Office Acoustics and Sound-Proofing Solutions

Acoustic & Soundproofing Solutions From AJM Commercial Interiors

For more than 15 years, AJM have assisted organisations and helped them to resolve and manage acoustic and noise issues in their buildings, auditoriums, classrooms, meeting rooms and offices. We consult with clients at the initial design stage of a new fitout or refurbishment to plan, engineer and build their workspace in a way which takes into account the building structure, shape, noise levels, people, activities and incorporate innovation, materials and expertise to reduce noise transfer and absorb sound. Often we are asked to assist in existing offices, call centres or spaces and can retrofit and provide a range of acoustic treatments for the floors, walls and ceilings to improve acoustics.

We provide acoustic consultancy where we conduct tests, analyse and monitor your environment and provide an acoustics report establish where sound and noise is reflecting or transferring. We can then make acoustic recommendations and propose treatments for surfaces to improve and reduce noise. These treatments can be made to be a modern and architectural feature with bright colours, shapes or can blend in and be unnoticeable. Technology and new innovations from Europe in sound masking and ‘white noise’ is increasingly being used to block out sound and is remarkably effective and has the added advantage of being customised and variable.

Sound Proofing & Acoustic Solutions For Your Commercial Workspace

• Acoustic wall panels – these are designed to be fixed to a solid wall and cushion the sound and stop it bouncing
• Ceiling baffles – these are a great way to reduce sound from bouncing over walls
• Suspended baffles – these are visible and hang from the ceiling as an architectural feature
• Acoustic blankets – these are commonly used in the ceiling space especially if you have a suspended grid ceiling
• Attenuation – Also known as blocking or dampening, attenuation involves dividing a soundscape into discrete acoustic
  zones using different types of acoustic barriers
• Decibel (dB) – The measurement term used to define sound intensity.
• Frequency – The number of back and forth vibrations of air molecules (cycles) that occur in a second; expressed as Hertz
  (Hz). Sometimes known as pitch.
• Reflection – Sound and light are reflected off smooth surfaces in a similar manner – the angle of incidence equals the
  angle of reflection.
• Refraction – The bending of sound waves travelling through media that conduct sound at varying speed.
• Resonant frequency – Any object will vibrate at a particular sound frequency, its natural resonant frequency when
  disturbed by physical force or by sound having a frequency equal to its resonant frequency.
• Reverberation – The lingering sound in an enclosed space after the original sound source has stopped.

White-noise or Sound Masking Explained

This is a relatively new technology which we often recommend for call-centre type environments or in spaces requiring absolute confidentiality. Put simply, sound masking is the process by which the audibility of one sound is diminished by the introduction of another sound. All sounds are at different frequencies and this technology is engineers specifically and tuned to block out and overlay human speech and audible discussion. This technology is used extensively in offices and workspaces in Germany and Europe and involves the supply & install of several small speaker units in the ceiling cavity (generally not visible) which are tuned to mask the frequency of the noise – which in this case is audible conversation. Whilst some noise may still be heard, this system is effective in scrambling the sound of conversation and making it inaudible. This system emits a constant frequency sound which blends in like background sound and is generally not noticeable. Some clients have said it is similar to a soft air conditioning sound or airflow sound. It is very effective and can be adjusted and turned up or down so is very flexible and adaptable.

Talk to us about our range of soft furnishings and acoustic booths. These are a great hub or spot for staff to collaborate comfortably and have discussions and these are engineered to absorb sound and help prevent noise transmission to other areas.