Beyond Sound: Elevating Speech Intelligibility in Commercial Buildings With Barrisol and FabriTRAK

Whether they're shouting from the rooftops or having quiet conversations, building occupants deserve an environment that enhances speech intelligibility instead of reducing it. Fortunately, Barrisol and FabriTRAK offer a wide range of products to address acoustic challenges and improve sound quality. Discover the benefits of using stretched ceilings, wall panels and other elements to enhance speech intelligibility in commercial buildings.

Introduction to Acoustic Challenges in Commercial Buildings

Designers, architects and contractors all have to operate within the triple constraints of project management: scope, time and cost. These constraints affect every decision, from how large to make an office to what type of HVAC system to install. As a result, commercial spaces have some common acoustic challenges:

• Equipment noise. Commercial buildings have complex HVAC systems, photocopiers, printers and other noisy equipment. Each piece of equipment interferes with normal acoustics, making it difficult for occupants to hear and understand each other.

• Open-plan designs. Many companies use open-plan offices to save money or encourage collaboration. Unfortunately, some occupants find it difficult to work under open-plan conditions. They may struggle to hear customers, vendors or other stakeholders over all the noise, leading to reduced productivity and engagement.

• Insufficient insulation. Some occupants, such as attorneys and HR professionals, need quiet spaces for private conversations. If meeting rooms and private offices lack sufficient insulation, it's possible for sound to travel to other areas of the building, revealing confidential information.

• Sound reverberation. Sound waves bounce off people, furniture, walls and other surfaces, causing sound to persist long after someone stops talking. If designers don't take steps to reduce sound reverberation, building occupants might have trouble hearing each other over all the extra noise.

Sound Reverberation and Speech Intelligibility

Sound reverberation control is also essential for enhancing speech intelligibility. The longer sound bounces around a room, the noisier it gets. Noise reduces sound quality and makes it difficult for occupants to understand what other people are saying.

Poor speech intelligibility has serious consequences in a business environment. For example, if an investment advisor misunderstands a client's instructions, they might sell a stock when the client wanted them to buy more, resulting in a capital loss instead of a capital gain. This makes it critical for designers, architects and contractors to focus on enhancing speech intelligibility in commercial buildings.

Barrisol Ceiling Solutions

One way to enhance speech intelligibility is to incorporate Barrisol ceilings into commercial building designs. Barrisol offers high-tech ceiling systems designed with performance and aesthetics in mind. The company also produces modular ceiling tiles, making it possible to create a custom design for every project.

Each Barrisol product enhances acoustic absorption, resulting in better reverberation control. Barrisol suspended ceilings also allow some sound to pass through them, reducing the amount of sound remaining in cubicles, private offices, conference rooms and other commercial spaces. This makes Barrisol ceilings different from products that simply isolate sound and prevent it from traveling from one space to another.

Best of all, Barrisol offers more than 100 colors, making it easy to enhance commercial building acoustics without sacrificing your vision for the space. You can even choose one of seven finishes, such as brushed suede and metallic, to ensure your new ceiling fits seamlessly into your project design.

Barrisol ceilings improve acoustics in all types of commercial spaces, including office buildings, sports arenas and museums. Designers for the College Football Hall of Fame even used Barrisol products to bring their vision to life. Now, thousands of visitors per year enjoy the Hall of Fame Exhibits without having to shout over each other or worry about the noise produced by HVAC systems and other equipment.

FabriTRAK Wall Panels

FabriTRAK offers acoustical systems for walls and ceilings, giving commercial building designers extra flexibility. Each system starts with a "trak," which blends fire-retardant additives with a proprietary blend of polymers. This unique combination allows designers to incorporate leather, felt, fabric and other soft materials into wall finishes. Soft materials reduce sound, enhancing privacy and maximizing speech clarity.

Regional Health Orthopedics & Specialty Hospital in Rapid City, South Dakota, used a FabriTRAK system to combine art with functionality, enhancing the patient experience. Snoqualmie Casino in Washington State relies on FabriTRAK products to help its patrons focus on entertainment. FabriTRAK wall panels have also been incorporated into ballrooms, conference rooms, recording studios and other commercial spaces.

Combining Barrisol and FabriTRAK for Optimal Performance

Combining Barrisol and FabriTRAK allows you to achieve synergy between your ceiling and wall solutions. Sound waves can bounce off any surface, from a wall panel to a ceiling tile, so it's not enough to install acoustic ceiling tiles and move on to the next design challenge. You also have to think about adding wall solutions to reduce reverberation and enhance speech intelligibility.

When you combine Barrisol ceilings with FabriTRAK wall systems, you end up with beautiful, functional spaces that enhance sound rather than allowing it to reverberate endlessly. Enhancing room acoustics leaves occupants free to focus on the task at hand rather than covering their ears and wincing at the noise around them.

Benefits for Architects and Building Owners

Incorporating Barrisol and FabriTRAK products into commercial designs has many benefits for architects and building owners. If you don't think about acoustics now, you may have to take on costly renovation products in the future. Building occupants may also complain about the amount of noise in their work areas, causing them to look elsewhere for office space instead of renewing at the end of their current leases. Therefore, focusing on acoustic optimization in commercial spaces can help you save money in the long run.

Enhancing acoustics also increases occupant comfort, which may lead to higher levels of productivity and employee engagement. It's frustrating when building occupants have to shout over each other or struggle to hear their clients on the phone. Too much noise may even interfere with an occupant's ability to complete tasks in a timely manner, leading to lower levels of productivity. Barrisol and FabriTRAK products can help you prevent these issues.

Partner With Contexture to Enhance Speech Intelligibility

For commercial building occupants, speech intelligibility is an important consideration. It's tough to be productive if you're distracted by noise or have to shout every time you want to have a conversation with a colleague. The good news is that Barrisol and FabriTRAK both offer aesthetically pleasing products designed to enhance acoustics and reduce sound reverberation.

Contexture is an authorized partner for Barrisol and FabriTRAK, so we can help you select just the right acoustic solutions for your project. Our Design-Assist program makes it easier for architects, designers and building owners to achieve their goals because we understand the importance of commercial acoustics and know exactly how to improve speech intelligibility in spaces of all sizes.