Reconcile Voice Communication and Auditory Distraction in Military Open-Plan Workspace Design

Abstract

Facilitating voice communication and reducing auditory distraction are common requirements in layout design of military open-plan workspaces. The implications of these requirements on between-operator adjacency however are often contradictory. To support the design of such work environments, a new analytical procedure was developed to evaluate layout options according to their impact on both requirements. This procedure was explained in a modeling study to compare two frequently used layout configurations, i.e., outward-facing versus inward-facing workstation setups. The results predicted a quieter vocal effort for the speakers and a lower risk of auditory distraction for all listeners in the outward-facing configuration. The study demonstrated the usefulness of this analytical procedure to support layout design of military workplaces where a balanced consideration of communication and distraction is required.