A Primer on Sound Masking

Want to learn the fundamentals of sound masking? Wondering how it works? Trying to sort out the differences between sound masking, white noise, and noise cancellation? Read A Primer on Sound Masking to better understand the purpose, history, and evolution of sound masking.

Office Acoustics in a Green Building

Office acoustics and green building trends - can they play nice together? CCR ASSOCIATES' own Charles Roy was recently quoted by an article in Buildings magazine regarding this topic:

Both the design of an office space and its materials should be carefully considered to address the ABCs (absorb, block, and cover) of acoustics; this has proven effective for ensuring speech privacy for years. According to Charles C. Roy, president, CCR Associates LLC, an Essex, CT-based acoustical consulting firm, "… the absorption (ceilings, furniture, and carpet), blocking (walls, furniture, and ceilings) and covering of sound (controlling the ambient background with soundmasking) are critical components in addressing office acoustics. In general, when one segment or another is ignored, the cumulative outcome for speech privacy will be less than when all are addressed equally."...

LEED and other green building techniques can, without foresight, have a detrimental effect on office acoustics. However, so can many other building practices, green or not. With proper design and attentiveness to the ABCs, green offices can indeed "play nice" with acoustics.

Don't Forget Your ABCs

It's important to do your homework before making any decisions regarding acoustical design. Too often, a decision is made to purchase individual acoustical components without taking into consideration the total impact of all the acoustical elements in an office space.

The ABCs of acoustics can help you remember how acoustical components work together:

Absorb: Carpeting and acoustical ceilings are generally the first line of defense when it comes to absorbing office sounds and preventing reverberation.

Block: Cubicle panels, furniture, and walls all help to block sound from carrying across a room.

Cover: By introducing a uniquely "tuned" range of low-level sound to the environment, electronic sound masking provides greater privacy by "masking" the sounds of conversation.