Glass Partitions: The Silent Productivity Killer in London Offices

The 1990s brought a wave of innovation in British office design, with glass partitions becoming a hallmark of modernity and openness. Office managers would often say “My door is always open, if you see me at my desk, feel free to speak to me”.

However, as we approach 2025, the drawbacks of this noisy trend have become increasingly apparent. It’s time to rethink our approach to office acoustics and design to better suit the needs of today’s workforce. Whether you’re a business owner, office manager, or a facilities director, having these plans ready allows us to hit the ground running.

Our services are designed for clients who have already engaged an architect to create detailed office refurbishment plans, if this sounds like you, contact us today or call Tim on 020 8938 3893.

The Loud and Clear Truth: How Glass Office Partitions Are Sabotaging Your Business

While aesthetically pleasing, glass partitions can be a productivity killer. Sound carries easily through glass, disrupting focus and collaboration. Employees struggle to concentrate, leading to decreased morale and efficiency. Privacy concerns also arise, hindering confidential discussions.

American Studies in the 1990s and early 2000s demonstrated a clear link between classroom acoustics and student performance. Poor acoustics were found to interfere with speech intelligibility, making it difficult for students to hear and understand teachers, which directly affected learning outcomes.

This led to the introduction of set criteria for sound levels and reverberation times in classrooms to improve the learning environment (Consulting – Specifying Engineer).

BS 8233:2014, titled “Guidance on Sound Insulation and Noise Reduction for Buildings,” was first introduced in 1999. In the UK, there are specific regulations that govern noise in workplaces, compliance with certain legal requirements is mandatory to ensure the health and safety of employees.

The Hidden Downside of Glass Office Partitions: Negative Impact on Professionalism

For commercial buildings and workplace spaces in the UK, standards such as BS EN ISO 3382-3:2012, BS 6472-1:2008, Building Regulations Part E, HSE guidelines, CIBSE Guide B4, and BREEAM provide comprehensive guidance on achieving optimal acoustic environments. These standards ensure that offices and other commercial spaces are designed to reduce noise distractions, protect employee health, and enhance overall productivity and comfort.

“Most offices concentrate on the stopping of sound transference between individual offices and meeting rooms, and not on the quality of sound within the rooms and the open areas.

This is compounded by the current trends of hard surface flooring and glass partitions that don’t help to absorb sound.”

Tim Griffiths, the owner of Initial Interiors, an established London Office Refurbishment company founded over 22 years ago.

He continues “Sound absorbing materials can be retro fitted to ceilings and walls helping improve the clarity of speech. The architects we work with for new office refurbishment projects tell us that more attention has been given to acoustics since the 00’s. Many existing offices have not dealt with this, most likely not understanding how it improves the productivity of their staff, but also not knowing that this can be improved cost effectively with off the shelf solutions as part of an office refit or bespoke refurbishment.”

Sound Solutions Solve The Negative Impact on Professionalism

Architects assess the space, gather client needs, and create a few design variations. Acoustic consultants are on board to identify problem areas, and recommend solutions like soundproofing materials and flooring. Work together, they integrate acoustic solutions into the overall office refurbishment design, ensuring a quiet workspace to maintain comfort levels and efficiency.

Initial Interiors implement soundproof flooring solutions with significant noise reduction properties, these measurable improvements dampen the airborne sound levels of staff who use the office for remote meetings and telephone calls. The office environment becomes noticeably quieter, enhancing employee comfort and productivity.