Suncorp — 10 Shelley Street
Speech privacy in open-plan and enclosed spaces
The project
A Sydney workplace refurbishment designed by WMK Architecture, connecting 10 Shelley Street with its changing Barangaroo surroundings.
The challenge
Balance collaboration with focus and privacy where conversations carry between workstations and meeting spaces.
We made the sound of concentration harmonise with that of collaboration.
The scope
45dB installed sound masking throughout the office’s open-plan workspaces and enclosed meeting rooms.
The design
The masking spectrum and level were calibrated to the spaces, helping reduce the intelligibility of speech at a distance.
A distributed speaker network adds a controlled background sound, coordinated with existing building services and the acoustic brief.
The approach
Sound masking supports nearby conversation while reducing the reach of distracting speech. It complements the workplace’s sound absorption and partition design.
Send us your plans to discuss a similar workplace.