vs. e ciency and concentration

Sound
vs. efficiency and concentration
Contents
INTRODUCTION
3
NOISE
SOURCES
INFLUENCE
4
7
8
SILENCE
ACOUSTIC SOLUTIONS
SPATIAL SOLUTIONS
10
10
13
RELAXING THROUGH LISTENING TO MUSIC
14
ACOUSTICS TEAM
ABOUT NOWY STYL GROUP
REFERENCE LITERATURE
18
18
19
Contents:
Aleksandra Żuławska
Graphic layout:
Elżbieta Śledź
Almost everyone can agree with the Indian
proverb “Nada Brahma,” which means “The
world is sound.” Sound is one of the most
common elements of our everyday lives.
By using different sounds we can
communicate with our relatives, co-workers
and our surroundings. Sounds can make
us experience lots of pleasant feelings, for
example, listening to the relaxing swoosh of
the trees or enjoying our favourite music.
Intense and bothersome sounds, which we
call noise, can greatly decrease our efficiency
and concentration.In order to reduce the
negative influence of noise, especially in an
office, we should precisely define its sources
and undertake proper actions that will help
us prevent tiring sounds and eliminate them
from our environment effectively.
Noise
In the contemporary world, sound can also become very tiring.
When the sounds we are surrounded by become more and
more intense and bothersome, we call them noise.
Our choice concerning places to live, relax or perform leisure
time activities depends on many factors. One of them is noise or, to be more precise, the lack of it; no one wants to be
surrounded by continuous and buzzing sounds. However, the
contemporary world does not make it easy for us to achieve this
goal. Ubiquitous noise is a side effect of economic growth. The
lack of control over noise, or absence of regulations concerning
its reduction, can mean the noise reaches such a level that it
can be dangerous to people’s health.
Acoustic
pressure level
[dB]
Acoustic
pressure
[Pa]
20
1
120
115
Plane
take-off
110
5
2
Pneumatic
drill
1
100
95
90
0,5
0,2
Noise lowers quality of
life and health for 25% of
European Union citizens.
105
0,1
85
Truck
80
75
70
0,05
0,02
0,01
65
60
55
50
Office
0,005
0,002
0,001
45
40
35
Reading
room
30
0,0005
0,0002
Quiet
forest
0,0001
25
20
15
10
0,00005
0,00002
4
5
0
Hearing threshold
”Life in the past was silence.
It was only in the 19th
century when noise came
into being together with
the invention of machines.
Today it is a sovereign ruler
who triumphs over people’s
sensitivity.” – Luigi Russolo
5
When we get home at the end of the day, we often experience
overwhelming tiredness, have a headache and feel annoyed.
We may not realise that all these unpleasant feelings can be
caused by the excessive noise in the place in which we had
spent a long time, such as the office.
According to research, prolonged exposure to a noise level
of 60-70dB can lead to permanent hearing damage. In order
to ensure safe conditions for people working in office areas, it
has been determined that the permissible noise level cannot
exceed 55-65dB in offices, and 40dB in places designed for
mental work.
It should be noted that in a room where there are over 12
employees, for example, the average noise level can reach 5058 dB. It is therefore worth using the best possible acoustic
and spatial solutions that will protect employees from noise,
especially those who work in a huge open space with many
other people.
The average noise level in offices based
on the open space concept, where there are
more than 12 employees, reaches 50-58dB.
6
Sources
Noise in office spaces comes from different sources that can
be divided into four categories – three of them are strictly
connected to the office, while one is related to external factors.
The first category is created by employees themselves. By
moving around an office and performing their duties, employees
continuously generate variably intense sounds. In every office
we can hear the sounds of conversations, people walking, doors
being closed, drawers being pushed, chairs being moved and
sounds that come from socialising zones, such as people eating
and talking during a lunch break.
The third source of noise is related to various office devices:
computers, landline phones, mobile phones, printers, shredders
and servers. Since the majority of these devices are indispensable and considered basic working tools, they cannot be
eliminated from an office area. However, by purchasing modern
devices that meet regulations concerning permissible noise
levels, we can make the sounds less intense. Also, by putting
the office devices in the right place we can reduce the noise
they generate noticeably. For example, placing a loud printer
far away from workstations can help decrease the frequency
at which employees hear the sounds it generates.
The next category is connected with the technical installations in a building. It includes ventilation, air conditioning, all
hydraulic and heating systems and elevators. The noise these
installations emit can become really irritating when heard over
a long period of time.
Noise can also come from external sources; that is all the
sounds that come from the outside the building in which an
office is located. This includes sounds from the street, traffic,
conversations held by passers-by, and those generated by
neighbouring buildings.
