Acoustic Solutions for Open-Plan Offices; How UK Providers Help Reduce Noise

Open office buildings have transformed the modern workplace, creating light, collaborative environments where teams can share ideas and work more flexibly. But as beneficial as this style of office design can be, it often comes with one significant challenge: noise. When dozens or even hundreds of people share the same space, distractions multiply. Conversations carry across the room, phones ring constantly, and background equipment hums along, all making it harder to concentrate.
This is where acoustic solutions come in. By introducing the right combination of sound-absorbing products, smarter layouts, and tailored office design, businesses can dramatically reduce noise and create a calmer, more productive workplace. In the UK, specialist acoustic
solution providers are helping companies of all sizes find the right balance between openness and focus, ensuring that office spaces remain both collaborative and comfortable.

The Noise Challenge in Open Office Buildings

The open office building has been praised for breaking down silos, encouraging collaboration, and using space more efficiently. Yet despite these benefits, many employees say that noise is the biggest distraction they face each day. The constant flow of conversations, meetings spilling into common areas, and sounds from printers or kitchenettes can create an environment that feels overwhelming.

For employers, this is more than a minor irritation. Studies consistently show that excessive workplace noise impacts concentration, increases stress, and lowers productivity. Staff lose valuable minutes every time they are interrupted, leading to slower project completion and lower overall morale. By addressing this head-on with acoustic solutions, businesses can turn their open-plan offices into spaces where collaboration thrives without sacrificing focus.

What Do Acoustic Solutions Mean?

When we talk about acoustic solutions, we mean more than just one product. Instead, it is a complete approach to controlling sound in the workplace. These solutions are designed to absorb, block, or redirect noise so that employees can work more comfortably. The key is in finding the right mix of solutions tailored to the layout and needs of your office.

Some of the most popular acoustic solutions for open office buildings include:

• Acoustic panels and wall treatments that absorb echoes and reverberation.
• Desk dividers and acoustic screens that stop sound travelling across rows of desks.
• Meeting pods and acoustic booths that provide private, quiet spaces for calls or focused work.
• Acoustic seating and furniture that combine comfort with noise-reducing materials.
• Zoning strategies that use furniture, pods, and partitions to separate busy areas from quieter workspaces.

Explore our full range of acoustic solutions to see how these can transform your office.

Why Open Office Buildings Need Acoustic Solutions

Noise in the workplace is more than an annoyance. For many businesses, it has direct consequences for performance and wellbeing.

• Employee wellbeing: Continuous noise exposure can raise stress levels and cause fatigue, leading to lower job satisfaction and increased absenteeism.
• Productivity: Frequent interruptions and background noise can reduce focus and slow down work, costing businesses both time and money.
• Privacy: Without sound control, it is difficult to hold confidential conversations or sensitive meetings.
• Professional image: A noisy, chaotic office can leave a poor impression on visiting clients.

By working with trusted acoustic solution providers in the UK, companies can protect their people, improve performance, and create workplaces that truly support success.

The Role of UK Acoustic Solution Providers

Not all acoustic solutions are created equal, and not all providers offer the same level of service. A good provider should do more than supply products. They should understand your challenges, assess your workspace, and recommend a tailored plan.

At BT Office Furniture, we provide complete solutions that integrate acoustics into overall office planning. Our services include:

• Consultations and site assessments to identify where noise issues occur.
• 2D and 3D office planning to help you visualise different layouts and product placements.
• Tailored recommendations based on your office size, design style, and budget.
• Nationwide delivery and installation, ensuring a seamless experience across the UK.
• Aftercare and support, giving you confidence that your office will continue to perform.

With decades of experience, BT Office has supported countless organisations in designing offices that balance collaboration with quiet focus. Learn more about us.

Practical Acoustic Solutions That Reduce Noise

There are many ways to reduce noise in an open office building, and the right choice depends on your layout, team size, and working style. The most effective results usually come from combining different solutions to address both sound absorption and sound blocking. Below are some of the most practical acoustic solutions UK businesses are adopting today:

1. Wall Mounted Acoustic Panels

Wall panels remain one of the most popular choices for open-plan offices. These are designed to absorb sound waves, reducing echo and reverberation across large spaces. With a variety of finishes, colours, and patterns available, wall-mounted panels also double up as attractive design features that enhance the look of your office while cutting down noise.

2. Suspended Acoustic Ceiling Panels for Modern Office Spaces

In many open offices, hard surfaces and high ceilings create unwanted echo. Suspended ceiling panels solve this by absorbing sound from above, preventing it from bouncing around the space. These are particularly useful in modern offices with exposed ceilings, where traditional sound control methods are limited.

3. Acoustic Desk Mounted Screens 

For offices where employees sit in close proximity, desk-mounted screens are a practical way to introduce privacy and reduce noise transfer between workstations. They help to block direct sound paths while creating more personal zones for individual focus.

4. Free Standing Acoustic Screens 

Unlike fixed partitions, free-standing screens can be moved and rearranged as office needs evolve. They are ideal for creating temporary quiet zones or separating collaborative areas from quieter working spaces. Their flexibility makes them a popular option for businesses that frequently reconfigure their layouts.

5. Mobile Office Screens 

Similar to free-standing screens but designed with even greater flexibility, mobile office screens are on castors, allowing them to be easily moved throughout the day. They are perfect for agile workplaces where spaces need to adapt quickly for meetings, workshops, or quiet focus time.

