Soundproofing Issues In The Modern Coworking Spaces: How Sound Affects The Way You Work?

Welcome to the 21st century — a time when most workers are mobile, freelance and location-independent. In such reality, it is evident that workers are everywhere — and that the concept of coworking has been globally accepted.

We see examples of coworking everywhere — from libraries to coffee shops and even official coworking spaces that offer different packages for laptop workaholics. If you are one of these people, you certainly enjoy your lifestyle and can’t wait to sit and drink your coffee in a different location each new month or year.

Still, there is one ‘not-so-cool’ issue you may have noticed about coworking spaces — the shared, present and hardly-bearable sound.

It’s true.

Most people who work in these spaces are not comfortable with the sound. According to some stats, coworking spaces, libraries and cafes are either too quiet or too loud. The ‘just right’ state is hard to find, and that is because of the following reasons:

• the open space which makes sound more present
• the big number of gadgets and devices that feature sounds
• constant distractions (clicks, moves, scratches, stand-ups, sit-downs etc.)

and many others…

So, it is more than certain that even the smallest sound can distract people. In theory, open-plan offices are the worst just because of the fact that they are noisy, distracting and irritating. Or according to many people, they are eroding the worker’s sense of ‘psychological privacy’ which is crucial for creativity and focus.

So…

How can this problem be solved?

It’s simple. Every coworking space should be thoughtfully organized for work and feature three different zones: for using phones, for focused work and for team-based (group) work.

Well…

Guess what?

After seeing most of these issues and counting them into our architecture plan, I am proud to announce I found the top 3 coworking spaces that actually focuses on workers’ productivity.

#1: Sarona Labs- Tel Aviv, Israel

Located in Tel Aviv’s best neighborhood, this coworking spaces fits the ’boutique’ type of coworking spaces and features soundproof spaces that are found to improve productivity and focus.

Supported by the venture capital company Sarona Venture, their goal has always been tech-oriented, distraction-free workspace that invites everyone from around the world to sit and join their team.

#2: Proximity Space

With eight locations in Colorado, (it’s flagship location is in Montrose) Proximity Space boasts a huge list of amenities in its inspirational work environments. The company believes « proximity » to each other, in a connected « space », is what will produce the opportunities of the future.

# 3: Ministry of New- Mumbai, India

A design-inspired collaborative workspace, for independent professionals looking to be part of an international creative community. Ministry of New has a 2200 square feet workspace for members to feel inspired, collaborate, focus and enjoy an amazing view of VT station. Big, open-plan and white, it is an eclectic mix of plants, lamps, books and magazines, as well as our Ministry of New designed furniture.

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So, how is sound treating you in your coworking space? Are you in need of a change that will make you more productive and focused?