Biophilic design, where nature is integrated into the office environment, is another imperative for the modern office space. Biophilic design is a design strategy that enhances employee well-being in the office environment. It may include physical plants within the office. But it can also include windows that look out onto trees or other greenery surrounding the office. Biophilic design does not just work visually, but there is some evidence that it positively impacts sound perception.
Expected sounds preferred
Indeed, the addition of natural sounds like water or birdsong is not necessary (or even desirable) for the full effect. Only if the noises are expected and within the auditory context of the environment do they have a positive impact. This explains why in an office environment, users are more likely to accept neutral masking sounds that mimic the air-conditioning. Pairing sound masking with well-chosen indoor plants or views of trees or other urban greenery will maximise indoor environment quality.
Department of Justice case study
The Department of Justice (DoJ) epitomised this balance between an acoustic solution for distracting noise and speech privacy within modern biophilic design principles. Delivered as a design and construct project, the installation needed to cover all ten floors of the DoJ. The aim was to support better focus, confidentiality, and daily workflow. The acoustic requirements were to:
- significantly reduce distractions, and
- maintain operational integrity and auditory privacy in a high-sensitivity environment.
Sound masking zoned
We deployed a Soundmask system across a variety of spaces, including executive offices, open plan work areas, meeting rooms, quiet zones, and corridors, all with tailored acoustic settings to meet departmental needs and maintain discretion across various work modes. We allocated zones between open plan and transitory areas (around 43dBA), private offices and quiet rooms (around 40dBA), and the meeting rooms and interview rooms with audiovisual equipment (around 37dBA). These comfortable sound levels ensured that the system would not intrude within the space. Instead, the expected sound environment enhanced the indoor environment quality.
This blog is an edited excerpt from The flexibility of sound masking: three case studies from Perth presented at Acoustics 2025. To read the full paper, please click here.