As building owners, operators, and developers adapt to a hybrid work model, creating a welcoming office space is more important than ever. In an article for Propmodo’s Perspectives series, ESD now Stantec Senior Acoustics Project Manager Scott Hamilton shares his views on the evolution of the open office and why acoustics play such a critical role to the health, comfort, and productivity of returning workers. (Learn more about open office design.)
Befitting an article about acoustics, ESD, now Stantec Senior Acoustics Project Manager Scott Hamilton authored a piece about the environmental impact of sound on office workers can now be experienced with a pair of headphones or earbuds.
An audio version of Hamilton’s article, “Sound Opinion: Environmental Impacts Affect Employee Success,” was recently added to CoreNet Global’s What’s Next Podcast series. The piece focuses on the importance of acoustics in the workplace. Hamilton says as employers seek ways to entice workers back to the office, they should be looking beyond providing free snacks, hosted happy hours, and ping-pong tables and focus on how they deal with sound to create a more welcoming environment.
According to Hamilton, the future office needs to be a place that offers and supports all the things we missed during the pandemic lockdown—face to face interactions, team bonding, mentoring opportunities, spontaneous collaboration sessions, and the serendipity of new ideas sparked by unplanned conversations. He says building owners and company leaders have a unique opportunity to reimagine these spaces to be as welcoming, healthy, and supportive as possible.
Scott Hamilton has extensive experience working with acoustics and has successfully managed numerous projects, including data centers, concert halls, universities, healthcare facilities, and more. He freely shares his knowledge to further ESD, now Stantec’s mission to build communities and improve society through the built environment.
Contact us to learn more about how ESD can help solve your acoustic and other built environment challenges.