Sound and Vision: BuzziSpace

These Belgians are on a mission. Founded over ten years ago with the aim of delivering smart solutions for work environments, making them more pleasant places to be, BuzziSpace has established itself internationally as the pioneering go-to brand for high-end acoustics products for contract environments.

Their latest innovation takes the form of a new family of acoustic suspended-lighting products – space-saving designs that free up valuable floor space (often at a premium in open-plan offices) by combining optimised LED illumination with sound-absorbing fabric surfaces. For BuzziSpace, a healthy workplace is a happy and productive one, with managed acoustics and considered lighting playing a vital role in this.

Architonic caught up with Daniel Verlooven, BuzziSpace’s Global Acoustics Ambassador, to talk sound, light, well-being and chatty colleagues.

Why did BuzziSpace develop this new collection of acoustic lighting?

We felt the urgency and necessity to combine two of the most important contributors to the well-being and health of workers – good acoustics and great lighting – into single products. As our founder and CEO Steve Symons says, “We’re providing the key building blocks to create a well-balanced space and make employees feel at home by improving comfort, flexibility and overall happiness at work, in any setting.”

This is important because workers spend more than 90% of their active life in artificial light and sound, which, when not balanced in an appropriate way, leads to a loss of concentration, performance, and – from a physical perspective discomfort – dry and red eyes, high blood pressure and stress.

What are its key innovations?

The perfect combination between an optimised acoustic performance, thanks to good functioning core material, and lighting, adapted to the functionality and purpose of the specific lighting product.

It’s quite unique to have experts in both fields of acoustics and lighting under one roof who know how to combine great technology, aesthetics and design into well-performing and appealing products.

Each product acts upon different sound issues, like low tones (heating systems, ventilation, copy machines), mid tones (speech) and high tones (ring tones, kids).

Acoustics have long been an afterthought in the design of workplaces. Where did we go wrong?

For most customers or decision-makers, acoustic products have the appearance of a piece of decoration, not realising how they can affect and improve performance and well-being, because it’s “just a panel wrapped with a nice fabric”. Until now, acoustics were always kicked out whenever budgets needed to be revised or adjusted.

It’s our mission, and with our proven track record, to point out how important acoustics are and to which extent they should be prioritised and taken into consideration at the initial stage of a project. A recent study in the Netherlands revealed that about €50 billion are wasted every year because workers cannot fully concentrate and are constantly distracted by chatty colleagues and background noises from air-conditioning, ventilation, ringing phones, coffee machines, printers…

What are the real benefits of a considered approach to acoustics in offices – both for the individual and for the company or organisation?

It’s absolutely clear that good acoustics contribute to the well-being and health of individuals and contribute to a relaxed and stress-free way of working, leading to better performance. This makes the company more efficient on all levels. Workers will arrive smiling at the office and have more energy, be more creative, show gratitude and be more faithful to the management for having implemented the necessary changes. Good acoustics generate clear minds.

Where do you work best?

In an environment that’s completely adapted to your personal needs and related work at that very moment, depending on the level of concentration that you need. An ideal office plan should embrace rooms with different and mixed purposes, offering workers the possibility to define and decide for themselves under which conditions they generate the best performance.

© Architonic