Episode 2: The Art of Active Listening

Flooring Matters - Shaw Contract EMEA

With Dr Nigel Oseland, Founder, Workplace Unlimited

Acoustic comfort isn’t just about mitigating problems and reducing noise.

It is about the psychological impact of noise, proxemics, which sounds affect us most and least, the importance of visual privacy and our relationships with each other.

Exploring with us is Doctor Nigel Oseland, a globally recognised authority on acoustic comfort, with a unique background as an environmental psychologist, workplace strategist, change manager, researcher, international speaker, lecturer and published author. He brings over 11 years of research and 25 years of consulting experience to his work.

His latest book “The Science of People and Office Design”, co-authored with Sally Augustin, looks at what research reveals about the many facets of office design and how they influence the way we behave at work.

This episode includes:

• “Noise is unwanted sound – and it's all about perception.” - why acoustic comfort is a psychological as much as a physical issue, with personality and task type influencing how we respond to noise.
• “Good acoustics depend on both design and behaviour.” - from quiet zones inspired by libraries to etiquette and zoning strategies, we cover practical ways to support different working styles and neurodiverse needs.
• “Total silence can be just as distracting as too much noise.” - drawing on evolutionary psychology, we explore why a low-level background hum is actually essential for concentration in shared workspaces.

Explore and watch more episodes at Flooring Matters I Shaw Contract EMEA

Season 1: The Comfort Zone produced in conjunction with Workplace Insight