How to Reduce Echo in an Open-Plan Office (Without Rebuilding Walls)

Open-plan offices are great for collaboration and flexibility, but they’re rarely great for acoustics. Hard floors, glass partitions and exposed ceilings all look smart, yet they create a perfect recipe for echo and background noise. If your team struggles to hear each other on calls or your office feels “loud” even when people aren’t shouting, you’re not alone. The good news is you don’t need to rebuild your office to fix it. With the right acoustic treatment, you can dramatically reduce echo and make the space more comfortable to work in.

Why Open-Plan Offices Echo So Much

Most modern offices are full of hard, reflective surfaces:

• Plasterboard or glass walls
• Hard flooring such as laminate, tiles or polished concrete
• Large windows and minimal soft furnishings

When sound hits these surfaces, it bounces back into the room instead of being absorbed. In an open-plan layout, sound can travel a long way before it loses energy. The result is:

• Long reverberation times (that “boomy” sound)
• Multiple conversations overlapping
• Poor speech clarity on calls and in-person discussions

This isn’t just annoying. It can:

• Reduce productivity and concentration
• Make phone calls and video meetings harder
• Increase fatigue over the course of the day

Quick Wins That Help (But Only So Much)

Before we talk about acoustic panels, it’s worth mentioning a few simple changes that can help a little:

• Adding rugs or carpet runners in key walkways
• Introducing soft furnishings such as sofas and upholstered chairs
• Using plants and bookcases to break up large reflective surfaces

These can take the edge off, but they rarely solve the core problem in a busy open-plan office. To properly control echo and reverberation, you need materials specifically designed to absorb sound.

Using Acoustic Panels to Reduce Echo in Open-Plan Offices

Acoustic panels are designed to absorb sound energy rather than reflect it. When you place them strategically around an open-plan office, they reduce reverberation and make the space sound calmer and more controlled. In most open-plan offices, the best results come from a combination of:

• Wall-mounted acoustic panels Installed on large, bare walls to absorb reflections and break up long sound paths.
• Ceiling acoustic panels or baffles Suspended or fixed to the ceiling to catch sound that would otherwise bounce around the whole space.
• Localised treatment above key areas For example, above desk clusters, collaboration zones or breakout spaces.

A typical scenario might look like this: In a 30-desk open-plan office, we might recommend wall panels along two large walls plus a series of ceiling panels or baffles above the main desk area. This combination reduces overall reverberation and makes conversations clearer without changing the layout of the space.

Because Advanced Acoustics manufactures panels in the UK, we can tailor the size, thickness and finish to suit your office and your budget.

Where to Start in Your Office

If you’re not sure where to begin, start with a simple audit:

1. Walk the space and listen
   Clap your hands in different areas. If you hear a strong “ring” or echo, that’s a sign the room is highly reverberant.
2. Identify the noisiest zones
   Sales floors, call centres, printer areas and kitchens often cause the most disruption.
3. Note large bare surfaces
   Long walls, high ceilings and glass partitions are prime candidates for treatment.
4. Take photos and measurements
   Basic room dimensions and a few photos are usually enough for us to make initial recommendations.

If you send us this information, we can advise on how many panels you’re likely to need and where to position them for the best results.

Office Acoustic Panels from Advanced Acoustics

At Advanced Acoustics we’ve been helping offices, studios and commercial spaces improve their acoustics for over 20 years. Our office acoustic solutions include:

• Wall-mounted acoustic panels in standard and custom sizes
• Ceiling panels and baffles for open-plan spaces
• UK-made products independently tested for performance
• Panels that comply with UK fire regulations, suitable for commercial use

We can work directly with office managers, business owners, interior designers and fit-out contractors to design a solution that fits your space and your brand. If your open-plan office is too loud or echoey, we can help.

The next step? Explore our Office Acoustic Panels Page and tell us a bit about your space. We’ll recommend a practical, cost-effective way to reduce echo without rebuilding your office.