While offering privacy pods and headsets might seem like relatively simple solutions, these tactics may not send the desired message of inclusivity
or be the most sustainable given neurominorities already comprise 15 to 20 percent (some suggest as high as 40 percent) of the population, and that figure is expected to rise in the coming years.5, 6 More holistic approaches to acoustical design will not only better accommodate increasing numbers of neurodiverse individuals, they will also greatly benefit those considered neurotypical because no one is immune to environmental stressors and, particularly, to noise.
POEs highlight ‘poor acoustics’
Indeed, post-occupancy evaluations (POEs) such as those conducted by the Center for the Built Environment (CBE) show that “poor acoustics”—predominantly lack of speech privacy and noise from conversation—consistently ranks as the top source of workplace dissatisfaction. Parkinson et al.’s recent in-depth analysis of more than 600 office buildings with 62,000 occupants in the CBE’s database reveals that, of all sources of dissatisfaction, acoustics most strongly interferes with self-reported work performance—a conclusion supported by numerous studies demonstrating its negative impact on focus.7 Additional well-documented effects include: productivity losses due to increased errors and time spent on tasks, diminished capacity for creativity, innovation, and problem solving, reduced collaboration due to fear of being overheard and disrupting others, and increased use of electronic communication and headsets, as well as requests to work remotely.
“Poor acoustics” also takes a psychological and physical toll on employees, who report feeling uncomfortable, edgy, irritable, and unmotivated in noisy workspaces. By stimulating the sympathetic nervous system (i.e. the “fight-or-flight” response), noise can have cardiovascular-, gastric-, endocrine-,
and immune-related impacts. The attempts to overcome this constant environmental stimulus causes cognitive strain and stress, contributing to mental health issues such as anxiety and burnout, which can, in turn, make people even more sensitive to acoustical disturbances. Since people are typically an organization’s largest cost, one must also consider the financial impact of workforce “unwellness”—including stress, disengagement, and illness—which GWI estimates may cost the global economy 10 to 15 percent of economic output annually.
Workplace design that respects rather than challenges the senses by, for example, mitigating disruptive noise, supports the health and wellbeing of all an organization’s members and allows everyone to achieve their full potential. In other words, it is not only “neurodiverse design,” but also considered “good design.”8
Acoustics and ‘good design’
People principally rely on sound level, reverberation time, absorption, sound insulation, and vibration isolation to quantify the acoustic properties of materials, assemblies, and spaces, but those metrics do not indicate or assess a person’s acoustical experience. Large POE datasets such as those the CBE has compiled, on the other hand, do empower building design professionals to make practical, data-driven decisions to help achieve occupant-centric goals, such as focus, comfort, privacy.
Parkinson et al. points out that bridging the gap between this data and actionable insights to improve workspaces “may require a shift in focus from the determinants of overall satisfaction to common sources of occupant dissatisfaction.” It also involves centering design on the main way employees use these facilities. According to Gensler’s U.S. Workplace Survey 2022, most employees primarily use the office as a dedicated space for focused work, and they spend most of their time working independently. Moreover, 69 percent of these tasks demand a significant level of concentration. The firm concludes that supporting this type of work provides “a crucial foundation of the workplace experience,” but, at the same time, their data indicates workplace effectiveness in this regard has declined to the lowest levels since 2008.9
