High noise levels are one of the biggest complaints that customers have about their home or workplace. Noise pollution in these areas is caused by a combination of factors:
- Phones ringing
- Electronic equipment humming
- Chairs scraping
- People talking
- Speakers
- TVs
- Outdoor traffic
- Upstairs movement
In open plan offices, this is exacerbated due to the large number of people working in close proximity and the space itself, which offers no protection against noise reverberations. In a residential build it could be that the house needs a quiet area for kids to sleep or play or that a shift worker needs time to rest and sleep. Furthermore, a noisy environment will just get noisier over time as people start speaking louder to compete with the surrounding noise; this is known as the Lombard effect.
Many customers are willing to invest in the appearance of the solution but neglect the soundscape. However, noisy environments have been shown to negatively impact productivity, reduce concentration levels, increase stress and impair the ability to learn.
ME TECHNOLOGY GROUP offers acoustic solutions to help all clients combat this problem.