Study Reveals Office Design Affects Worker Speech Levels
A recent study by researchers at Concordia University highlights how office design, meeting types, and environmental factors significantly influence the volume of speech among employees. Published in the journal Science and Technology for the Built Environment, the research uncovers that the physical workspace affects communication levels far beyond individual habits.
The study was conducted in two active offices located in Montreal and Quebec City, where over 70 employees participated by speaking in either English or French. Instead of simulating an office environment in a lab, the researchers opted for real-world observations. Using high-precision sound meters, they captured variations in speech levels across different office layouts, workstations, and activities, including casual conversations and formal meetings.
Key Findings on Speech Volume and Office Layout
During the research, measurements were taken in various settings, such as open-plan offices with and without partitions, private offices, and small to large meeting rooms. The findings revealed that employees tend to speak significantly louder in open-plan offices that incorporate desk partitions. According to Joonhee Lee, an associate professor in the Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering and the corresponding author of the study, “When the participants sat at a desk with partitions, they naturally increased their speech level.”
While partitions are designed to reduce sound transmission, their presence may lead workers to feel more comfortable speaking loudly than they would in a completely open setting. In contrast, meeting rooms maintained consistent speech levels, regardless of their size. Interestingly, teleconferences resulted in slightly higher speaking volumes compared to face-to-face interactions, indicating that the medium of communication also plays a role in speech dynamics.
Implications for Office Design Standards
One of the most compelling findings of the study was that actual speech levels measured in the offices were generally lower than those established by industry standards. These standards often rely on tests conducted in anechoic chambers, where sound reflects minimally, leading to a distorted understanding of natural speech levels in typical office environments.
Lee emphasized that while some background noise is essential for productivity, a completely silent office could be counterproductive. “A decrease in background noise only amplifies the perception of other kinds of noise,” he stated. “Some degree of background noise actually helps people perform better.”
As workplaces continue to evolve with more open designs and flexible work arrangements, these findings offer crucial insights for employers and architects involved in office planning. The study suggests that understanding the interplay between workspace design and employee communication can significantly enhance workplace efficiency and employee satisfaction.
For further details, refer to the study by Rewan Toubar et al., “Speech level variation by office environment and communication type,” published in Science and Technology for the Built Environment (2025). DOI: 10.1080/23744731.2025.2551480.