The noise sources described by office employees as very intense and irritating:
36%
65%
67%
Air conditioning
Ringing
telephones
Colleagues talking
on the phone
46%
58%
50%
Other teams working
People who are close,
in the same room,
talking and laughing
People who are far away,
yet in the same room,
talking and laughing
7
Influence
We now know what noise is and what its sources are, but
to fully understand the huge influence it has on people working in office areas, we have to define the effects noise can
have on people.
We must bear in mind that noise influences not only our hearing
organs, but also other organs throughout the central nervous
system. Its influence on the human psyche, intellectual capacity,
efficiency and quality of work is of crucial importance as well.
Noise has a huge impact on employees’ productivity because
it hinders performance of tasks based on precision and mental
work. It also lengthens simple and complex reaction time and
the time needed to make a decision. Because of that, all tasks
Achieving full
concentration
again, after
being distracted
from performing
a challenging task
by an unexpected
noise, can take as
long as 15 minutes.
8
connected with observation, perception and information analysis are much more difficult to carry out. Even small background
noises increase employees’ stress hormone levels and worsen
their short-term memory. Moreover, they lower people’s reading
comprehension and decrease their willingness to cooperate
with and help others.
Constant noise in a room where employees perform their everyday duties lowers their job satisfaction and motivation, and
causes frequent absence from work. Moreover, after spending
several hours in a place with constant noise, we can feel overwhelming tiredness because our body has been influenced by
many disturbing factors.
100 %
100
85%
PRODUCTIVITY (in %)
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
Employees’ decrease in
concentration occurs 5
times during an 8-hour
working day, equating
to a decrease of 15%
in their productivity. In
a company employing
200 workers, this can be
compared to 30 people
not working at all.
10
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
TIME (in h)
lack of concentration
The influence of noise on human beings:
Increased
Level of some hormones
Tiredness
BALANCE
Stress
Job satisfaction and motivation
Decreased
Efficiency and productivity
9
Silence
In order to increase employees’ efficiency and job satisfaction,
we should try to reduce noise in an office space. That’s why it’s
not only the visual aspect, but also the acoustic aspect that need
to be taken into consideration when designing office interiors.
We should design areas for both our eyes and ears; only in this
way can we ensure the most favourable working conditions.
Once we have analysed the existing and potential sources of
noise, we can move forward to the next stage – its reduction. In
this context, acoustic and spatial solutions can be very useful.
The first way to eliminate the distracting noise in an interior is
to increase its sound-absorbing properties. This can be achieved
by using sound-absorbing materials of different types, e.g.
ceilings, carpets or panels. They absorb a great deal of the
acoustic energy and reduce the echo effect. They are usually
made of mineral and glass wool and porous plastics.
Ceiling systems are supposed to absorb sounds and prevent
them from reflecting back into an office space. The carpet
flooring has a cushioning function, but it also absorbs sounds
and blocks their flow to the rooms located below. Wall or
suspended sound-absorbing panels reduce sound reflections,
decreasing the echo effect in an interior and increasing the
acoustic comfort of its users. Wall panels can be assembled
separately or joined together to create bigger surfaces.
In order to eliminate noise in an office space effectively, we
should also consider office devices, such as computers, printers
and shredders, which are used by employees on a daily basis.
If we cannot afford to purchase new devices, which generate
much less undesired sound, we ought to consider buying rubber
mats and anti-vibration bases. Another good idea for lowering
the noise level in an office is to place devices in a separate
room, which will help isolate the noise they generate from
the working area.
Acoustic solutions:
using sound-absorbing materials
taking care of the quality
and efficiency of office devices
separating and putting together
the loudest office devices
soundproofing technical installations
10
11
12
Taking care of the condition of technical installations is yet
another idea for reducing noise. By eliminating the undesired
sounds produced by ventilation or hydraulic systems, we can
greatly improve working conditions and prevent employees
from getting irritated.
Noise can be also reduced by managing an office well. One
of the easiest ways is to arrange desks located in a shared
working space properly. We should make sure that members
of the same team sit close to one another, which reduces the
amount of walking and the number of phone calls and loud
conversations that occur when people need to communicate
but do not want to leave their workstations. It is also advisable
to equip a desk with partition walls and panels, to reduce the
additional noise transferred between people sitting opposite
each other.
