Acoustic comfort in the office

What makes for a good work environment? When do we work best and achieve most? What factors play a role in this? Studies have shown that good acoustics play the most important role in creating a pleasant working environment. The feeling of privacy follows close behind in second place. Other factors are light, ergonomics of the workstation, good atmosphere, ICT facilities, indoor climate and a clean, uncluttered workspace.

Each task requires a different level of concentration, and employers can make good use of this fact. As a result of the new way of working, landscape offices are on the rise. But to make the best use of them, different factors must be taken into account. Of these, room acoustics is the most important. With the right indoor acoustic elements you can greatly reduce noise nuisance. Mount acoustic elements on walls and/or ceilings to absorb unwanted sound. Place screens at least 140 cm tall between two workstations.

For some tasks a change of environment will work wonders. Make sure employees can move around easily when carrying out different tasks. Provide various kinds of spaces — not everyone works best in the same circumstances. For example provide a concentration room where several people can work in silence or a whole team can strive together to meet a deadline. Another option is to provide concentration bubbles in which people can work alone or hold meetings or work together with a limited number of others. With these concentration bubbles it is important to make sure they do not feel too cold and sterile — that makes people uneasy. Try to work with warm materials such as wood or cloth.

Bubble

Beddeleem endeavours to take advantage of the various trends in the office world in order to create the most suitable environment for each work situation. With JB QBE Beddeleem offers a solution. Whether the requirement is for an isolated workstation, a place for brainstorming or a small meeting room, the JB QBE bubble provides the desired separation in an open office landscape. Thanks to its plain, timeless design, you can incorporate the JB QBE into any design concept. The system is modular and flexible in the choice of finish since it is compatible with various JB partitions from Beddeleem and with various ceiling systems. Consequently the room-in-room concept can be perfectly adjusted to your overall project. For each concept the right design. If you’re going for a transparent look, you’ll choose the JB QBE 01. If a more robust look goes better with your design, then you’ll no doubt choose the JB QBE 02.

Traditional offices

The new way of working, in which spatial perception plays an important role, is not of course implemented by every employer. Whereas previously to bring about the desired acoustic comfort it was necessary to use full solid partitions, this can now be achieved with the new modern JB PURE 100 partition which combines transparency and acoustic comfort. With its minimalist design, it fits in any project.

JB PURE 100 made its debut in 2018. With it, Beddeleem started a new trend: transparency without compromising on comfort. JB PURE 100 provides an answer to current acoustic requirements in the office world and does so brilliantly. With sound insulation of up to 51 dB the glass partition stands head and shoulders above its rivals. The wall is available in three acoustic versions: 45 dB, 49 dB and 51 dB. The acoustic performance is represented by the single numerical value according to NBN EN ISO 717-1 and by the class according to NBN S01-400.

The double-glazed partition system, with a thickness of 100 mm, has a timeless character with the minimum of profiles. The aluminium profiles make a sleek impression but still accommodate the necessary building tolerances. The partition, which has obtained Cradle to Cradle Silver certification, is a perfect example of how Beddeleem makes responsible use of materials applying innovative techniques.

Fresh air please

A space with sufficient ventilation poses no problem! An acoustic air transfer element that can be integrated into our JB 2000 full partition system and the JB PURE 100 glass partition provides fresh air in every space, including a JB QBE. In the full partition system the element can be installed either in the partition or above the door assembly. Furthermore an air transfer element above the door has no effect on the acoustic values of the door assembly or the partition. With the JB PURE 100 glass partition the air transfer element is embedded in a module next to the door with opaque glass. This has no effect on the sound insulation value of the unit (up to a width of 0.5 metres).