In an effort to improve collaboration and creativity, companies are increasingly offering their employees open and modern offices. Although this type of design greatly favors teamwork, it also brings its share of disadvantages. Indeed, the fact that the workers all share the same space exposes them to a large amount of ambient noise. According to several studies, an employee could be up to 66% less productive when exposed to a single conversation between two colleagues. That’s why acoustic lighting is indispensable.
Companies benefit from keeping this style of office, as it is very positive for team dynamics. On the other hand, they also have a lot to gain by offering a healthy work environment to their employees. The solution? Acoustic lighting!
How does it work?
In order to fully understand how acoustic lighting works, it’s important to first understand how sound propagates. When a sound is emitted, it creates energy vibrations that travel through the air in the shape of waves. Depending on the type of surface these waves hit, the sound will either continue or stop propagating.
When these waves come into contact with a hard surface, they bounce off in another direction, whereas a soft surface has the ability to absorb them so as to stop their propagation. The material used to manufacture an acoustic luminaire is usually felt. This one being rather soft, the felt has the capacity to retain the sound waves rather than to redirect them.
It is not only the materials that will have an impact on the efficiency of the luminaire. Indeed, the density and dimensions will also have their role to play. The density of the acoustic material is important for the absorption of low frequency sounds caused, for example, by the office ventilation system. For higher frequency sounds such as ringing, the density does not need to be so great. Secondly, the size of the luminaire should also be taken into consideration, as the larger it is, the more sound waves it will be exposed to.
Are there only acoustic luminaires?
Acoustic luminaires are probably the most popular products for this type of lighting. However, with LED technology, there are actually several other options for integrating acoustic lighting into your decor. First, it’ s possible to use LED strips to create indirect lighting on the back of an acoustic panel for an original and utilitarian decoration.
Then, acoustic panels made of felt can also be used to create suspended lights designed on the horizontal to incorporate, directly in the panel, LED lighting, to create a unique atmosphere to your office.
The importance of acoustic lighting in an office
The atmosphere is one of the most important elements when designing an open office. It must be dynamic, comfortable and inspiring. In order to achieve this, the lighting must be of high quality and well distributed throughout the room. Even if the design and decoration of your office is great, too much ambient noise can greatly affect the atmosphere obtained, as it can alter the feeling of comfort of the employees who work there.
Create an open and creative space for your workers with custom acoustic lighting! By daring, it is possible to have acoustic lighting fixtures that will be the star of your decoration.
At LUX, we specialize in designing custom acoustic lighting solutions to suit your needs. Do you have an office lighting project? Contact us to find out how we can help you make it shine!
