Office Acoustics

Recommended reverberation times and sound levels for office buildings

	Recommended reverberation time, RT (sec)	Satisfactory design sound level, dB (A)
Call centres, open office	0.1 to 0.4	40
General office	0.4 to 0.6	40
Private office	0.6 to 0.8	35
Meeting/quiet rooms	0.4 to 0.6	35
Board rooms	0.6 to 0.8	30
Corridors and lobbies	0.6 to 0.8	45
Libraries	0.4 to 0.6	40
Cafeteria	< 1.0	45
Public spaces	0.5 to 1.0	40

Offices require good control of reverberation to eliminate excessive reflections for improved privacy and comfort. Closed plan office with partitions terminating at the ceiling line will require high STC ceiling panels for room to room privacy.