Quick answer: The most effective way to reduce workplace noise and improve focus is to treat sound-reflective surfaces with high-absorption acoustic panels (Class A rated, such as the Zen Liner), add ceiling baffles or rafts in open-plan areas, and zone your space so collaborative and quiet activities do not compete. Even modest treatment of two or three problem areas -- meeting rooms, circulation routes, and open-plan desks -- produces a noticeable drop in reverberation and a measurable lift in concentration.
Why workplace noise is harder to ignore than you might expect
Open-plan offices, hybrid meeting rooms, and busy breakout areas all generate the same core problem: sound reflects off hard surfaces, travels freely between zones, and accumulates into a background wash that makes sustained focus difficult.
The brain never fully habituates to speech-frequency noise. Even when you stop consciously noticing conversations happening nearby, the auditory cortex continues processing them, drawing on the same cognitive resources you need for reading, writing, and analytical work. The result is not just distraction -- it is fatigue.
Common sources of the problem include:
- Untreated glass, concrete, or hard plaster walls that reflect rather than absorb sound
- Open ceilings with exposed metalwork or ductwork that scatter reverberation
- Meeting rooms with hard furnishings that make hybrid calls echo and break up
- Collaboration zones that bleed noise into adjacent quiet areas
- Busy corridors and reception spaces that channel sound into the main floor
Addressing these is not a luxury. Research cited by workspace consultancies consistently links poor speech intelligibility and elevated background noise to reduced task performance, higher reported stress, and lower staff satisfaction scores.
How acoustic panels actually reduce noise
Acoustic panels work by converting sound energy into a small amount of heat as the waveform passes through or into a porous or fibrous core material. The key performance measure is the Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC) or, in European standards, the absorption class -- Class A being the highest.
What this means in practice:
- Wall panels absorb reflected sound at the surfaces where it would otherwise bounce back into the room, reducing reverberation time (RT60).
- Ceiling rafts and baffles -- such as the Zen Raft -- treat the largest untreated plane in most offices, where a significant proportion of long-path reflections travel.
- Zoning with panels creates semi-enclosed acoustic pockets, reducing the distance sound travels between workstations or between a meeting room and an open desk area.
The goal is not silence. It is reducing reverberation to a level where speech is intelligible when you choose to engage, but does not carry uninvited to the next desk or room.
Where to treat first: the highest-impact areas
If budget or project scope means you cannot treat an entire floor at once, prioritise in this order:
Meeting rooms and video-call booths
Hard-walled rooms with glass partitions and a table of laptops are acoustic nightmares for hybrid calls. A set of wall-mounted Class A panels on two to three walls, ideally positioned at ear height and on the wall behind the main display, dramatically reduces the hollow, echoey quality that makes remote participants ask you to repeat yourself. Even four panels in the corners where reflections accumulate makes a perceptible difference.
Open-plan desks and focus zones
Ceiling treatment here gives the best return per square metre. A Zen Raft above a cluster of workstations absorbs the first-order reflections from the floor above or the exposed soffit, reducing the apparent noise level without adding any footprint at desk level. Where ceiling treatment is not possible, desk-height or above-desk wall panels create a visual and acoustic boundary between zones.
Circulation routes and entrance areas
Sound from corridors and reception areas funnels into open-plan floors through any gap in the partition line. Treating the corridor walls with panels, or lining the first few metres of the floor transition, reduces noise spill before it reaches the working area. These are often the easiest installations to justify to a client because the before/after contrast is immediate.
Breakout and collaboration zones
The challenge with collaboration areas is that they need to allow conversation while not projecting that conversation across the building. Ceiling baffles combined with a small number of strategic wall panels -- positioned to absorb outward-facing reflections -- let people talk at normal volume without the noise carrying more than a few metres.
Browse the full range: acoustic solutions at Presentation Spaces →
Choosing the right product for your space
Not all acoustic products are equivalent in performance, and not all spaces have the same requirements. A few principles to apply when specifying:
- Absorption class matters more than panel thickness alone. A 25mm panel with a high-density core may outperform a 50mm product with a loose fill. Always check the NRC or absorption class in the product data sheet, not just the dimensions.
