Development of an Equation for Defining the Acoustics of Office Landscape

Abstract

Acoustical conditions under which speech communication and speech privacy may be achieved in open-plan office landscape spaces are discussed from a signal-to-noise ratio concept. Based on this concept and assuming free field conditions, a simple design equation relating speech level, speaker orientation, speaker-listener distance, masking background level, and barrier (screen) attenuation with signal-to-noise ratio is developed. Methods of establishing design parameters for speech communication and speech privacy are illustrated, based on this equation.