Safe and sound: Sigel

Sound Balance, the acoustic solution from German office manufacturer SIGEL not only optimises workplace acoustics, it also quickly and flexibly separates different working areas, creating a safer environment for employees during the coronavirus pandemic.

By Sigel and Markus Hieke for

Sigel

September 8, 2020 | 10:00 pm CUT

Back to the office – but at a safe distance! With the help of acoustic room dividers from SIGEL’s Sound Balance line, work areas can be effectively defined and thus used to adapt space to current occupational safety standards

In this pandemic year, many office workers have become accustomed to a completely new working day. Home office has brought new routines into the equation. Colleagues, despite the physical distance between them, have, paradoxically, become closer to each other than usual – for example, during video calls from the living room, kitchen or even the desk next to the bed, not to mention the occasional internet crash, or child bursting unexpectedly into the picture.

The fact that many people are now returning to their offices with a sense of happy anticipation is not due simply to them leaving behind the diverse challenges of managing home office in 2020 – working at home, after all, as tested on a grand scale this year, is considered a largely positive experience – it’s also because the office of today can be a true oasis of well-being.

New Work is the umbrella term for describing increasingly flexible working worlds that are emerging, in which employees can maintain social contacts, freely develop their creativity, or withdraw at any time if they need a break. And with their range of well-designed office products, SIGEL from Mertingen in Bavaria ensures that this is and remains possible.

Architonic has already presented the creative versatility of the Sound Balance acoustic solution. At this point we would like to take a closer look at the often underestimated relevance of good acoustics.

Often underestimated: noise affects both productivity and the health of employees. SIGEL’s Sound Balance acoustic elements, which can be easily integrated into existing office interiors, provide a remedy

After all, background noise is the most frequent criticism levelled at open-space and coworking environments. Whether it's colleagues on the phone or other distractions, noise reduces productivity. A study by the University of Sydney states that noise in the workplace has a negative effect on concentration for up to 30 per cent of employees. It also causes stress, which, in the long run, can make people ill. Headaches, concentration problems, tension or even high blood pressure are signs of this. Therefore, acoustics need to be conscientiously considered when designing an office.

SIGEL offers its own full-service consultancy. On the basis of a number of parameters, the customer receives a detailed room acoustic calculation – a solution that follows an individualised approach

With the help of the Sound Balance product line from SIGEL, balanced acoustics can be harmoniously realised and optimally integrated into existing interiors. The range consists of wall tiles, wall boards, corner elements, columns, partitions and room dividers in the two highest sound absorber classes, A and B. Three discreet, universal colours are available. The elements are particularly effective when used together. ‘Acoustics is a topic that needs to be played out over a large area’, explains Carolin Demler, Senior Product Manager at SIGEL. Therefore, acoustic elements should blend in harmoniously without being conspicuous.

In addition to their primary function as effective sound absorbers, the room dividers and partitions discreetly define work zones and routes. They are available in three colours and two heights of 150 and 180 centimetres

In order to determine individual sound absorption requirements, SIGEL offers its own full-service consultancy. On the basis of a number of parameters, such as room size and surface types, the customer receives a detailed room acoustic calculation – a solution that follows an individualised approach. ‘For larger projects, we can provide customers with an independent room acoustics expert if required’, says Demler. The circumstances can be complex and for optimal acoustics to result, neither too little nor too much sound should be absorbed.

But Sound Balance does not only bring collaboration and concentration into harmony. In light of current health requirements, the system has an additional benefit. Since April, new occupational health and safety standards have been in force to minimise the risk of infection by the coronavirus in the workplace. These include a minimum distance of one and a half metres and the avoidance of direct contact.

To guarantee this, many workplaces have to be redesigned and different areas need to be demarcated. ‘The room dividers and partitions from the Sound Balance System’, says Demler, ‘provide both sound insulation and physical distance from colleagues or corridors’. In addition, the beautifully designed elements, available in 150cm and 180cm high versions, are easy to install or rearrange. Their high-quality fabric covers, made of synthetic polyester fibre, can be wiped with a damp cloth and are therefore easy to clean and maintain.

Open Space meets individual requirements: undisturbed concentration on the one hand and collaborative working on the other is made possible thanks to the Sound Balance system – with clever, additional accessories such as flipchart hooks and writing boards

During these times in particular, workers expect a high degree of safety and health protection in the workplace, without the already omnipresent topic of corona being constantly imposed on them. The Sound Balance series offers a suitable, and, above all, immediately available, means of implementing such measures at short notice.

And even once the pandemic has passed, there is little doubt that open planning in workspaces will continue to prevail. So, everyone up, and back to your office oasis of well-being!