Employees themselves have a huge impact on the process of
generating noise. In order to facilitate their communication, we
should section off meeting zones in which they can exchange
ideas freely and hold discussions conveniently. These spaces
can be arranged traditionally, as conference rooms, or be based
on special furniture systems that block the noise coming from
outside thanks to their acoustic properties. One advantage of
the furniture systems is that they ensure good acoustic efficiency. This largely stops the sound generated by conversations
held inside from getting outside and becoming an undesired
source of distraction for employees working nearby.
If we have the chance, we should create as many small private offices as possible, especially for employees who are in
decision-making positions or who are responsible for creative
or analytical work that requires constant concentration. Such
places can be also used as meeting rooms, helping relieve the
shared working space of loud conversations quickly and easily.
Spatial solutions:
the proper arrangement of workstations
sectioned off meeting zones
smaller private offices
diversity of rooms and workstations
13
Relaxing through listening to music
We have already seen that a comfortable environment can be
ensured by eliminating or reducing distracting sounds. All the
previously mentioned actions can help us create better and
more favourable working conditions for a larger number of
employees, at the same time providing individuals with their
desired dose of visual and acoustic privacy.
However, the sounds we are surrounded by do not always turn
into noise that decreases our concentration level, lowers our
efficiency and changes the positive attitude we have towards
the tasks with which we have been entrusted into a negative
one. One of the easiest ways to increase our concentration and
productivity is to listen to music when performing different
activities.
14
’Hearing is not the only
function of the ear. The ear
is also designed to stimulate
our body and brain.’ –
Affred Tomatis
Advantages of listening to music at work:
acoustic isolation
better mental health
stress reduction, relaxation
improvement of thought
processes and concentration
regulation of blood
circulation and breathing
reduction of muscle tension
improvement of nervous
system efficiency
In some offices employees are able to listen to recorded music
floating in through loudspeakers or through the radio located in
an area shared by many people. This helps make some distracting sounds less intense, but at the same time, can give rise
to additional noise that may decrease employees’ concentration
levels. To avoid this situation, more and more people, especially
those working in huge corporations, are deciding to work with
earphones. Employers have become more tolerant; they do not
forbid this behaviour, and accept their employees’ working
style, which has become an inseparable element of every open
space. Using earphones is the easiest and quickest way to isolate ourselves from the conversations held by our colleagues,
ringing telephones and the sounds generated by shredders.
Besides acoustic isolation, listening to music both at work and
in other places has lots of advantages.
First of all, music carries emotions and memories. We tend
to associate some pieces of music with certain past events. The
events can evoke both positive and negative feelings, which
can also be generated by the rhythm, tempo and the type of
music we are listening to. The songs we like can move us or
put in a good mood because they activate the production of
dopamine – the hormone of pleasure and happiness. Because of
that, we are able to reduce stress and improve our well-being.
15
We should also keep in mind the fact that our ability to concentrate and our efficiency at work depend to a great extent
on the type of music we are listening to. We all have different
tastes that influence what music we choose to listen to during
leisure time activities, sports or work.
A great deal of research clearly shows that we can achieve the
highest productivity, creativity and concentration levels when
we listen to classical music, which has a huge impact on our
spatial imagination, reasoning, logic and memory. The best
example is Baroque music. To create this kind of music, people
used string instruments that produced sounds of naturally
high frequencies. These sounds can provide our brains with
energy, activate our minds and memory, and help to reduce
tiredness and stress. The largo and andante Baroque music
has a rhythm of 60 beats per minute, which lowers our blood
pressure and reduces our heart rate.
However, it is not only classical music that can help us become more efficient at work. Different music genres, such
as instrumental, electronic or ambient music, can also create
the perfect conditions for creative work. They become a vital
element of the surroundings, a non-distracting background
that is ideal for seeking solutions requiring out-of-the-box
thinking. Such music is also perfect for cafes where it creates
an excellent environment for working and learning together
with other insignificant sounds; that’s why many people are
able to work in those places much more efficiently than in an
office or at home.
Soundtracks, of films or computer games, provide another type
of music that strengthens our concentration. They feature pieces
of music specially composed for the film or game, to provide
a pleasant background and not distract viewers or players
from following the plot.
Research shows that listening to music with lyrics can cause
tiredness and decrease our concentration levels. When we
perform tasks connected with reading or writing while listening to music (especially with lyrics in our mother tongue), we
overburden the part of the cerebral cortex that is responsible
for verbal communication. Therefore, in order to relieve our
brains of the fight with undesired stimuli during working or
learning, we should omit the pieces of music that contain
complex lyrics, which subconsciously distract our attention
from performing a particular task.
16
Sports people are perfect examples of people who often concentrate by listening to music. Swimmers, footballers and
athletes all know that achieving full concentration before the
beginning of a competition is of crucial importance. We can see
that earphones have become an inseparable element of every
sportsperson’s image. Reaching the right concentration level
before tournaments is very important, so they listen to music
because it helps them reduce the number of distracting stimuli.
