AtlasIED helps staff keep confidences in shared workplace

A shared workplace in Connecticut has turned to AtlasIED to address the problem of ensuring their business conversations remain confidential.

The 740sq metre Office Evolution franchise in Westport is home to 36 private offices, two conference rooms, a co-working lounge and phone booths.

Since the pandemic it has becoming increasingly popular with hybrid workers looking to avoid the commute to nearby New York.

But as more people worked from the facility, the more difficult it became for some to focus, and the easier it became to overhear possibly sensitive conversations from elsewhere in the space.

With a range of businesses operating out of the Westport location – including financial planners, healthcare providers, therapists and legal professionals –members were concerned about maintaining the confidentiality of their discussions.

Need for privacy
The franchise’s owner, Laura Kaufman, began to receive questions about privacy and how to ensure conversations remained confidential.

After researching various solutions, she came across AtlasIED sound-masking solutions. The company introduced her to Antony Vaughn, a senior account executive at the building design and AV integration company, DGI Communications. He selected a range of AtlasIED sound-masking products to help improve privacy and acoustic comfort in the office space.

Under Vaughn’s direction, Kaufman chose the AtlasIED Z4-B as the central sound-masking control system. The Z Series all-in-one, wall-mounted acoustical system generates sound-masking signals, and can also be used for playing background music. DGI also installed AtlasIED’s M1000 loudspeakers to reproduced a masking signal in the ceiling.

Several masking zones were created in the co-working space, including the conference rooms, general working areas and hallways. As the spaces had different occupancy levels, the sound-masking levels has to be adjusted for each zone.

In the common working spaces situated near offices and conference rooms, DGI tuned the sound masking at a higher volume to ensure privacy for in-person and video meetings conducted behind closed doors, as well as to reduce distractions from adjacent areas. The system is customisable and flexible, allowing users to change the settings in any zone via the Z4-B’s controls and LED display.

Higher retention rates
Since installing sound masking at the Westport site, retention rates for members have risen. “Our members are pleased with the effectiveness of the technology, especially because it is so discreet,” says Kaufman. “We even tell prospective members about our AtlasIED sound-masking system and they see it as a valuable amenity in our space.”

The success of the project has led Kaufman to specify sound masking as part of the technology package for her second Office Evolution franchise, in Florida. She has also shared her experience with the company, which is considering sound masking as a core technology for future build-outs.

Kaufman says: “Our goal is to ensure everyone is happy and productive – and the AtlasIED technology is helping us accomplish that.”