A recent study by researchers at Concordia University has uncovered that the volume of speech in office environments is influenced by factors beyond individual behavior. Published in the journal Science and Technology for the Built Environment on November 5, 2025, the findings suggest that the physical design of a workspace and the nature of communication play significant roles in determining how loudly employees speak.
The researchers examined real-world speech levels in two offices, one located in Montreal and the other in Quebec City. Over 70 employees participated, communicating in either English or French. Instead of relying on simulated environments, the team utilized high-precision sound meters to capture sound levels across various office settings, including open-plan offices, private rooms, and meeting spaces.
Joonhee Lee, an associate professor in the Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering and the study’s corresponding author, highlighted key results. “We found that people speak significantly louder in open-plan offices with partitions,” Lee noted. While partitions are intended to reduce noise, employees tend to increase their voice levels, believing they can speak more freely in such settings.
The study revealed that speech levels remained consistent across different meeting room sizes, while teleconferences prompted slightly elevated speaking volumes compared to face-to-face interactions. Interestingly, the language spoken did not significantly affect speech volume.
One of the more surprising insights from the research was that actual speech levels in office environments were lower than those set by traditional industry standards. These standards often derive from laboratory tests conducted in anechoic chambers, which lack the reflective feedback present in typical office settings. Such discrepancies indicate that current guidelines for speech privacy and noise control may not reflect the realities of everyday office communication.
Lee emphasized that an optimal office environment should incorporate a certain level of background noise. “A decrease in background noise only amplifies the perception of other kinds of noise,” he explained. “Some degree of background noise actually helps people perform better.”
The implications of this research extend beyond simply understanding workplace dynamics. As open office designs become increasingly popular, organizations can benefit from re-evaluating their strategies for managing noise levels and ensuring employee productivity. The full study, titled “Speech level variation by office environment and communication type,” is available in the journal Science and Technology for the Built Environment.
This research underscores the need for a deeper understanding of how office environments affect communication, potentially leading to more effective workspace designs that enhance both employee interaction and productivity.
