Open-plan offices revolutionized the office, promoting collaboration and openness, but in practice, it brought a wave of complaints about noise chaos that frustrated employees and managers. The ISO 23351 standard professionally classifies acoustic booths into levels A to D based on their noise reduction ability – Class A booths are distinguished by their highest effectiveness, attenuating sounds by over 30 decibels. This means that a loud phone call with a client, an intense video conference, or confidential data analysis inside the booth remains completely inaudible outside, even in a noisy open-plan office with a background noise of 50-60 decibels. It’s like being transported to a private office in the middle of a shared space – ideal for confidential negotiations, HR sessions, or deep creative work.
Imagine a routine day in a dynamic office: a manager discusses quarterly goals with a key client, a graphic designer consults with a freelancer via Zoom, a recruiter conducts candidate screening, and a developer tests code with notification sounds – all in a single room without walls. Without booths, everyone looks for alternatives: going out into the hallway (blocking traffic), reserving an overcrowded room for hours, or speaking louder, increasing the noise for everyone. A Class A booth eliminates these problems instantly: it isolates sounds in both directions, ensuring complete privacy for the user and a blissfully peaceful environment. University analyses show that installing 4-8 booths in an open-plan space of 150 square meters reduces the overall noise level by 4-5 decibels, as a significant portion of conversations are “locked” inside. Employees stop interrupting each other, and the atmosphere becomes more predictable and relaxing.
Acoustic booths are compact, mobile, and versatile – one takes up just 1-1.5 square meters of floor space, fitting even in tight corners or near columns. Standard equipment includes quiet mechanical ventilation (below 35 decibels), energy-efficient LED lighting, numerous 230V and USB-C sockets, an adjustable desk, and often an audio system for presentations. They are strategically placed: in corners of open-plan spaces, near relaxation areas, elevators, or hallways, and office reorganization requires only a simple roll-off. A practical recommendation from research: one booth for 10-15 workstations is sufficient for handling daily calls, short one-on-one meetings, and sudden brainstorms. Case studies from technical universities show a 20-30% saving in daily time spent seeking silence, which translates into a measurable increase in productivity, fewer errors, and higher team satisfaction.
Personalizing the booths enhances their business value – available in the company’s visual identity colors, with logo prints, graphics, or ventilation perforations, they become a decorative element. They meet stringent standards not only for noise (insulation >30 dB), but also for ergonomics (height 2-2.5 m, space for 1-4 people), ventilation (air exchange 30 m³/h), and fire safety (class B-s1,d0). Companies implementing booths report a 10-15% reduction in turnover, higher NPS survey ratings, and positive reviews on career portals. In hybrid and remote work models, acoustic booths bridge the gap between open-plan workspaces and home offices – employees feel comfortable anywhere, which increases loyalty and productivity.
In the long term, the investment in booths pays off many times over: focused employees make fewer mistakes, complete projects on time, and generate higher revenue from innovation. They become a magnet for talent – candidates see them as proof of modernity and attention to detail. Booths are not a fad, but a necessary element of office equipment, where noise is no longer an acceptable cost of doing business.
Sources:
https://medpr.imp.lodz.pl/pdf-100632-40369?filename=Computational-studies-of-.pdf
https://ogpta.pl/images/SZASIW_poprzednie_konf/materialy2017.pdf
