NEW DELHI: Noisy offices may be considered lively by some working professionals, but they can terrible and can affect productivity of employees. To tackle the growing levels of office noise, one can make some simple changes to layout and decor.
Nakul Mathur, Managing Director, Avanta Business Center and Vinay Singh, Co-founder and Advisor of Hunt Offices, list down some points.
Ceilings can play a critical role in reducing sound in cabins
Replacing regular ceiling tiles with acoustical ceiling tiles will help decrease noise levels. Aesthetically, unfinished concrete or wooden ceiling panels offer an authentic look that is in trend amongst the many designers, space planners for industrial-look workplaces.
Use carpet floors for added sound control
Replacing hard flooring with carpet will have a significant impact on office noise levels. All carpet improves noise levels compared with hard surface flooring, but cushion-backed carpet tiles would offer the ultimate in noise reduction.
Microsoft’s Tree House, Google’s Nap Pods: Perks Offered By New-Age Cos To Break The Monoto…
Perks & Recreation On The Job
20 Nov, 2017
Recently, Microsoft built a few treehouses for its employees around its Redmond Campus. Here are some other leading companies that have customised unusual incentives for their workforce.
Get Fitter At Twitter
20 Nov, 2017
Aside from three meals a day, the San Francisco-based company also offers employees lesserknown perks, such as the on-site game rooms and improv classes. The social media giant’s offices are pretty health-conscious, with free boot-camp and yoga classes at office and kombucha tea on tap.
Sleep On The Job At Google
20 Nov, 2017
An employee at Google’s Mountain View campus can get an on-site haircut and then take a nap in one of their Nap Pods, while their laundry is getting done. With respect to more serious perks, the company offers the partner of a deceased employee 50 per cent of his/her salary for a decade.
Go The Extra Mile At Zillow
20 Nov, 2017
The online real estate database company pays for the overnight shipping of breast milk for the new moms in their employment, who are travelling for work.
Pick The Panda-Fun At WWF
20 Nov, 2017
The employees of the World Wildlife Fund take every alternate Friday off, which is called Panda Fridays at the non-profit organisation.
Cushion-supported modular carpet
Cushion-supported modular carpet absorbs 50 per cent more noise than hard-surfaced tiles, which in turn absorb three times more noise than the hard flooring.
Dividers to block the noise happening due to the conversation
Sound travels further in open offices, with no walls to block noise from conversations, moving chairs, and foot traffic.
Get Innovative with layout changes
Modifying the layout can make a generous effect to office noise levels, by managing the flow of people and changing how various areas are used.
Establish dedicated zones
In an open office, it’s essential to make a distinction between your heads-down workspace, breakout areas, and communal areas, such as kitchen and dining facilities.
With clearly defined breakout areas for informal meetings and collaborative work, and kitchen spaces for eating and conversation, ones heads-down workspace will become quieter because casual conversations will be taking place elsewhere.
Samsung’s World-Class Office Space Will Blow Your Mind
Productive Workspace
9 Mar, 2018
Samsung’s office in Gurugram offers its employees a combination of stimulating office space and recreation. One of the country’s biggest consumer electronics companies, Samsung India likes to do things on a large scale. And their new headquarters is no exception. Spread over eight floors, the new space is located at Two Horizon Center building on Gurugram’s Golf Course Road.
Breathe Easy
9 Mar, 2018
“I love this corner on the top floor of the building. This is my first stop every morning for a quick cup of coffee and to organise my thoughts. At any given time, you will find someone or the other taking a quick breather here, staring into the lush green golf course across the road.” — Rishabh Nagpal, director, HR.
Cool Style
9 Mar, 2018
“If you don’t find me on my desk, I am mostly probably in this corner of the floor with my cup of coffee. And whenever we need to brainstorm, the team heads over to this energetic spot for a huddle.” —TrivikramThakore, V-P, corporate marketing.
A Fine Art
9 Mar, 2018
“This is one place you will never find empty. My team and I have our discussions here, especially after a meeting with a client. This is a very bright, colourful corner, just the way I like my office.” — Puneet Sethi, VP, B2B Sales.
Writing On The Wall
9 Mar, 2018
“Whenever I walk past this wall, I am inspired by the strong values that the company stands by — excellence, integrity, people, co-prosperity and change. This is what drives us every day.” — Sunil Anthony Cutinha, VP, customer satisfaction.
Furnishing and equipment
In contribution to the larger structural and layout enhancements, there are possibilities for littler changes available such as noise absorbing furniture and equipment which help as a solution to reduce ambient noise.
Perhaps the most obvious way to reduce noise in your open office space is by purchasing a pair of high-quality noise resisting headphones. Some tech brands boast 100% noise reduction using microphones and special processing to create an opposite sound wave than the one headed for your eardrum.
Include more soft furnishing
Delicate surfaces ingest more stable than hard surfaces, reducing reverberation and lowering ambient noise levels – just like switching hard flooring to modular carpet.
Experiment with sound masking
Certain sounds are more distracting than others, and in open offices, overheard speech is the most serious issue. A few organizations have made an irregular move to defeating this, utilizing different sounds to block out conversation.
Known as sound veiling, surrounding noise, for example, white noise or the sound of rainfall is utilized to cover up more disruptive sounds. It’s significant this doesn’t really make a space calmer; it just makes a few sounds seem less problematic.
The DBS Office Just Got An Upgrade, And Employees Couldn’t Have Asked For More
DBSWork
6 Nov, 2017
DBS’s new office gives employees a chance to balance work and play with health.
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, but the new DBS office in South Mumbai seamlessly combines the two. The office boasts of a panoramic view of the sea if you want to clear your mind and focus, as well as a games room to let off a little steam. And for those fitness fanatics, there are cycle stations to help you meet deadlines and your exercise quota for the day.
I love how relaxed and animated our team is in this space, even while we’re reviewing business numbers. The casual atmosphere brings out the best in us and our work — whether we’re hashing out ideas or having heated debates. A must for building a culture of collaboration. — Neetu Maheshwari, COO – Institutional Banking Group.
Chill Zone
6 Nov, 2017
After a big meeting or during a hectic work day, we try to squeeze in a game or two — a quick break can be really refreshing. It’s also fun to see the camaraderie and competitiveness within the team. It helps us work better together. — Praveen Aggarwal, VP – Group Audit
Game On
6 Nov, 2017
Here’s where we get our downtime. After a hard day’s work, we gather here for some unadulterated fun. Gaming is fun, but it’s also nice to just sit back and revel in the moment — watching the gamers in the team guide the amateurs and the cheers of support for the underdog. — Rajesh Narasimhan, VP – Finance.
Room With A View
6 Nov, 2017
I really like the idea of flexible seating. This small change has allowed the team to work in an agile format and to collaborate with other departments. It also means that we can enjoy the spectacular view of the Arabian Sea. I try to come in early a couple of days in a week and spend an hour or two working from these corner seats. It’s calming and helps me concentrate. — Varun Krishna, Head – Marketing, Consumer Banking Group.
Spin It
6 Nov, 2017
I find it hard to work out on weekdays. The cycle workstation is a good way to keep the body active after a long while at the desk. I can pedal my way to better health while staying productive. — Garima Mishra, Head – Rewards, HR.