Moreover, as previously mentioned, music can help them relax
their bodies, regulate their breathing and heart rates, and reduce
the stress they experience before every start.
However, we should always remember the „golden mean”
principle and prevent music from becoming a tiring swoosh
or even noise. Listening to music through earphones or the
radio, with all its commercials and programmes, we may not
achieve any positive effects, but just the opposite – this can
lead us to feeling constant tiredness and irritation.
17
Acoustics Team
This text has been compiled by Aleksandra Żuławska (marketing specialist) and
edited by Nowy Styl Group’s Acoustics Team.
The Acoustics Team is a unit operating within the Nowy Styl Group Product Management Department. It was created in order to offer customers a comprehensive
acoustic consulting service. The aim of the service is to support customers in designing an office that provides employees with great acoustic comfort and ensures
their well-being and high productivity. The consulting is based on knowledge and
the use of advanced tools. It involves taking professional measurements of acoustic
parameters that characterise a particular interior, analysing the data gathered and
preparing a comprehensive offer with appropriate acoustic solutions. The Team uses
special software to analyse the data collected and prepare different plans for the
acoustic adaptation of a given space.
The Acoustics Team’s scope of duties also includes implementing acoustic products
and supporting the company in carrying out current projects. The Team cooperates
with the Technical Acoustics Laboratory at AGH University of Science and Technology in Cracow, which is one of the most famous acoustics laboratories in Poland.
About Nowy Styl Group
We are one of the leading European suppliers of comprehensive furniture solutions.
Every day, we furnish new office blocks, conference halls, cinemas, stadiums, centres for music and sports, and multifunctional facilities. Every space arrangement
project is based on an in-depth analysis of the customers’ needs, their efficiency and
working styles, as well as ergonomics and acoustics. We accompany our customers
at each stage of project implementation, from the research process through space
planning, coordination of production and logistics to assembly. Thanks to our vast
experience and our technological and production facilities, we ensure that every
offer is tailor-made.
Nowy Styl Group comprises 6 product brands: Nowy Styl, BN Office Solution,
Grammer Office, Rohde & Grahl, Sitag and Forum Seating. They all provide customers with a wide range of products, including highly ergonomic office armchairs,
designer modular seats and furniture systems that can be used to furnish all zones
of modern offices and public spaces.
The Group’s client list includes, among others, big international corporations and
cultural institutions, such as the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Opera
house in Munich and all the Polish stadiums where the European Championship in
football 2012 was held. It was the Group’s chairs that heads of governments were
sitting on during the NATO Summit in Lisbon, the Group’s chairs can also be found
in the German Chancellery and the Leicester Square Theatre in London.
www.nowystylgroup.com
18
Reference literature:
Baumgarth Ch. Futuryzm. Tłum. J. Tasarski, Warszawa, 1978, s. 287.
Bodin Danielson C. (2008), Difference in perception of noise and privacy in different office types, str. 532-536.
Engel Z., Człowiek a hałas, Wydawnictwo Politechniki Świętokrzyskiej, Kielce 2012, str. 21-23.
Maxwell L.E., Noise in the office workplace. Facility planning and management notes, volume 1, number 11.
Woo J.H. (2010), Towards sustainable workplaces: Effects of indoor environmental quality on occupant comfort and work performance,
str. 33-34.
„Biurowa ścieżka dźwiękowa” Tygodnik Polityka http://www.polityka.pl/tygodnikpolityka/spoleczenstwo/1530447,1,muzyka-w-pracypomaga-czy-przeszkadza.read
http://www.ted.com/talks/julian_treasure_the_4_ways_sound_affects_us
http://www.ted.com/talks/julian_treasure_shh_sound_health_in_8_steps
http://www.acousticbulletin.com/the-importance-of-acoustics-in-a-successful-office
http://www.acousticbulletin.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Infographic-Office-Acoustic-Figures.pdf
http://www.bhp.abc.com.pl/czytaj/-/artykul/jak-zmierzyc-natezenie-halasu-w-pomieszczeniu-biurowym
The text has been compiled while listening to:
TEKST: Linkin Park, J.S. Bach, Chevelle, Twenty One Pilots, A. Mozart, Bring Me The Horizon
GRAFIKA: radio LIVE1
More on:
www.silentworkspace.com
19
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2000 Szentendre, Rózsa u. 23. Pf.: 132
Hungary
T 00 36 26 503 100
E telmex@telmex.hu
>
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