How Should an Office Sound?

Buildings: Is your office too loud—or is it not loud enough? A certain level of noise—created by a consistent buzz of conversation, the sounds of people typing, or the occasional phone call—can make a space feel alive. But there’s an ideal range the noise needs to fall into, according to research by Ark Research Lab, a subsidiary of HLW. Too much, and your space feels cacophonous; too little and it feels empty and unsettling.