Offices in Germany fall under ASR A3.7, with DIN 18041 adding a minimum absorption per cubic metre. The calculator starts with 112 m³ (Multi-person or open-plan office), target value at most 0.60 s, and suggests from 2,004 products with measured data how much ceiling or wall area is missing.
Target values by standard
Target values for a shared office in three room sizes, calculated with the formulas of the standards at the height of the preset room.
| Standard | Use | 60 m³ | 120 m³ | 250 m³ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASR A3.7, workplacesASR A3.7:2021-03 | Multi-person or open-plan office | at most 0.60 s | at most 0.60 s | at most 0.60 s |
| ÖNORM B 8115-3ÖNORM B 8115-3:2023-07 | Multi-person office (Klasse B) | at most 0.55 s | at most 0.55 s | at most 0.55 s |
| SECO guide to ArGV 3, art. 22SECO-Wegleitung ArGV 3, Art. 22 (2021) | Multi-person or open-plan office (Gruppe 2/3) | at most 0.69 s | at most 0.69 s | at most 0.69 s |
| NF S 31-080, officesNF S 31-080:2006 | Shared office (performant) | at most 0.60 s | at most 0.60 s | at most 0.60 s |
| SS 25268, offices (Sweden)SS 25268:2023 | Office with 2 to 4 workstations | at most 0.50 s | at most 0.50 s | at most 0.50 s |
| BR18, schools, day care, offices (Denmark)BR18 (2018) mit Vejledning om lydforhold | Single office, meeting room (SBi 216) | at most 0.60 s | at most 0.60 s | at most 0.60 s |
| SFS 5907, classes A1 and A2 (Finland)SFS 5907:2022 | Office room (A2) | at most 0.80 s | at most 0.80 s | at most 0.80 s |
| PN-B-02151-4, reverberation and speech intelligibility (Poland)PN-B-02151-4:2015-06 | Office room (single or multi-person) | at most 0.60 s | at most 0.60 s | at most 0.60 s |
| LEED v4, acoustic performanceLEED v4 / v4.1 EQ Credit: Acoustic Performance | Open-plan office (with or without sound masking) | at most 0.80 s | at most 0.80 s | at most 0.80 s |
Typical measures
- Acoustic ceiling or ceiling rafts above the workstations: largest free surface, strongest effect.
- Wall absorbers opposite the glass front or behind the desks.
- Upholstered screens between teams shield and absorb.
- Carpet damps footfall and high frequencies, but does not replace a ceiling.
Ceiling rafts and wall absorbers with measured data
All products in the search
Frequently asked questions
What reverberation time should an office have?
Under ASR A3.7 at most 0.6 s in shared and open-plan offices, 0.5 s in call centres, averaged over 500 and 1,000 Hz. DIN 18041 also requires a minimum absorption: A/V from 0.20 m⁻¹ in a single office, 0.25 m⁻¹ in an open-plan office.
How much absorber area does an office need?
Under DIN 18041 an office of 120 m³ needs around 30 m² of equivalent absorption area. With ceiling absorbers of αw 0.9 that is about 33 m² of covered ceiling. The calculator names the quantity per product.
Is an acoustic ceiling enough on its own?
Usually yes, because the ceiling offers the largest area. With glass fronts and narrow rooms, reflections between the walls remain; then wall absorbers help. The calculator shows per octave band whether the ceiling is enough.
Other room types
Formulas, DIN 18041 and worked example on the calculator page