Challenge

Reducing Distractions and Protecting Speech Privacy in a Modern Open Office

Winter Park, Florida-based tech company Highwinds, a content delivery network provider, was rapidly outgrowing their old office and needed a new space with room to grow. Their new office, in a newly constructed building, promised an open, collaborative environment with plenty of cool design features and natural light. Highwinds old office was a traditional office setting without any open office area. While providing more options for architectural and design considerations, the new open office space had much fewer walls to block sound, meaning that speech privacy would be compromised and noise distractions would be elevated.

Director of IT Dave Herrell asked Highwinds’ property manager, CNL Real Estate, if they could recommend a vendor who could provide audiovisual solutions for the conference, lobby, and break rooms. CNL recommended Sound Stage, also of Winter Park, to handle the new office’s AV Integration. Given the open nature of the new office, Chet Neal from Sound Stage suggested adding sound masking to the space. Sound masking is the process of adding a low level, unobtrusive background sound to an environment to reduce the intelligibility of human speech and reduce noise distractions. By making nearby conversations unintelligible, sound masking protects speech privacy and allows individuals to work more productively in a space with fewer noise interruptions. Sound masking is more cost-effective than other acoustical treatments such as partitions or soundproofing materials.environment more comfortable, private and free of excess noise distractions.

Solution

Qt® 300 Sound Masking System

Sound Stage installed the QtPro™ sound masking system in Highwinds new office. Small, barely visible emitters (speakers) were installed seamlessly into the office’s unique open ceiling and octagonal-cloud-ceiling. The emitters were connected by cables to a QtPro control module residing in the server room.

Result

An Open Office That’s Beautiful and Functional 

Highwinds was able to create an open office environment that’s both beautiful and functional. Office chatter in the open office area is unintelligible (and therefore less distracting) at distances over fifteen feet, and conversations in the break room, lobby, and corridor don’t spill over into the work area. As an added benefit, the small emitters fit in design-wise with the office’s architecturally unique ceiling.

“The QT 300 that Sound Stage installed is incredibly easy to manage and gives us a greater reduction of noise and distractions allowing our staff to be more productive and feel more private,” says Herrell. “QtPro even meshed aesthetically with our multi-style tile ceiling design. Employees don’t even recognize or notice the emitters directly above them.”

About Highwinds
Highwinds is a content delivery, network and cloud-based IP services business that offers a comprehensive suite of CDN solutions, including content storage and IP software. Highwinds delivers content and rich media over their high-performance RollingThunder® network to millions of global users every day. Their CDN customers gain unprecedented command and control with Highwinds’ StrikeTracker® 2 console and open APIs. Highwinds is headquartered in Winter Park, Florida, and maintains data centers around the world.

About Biamp
Biamp® is a leading provider of innovative, networked media systems that power the world’s most sophisticated audiovisual installations. The company is recognized worldwide for delivering high-quality products and backing each one with a commitment to exceptional customer service.

Recipient of the Frost & Sullivan 2018 Global Installed Audio Conferencing Enabling Technology Leadership Award, Biamp is dedicated to creating products that drive the evolution of communication through sight and sound. The award-winning Biamp product suite includes: Tesira® media system for digital audio and video networking, Devio® collaboration tool for modern workplaces, Audia® digital audio platform, Nexia® digital signal processors, Vocia® networked public address and voice evacuation system, Cambridge® sound masking solutions, and loudspeakers for installed sound applications from Community Loudspeakers® and Apart Audio®. Each has its own specific feature set that can be customized and integrated in a wide range of applications, including corporate boardrooms, conference centers, huddle rooms, open floor environments, performing arts venues, courtrooms, hospitals, transportation hubs, campuses, retail, hospitality, military and government, and multi-building facilities.

Founded in 1976, Biamp is headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon, USA, with additional offices around the globe. For more information on Biamp, please visit www.biamp.com.

About Sound Stage
Sound Stage has been providing their clients with the very best in audio/visual system design since 1983. With over 50 years of combined experience in the field of audio, visual, and system integration they deliver not only cutting-edge design but the gold standard in professional service. Sound Stage sets the standard in defining, designing, building and servicing any organization’s complete collaborative audiovisual solution. Whether an organization needs encompass presentation, conferencing, control, powered window shades, sound masking, acoustical design and large venue audiovisual systems, or digital signage, background music and paging solutions, Sound Stage will design a system that provides the optimal results.