- Coverage area drives results. Covering 15--20% of a room's total surface area with Class A material typically brings RT60 into the range comfortable for speech. Below 10% coverage, you will notice diminishing returns unless the panels are placed very precisely at first-reflection points.
- Aesthetics affect take-up. Panels that look out of place get removed or overruled in the next refurbishment. Design-led products with considered colourways and soft geometry are more likely to remain installed and performing.
The Zen Liner wall panel is a Class A-rated solution available in a range of surface finishes and colourways, suited to offices, meeting rooms, and education environments. The Zen Raft is designed for suspended ceiling applications in open-plan spaces where floor-mounted or wall-mounted treatment alone is insufficient.
The business case: what better acoustics delivers
Acoustic treatment is often framed as a comfort investment, but it has measurable operational returns:
- Reduced cognitive load means fewer errors on detail-oriented tasks
- Better call quality means shorter, more productive hybrid meetings
- Lower ambient noise is consistently linked to lower reported stress in post-occupancy surveys
- Acoustic zoning supports different working styles without the cost of full partition walls
- Treated spaces photograph and present better for occupier marketing and employer brand
For designers and workplace consultants specifying a space, acoustics is one of the few interventions that clients notice and comment on immediately after installation -- unlike, say, upgraded lighting ballasts or improved insulation values.
Frequently asked questions
How many acoustic panels do I need to make a noticeable difference?
For most office rooms, covering 15--20% of the total wall and ceiling surface area with Class A panels will bring reverberation times into a comfortable speech range. In a standard 6m x 5m meeting room, that is roughly eight to twelve medium panels placed at first-reflection points on the walls. Even four panels positioned in the corners or behind the display screen will produce a perceptible improvement on hybrid calls.
What is the difference between soundproofing and acoustic treatment?
Soundproofing (technically, sound isolation) prevents sound from passing between rooms -- it requires mass, decoupling, and airtight construction, and is costly to retrofit. Acoustic treatment absorbs reflected sound within a room, reducing reverberation and echo. Wall panels and ceiling rafts are acoustic treatment. If your problem is noise travelling between rooms, you need structural changes; if your problem is noise within a room making it hard to concentrate or hold calls, acoustic panels are the right solution.
Can acoustic panels be fitted to existing walls without major works?
Yes. Most wall-mounted acoustic panels, including the Zen Liner range, fix directly to existing plaster, blockwork, or plasterboard using a combination of fixings and adhesive. Installation is typically completed in a few hours per room and does not require a building warrant or planning permission in most UK commercial settings. Ceiling rafts are suspended from the existing soffit or structural deck using drop rods.
Do acoustic panels work in rooms with lots of glass?
Glass is one of the most reflective surfaces in any office, and treatment on solid walls alone will only partially address the problem if glass makes up a large proportion of the room boundary. In glass-heavy spaces, prioritise ceiling treatment and position panels on the solid walls that are present, particularly behind the primary seating positions. In some cases, acoustic film or fabric partitions can add absorption to glass lines without obscuring sight lines entirely.
Which is better for open-plan offices -- wall panels or ceiling rafts?
In open-plan spaces, ceiling treatment typically delivers more return per panel than wall panels, because the ceiling is the largest uninterrupted surface and the first-order reflection path for most occupant-to-occupant noise. The Zen Raft is specifically designed for this application. Wall panels complement ceiling treatment by absorbing lateral reflections and helping define acoustic zones, but where only one approach is possible, ceiling rafts are the stronger choice for open-plan environments.
How long does acoustic panel installation take?
A single meeting room typically takes two to four hours for a competent installer. A full floor of open-plan ceiling rafts may take one to two days depending on ceiling height, grid complexity, and the number of panels. Because no wet trades are involved and panels do not require drying time, spaces are usable immediately after installation.
For advice on specifying the right acoustic solution for your project, contact the Presentation Spaces team.
