When the staff working in the large, open plan office at Bromley Council decided that something needed to be done about the noise level in their workplace, acoustic specialists Sound Reduction Systems Ltd (SRS) were contacted for their advice.
The problem at Bromley Council mirrored that of many other open plan offices around the country, with lots of busy people all talking on the phone and creating very high levels of noise. This was compounded by the amount of harsh, reflective surfaces found within the room that created too much reverberation and echo. This not only makes it difficult for the operator to hear what the customer is saying, but also affects the clarity of the operators voice at the other end of the line.
The SRS Technical Department requested some dimensions of the room in question and some basic photographs of the space, and from that information, were able to acoustically model the office using their software. The results showed a reverberation time that was too high for an open plan office, and a solution to the problem was designed and sent back to the customer along with indicative costs.
The original specification was tweaked in consultation with the council, with particular importance being placed on the fact that the product was completely Class O Fire Rated. As with most council jobs, the specification was then put out to tender to ensure best value. To ensure the accuracy of their quote, SRS sent a member of their team down to the offices to measure up in detail where the acoustic panels could be fitted and supplied a layout design, quote, product literature and case studies via the online tendering system.
SRS were awarded the contract to install 115sqm of their Class A Rated Sonata Aurio absorbers, with a Class O Fire Rated fabric finish, on the ceiling of the office. The work had to be done during the weekend to minimise any disruption to the council, and was completed on time and exactly on budget. SRS Director, Alex Docherty said:
“We were grateful of the opportunity to work with Bromley Council on this job, and have consulted closely with members of their staff to ensure that everything ran as smoothly as possible. We are delighted that they are happy with the performance of the Sonata panels.”
Upon completion of the work, a representative of Bromley Council commented:
“Thank you, we are pleased with the works and the initial judgement from colleagues is that the noise in the office is significantly improved.”
The Sonata Aurio products are high performance Class A Rated acoustic absorbers. The products are directly bonded to ceilings and / or walls and are available in a wide range of sizes and colours. Full details are available on the website or contact us for a brochure.
If you would like to talk about office soundproofing due to excessive noise or an echo / reverb problem in any type of room or hall, please get in touch. All of our advice, specification and layout work is free of charge – Tel 01204 380074 email info@soundreduction.co.uk or visit www.soundreduction.co.uk – You can view a gallery of our work, including Bromley Council offices, at www.flickr.com/soundreduction
