Have you ever been in a workspace that looks great but just doesn’t sound right? That’s exactly the challenge Business Furniture + Co faced at their MINDSET Fishers location. The space, designed to inspire creativity and focus, was struggling with high reverberation time (RT60), making it feel too “live” and “echoey.” The sound environment wasn’t supporting the productivity and comfort the team aimed to provide.
Recognizing the need for a solution, Business Furniture + Co partnered with the acoustic experts at Design 27. Their mission: to transform the auditory experience of the space without compromising its aesthetic appeal.
Design 27 began by conducting detailed acoustic measurements to establish a baseline. The RT60, a standard measurement indicating how long it takes sound to decay by 60 decibels, was the key focus. A high RT60 means sound lingers—causing echoes and poor speech intelligibility—while a lower RT60 means a quieter, more controlled sound environment.
Initial measurements revealed a midband RT60 of 1.25 seconds (in the 500-5000 Hz range, where the human ear is most sensitive). This confirmed the subjective experience of a reflective and echo-prone space.
Next, Business Furniture + Co installed a thoughtful mix of wall-mounted and free-standing acoustic materials, carefully selected to complement the design of the space. After installation, Design 27 returned to remeasure, ensuring they tested in the exact same locations to provide precise before-and-after data.
The improvements were both heard and measured. The midband RT60 dropped to 0.92 seconds—a reduction of approximately 0.3 seconds. This significant change meant:
✅ Reduced echo and liveliness
✅ Improved speech clarity
✅ A more comfortable and productive environment
The space no longer just looked great—it sounded great too. Design 27’s team noted a clear reduction in the room’s liveliness during their follow-up visit, with data and human experience perfectly aligned.
This case study highlights how acoustics are an essential, and often overlooked, part of workspace design. Through collaboration with acoustic specialists like Design 27, and by investing in the right treatments, Business Furniture + Co turned a distracting environment into a focused and inviting one.
The lesson? Don’t let sound be an afterthought. A beautiful space deserves an equally well-considered acoustic experience—and the results will be heard in employee satisfaction, productivity, and overall workplace well-being.
MINDSET RT60 Before and after
