. They are very similar to traditional curtains and can be hung on the same types of hardware, but they have added weight and absorptivity that allows them to trap sound waves much better than a standard set. This takes care of both outside noise and the buildup of reverberation in conference rooms.
The added thickness also allows them to be used as blackout curtains. This will come in handy when delivering presentations that require a projector, such as slide decks or video presentations. Acoustical curtains are an effective and versatile material that can help you address problem areas that don’t have another obvious solution.
Regularly Maintain Acoustical Materials
Once you’ve made the decision to install acoustical materials in or around your modern conference room, you’ll want to make sure you keep them maintained. As dust or dirt builds up on acoustical products, less sound is able to pass into the absorptive core, rendering them less useful than they should be. You will get the most out of your investment if you take the time to keep them clean.
Conclusion
There are a number of effective ways to improve the sound in both indoor and outdoor spaces, and each plays an important role in improving overall sound quality. If you want to learn more about how to soundproof a modern conference room or improve the sound quality in other areas of the office, reach out to our team of professionals. We’d love to tell you all about our offerings and each one’s role in creating a quiet environment for meetings.