6. Meeting Pods and Acoustic Booths

Pods and booths are self-contained spaces within the open office. They are excellent for phone calls, one-to-one meetings, or tasks that require full concentration. Because they do not require permanent construction, they can be installed quickly, making them a cost-effective way to add privacy and reduce overall noise levels.

7. Acoustic Office Phone Booths

Phone booths are smaller, single-person pods specifically designed for private calls. They provide excellent sound insulation, reducing the impact of phone conversations on the wider office while giving employees a professional, distraction-free environment for important calls.

8. Acoustic Zoning

Zoning is about strategically dividing the office into different noise levels. For example, placing breakout areas and printers in one section while keeping quiet desks in another. Acoustic zoning often combines partitions, furniture, and panels to create “quiet zones” and “active zones,” ensuring noise does not spill over into the wrong areas.

9. Acoustic Planters

Acoustic planters are a clever solution that combines biophilic design with sound absorption. These large, plant-friendly structures are lined with acoustic materials, helping to reduce noise while adding greenery to the workplace. They work particularly well in open reception areas or communal zones, providing both aesthetic appeal and functional sound control.

10. Acoustic Furniture

High-back sofas, acoustic chairs, and cocoon seating are all designed to absorb sound while offering a comfortable, stylish place for employees to work or relax. These pieces create small quiet zones within busy open offices, helping staff to escape the noise without leaving the space entirely.

Why Layering Solutions Works Best

Each of these acoustic solutions addresses noise from a different angle. Wall and ceiling panels absorb background sound, while screens and dividers reduce direct noise between employees. Pods and booths provide enclosed spaces for full privacy, and zoning strategies help control where sound naturally flows. By layering these solutions, businesses create a balanced office environment where collaboration and focus can coexist.

To explore the full range of acoustic solutions available through BT Office, visit our dedicated category page.

Benefits of Investing in Acoustic Solutions

When businesses invest in the right acoustic solutions, the payoff goes beyond reduced noise. The benefits include:

• Improved productivity: Employees spend more time focused and less time distracted.
• Happier, healthier staff: Lower stress levels and greater comfort support employee wellbeing.
• Better communication: Meetings and calls are clearer when background noise is reduced.
• Enhanced privacy: Sensitive conversations remain confidential.
• Professional spaces: Clients and visitors are welcomed into a polished, well-organised environment.

Ultimately, the right solutions protect both people and business performance.

Choosing the Right Acoustic Solution Provider in the UK

When selecting an acoustic provider, look for:

• Experience in both furniture and acoustic design.
• Full service including consultation, planning, supply, and installation.
• Customised recommendations that match your office style, size, and goals.
• Proven results with case studies or testimonials.
• Long-term support for ongoing improvements and changes.

BT Office offers all of these services, ensuring you have a trusted partner from start to finish.

How BT Office Delivers Complete Acoustic Solutions

Our approach combines expertise in furniture with advanced office planning. We start with a detailed consultation, learning about your goals and challenges. From there, we create 2D and 3D layouts that show how different solutions will look and perform. Once a plan is approved, our team delivers and installs everything, ensuring minimal disruption.

We also provide aftercare, checking that the solutions continue to deliver value as your office evolves. This makes us one of the leading acoustic solution providers in the UK.

Hasbro Case Study – A Beautiful Acoustic Workplace

Hasbro wanted an office environment that encouraged creativity and collaboration while keeping noise under control. Acoustic comfort was a fundamental part of the design brief.

BT Office delivered a tailored plan using semi-permanent hanging PET felt acoustic office panels to separate meeting spaces, striking the right balance between openness and privacy. We introduced Lull Suspended panels, chosen for their ability to reduce noise while adding a modern, stylish look to the workplace.

To support collaborative working, the design also included Elite Alto tables with Elite Ace high draughtsman stools, providing a practical yet elegant solution for team sessions. The result was an office that not only looked beautiful but also managed sound effectively, creating a more productive and comfortable environment for Hasbro staff. Explore the full project in our Hasbro Case Study.

Looking Ahead: The Future of Acoustic Solutions

The way we work is evolving, and so are the spaces we use. With hybrid working now standard in many UK businesses, offices need to be more flexible than ever. Teams may be smaller on certain days, yet meeting rooms and collaborative spaces still need to perform at their best. This shift has put acoustic solutions at the centre of modern office design.

Future trends point towards:

• Quick-install pods and booths that can be relocated or repurposed as office needs change.
• Modular acoustic furniture that offers flexibility while providing sound absorption.
• Sustainable acoustic materials such as recycled PET felt panels that combine environmental responsibility with functionality.
• Design-led acoustic products that not only reduce noise but also enhance office interiors with colour, texture, and creativity.

Forward-thinking providers like BT Office are already responding to these demands, blending style with function to deliver solutions that can adapt as workplaces continue to evolve. This ensures that businesses are not only solving today’s noise challenges but also preparing for the needs of tomorrow.

Creating Quieter, Smarter Workplaces

Noise may always be part of an open office building, but it should never define the working experience. With the right acoustic solutions and support from experienced providers in the UK, businesses can reduce noise, protect employee wellbeing, and boost long-term productivity.

At BT Office, we help companies transform noisy, distracting spaces into professional, comfortable, and collaborative workplaces. Our tailored approach means you can choose from a wide range of solutions — from wall and ceiling panels to pods, booths, and zoning strategies — all designed to make your office quieter and more effective.

Whether you are planning a full office redesign or simply want to add targeted improvements, our team will guide you every step of the way with expert planning, delivery, and installation.

Ready to take the next step? Contact us today and start creating a quieter, smarter workplace for your team.