Worked Example: Serviced Office Suite — NCC/AS 2107 Compliance
RT60 calculation for a 4-person serviced office suite in an Australian commercial building. Demonstrates how compact rooms with premium treatment achieve excellent acoustic performance for focused work and client calls.
A 81 m³ meeting room designed to NCC-AS2107 requires RT60 ≤ 0.6s. With Ecophon Focus E on the ceiling and Fabric-wrapped panel 50mm on walls, the calculated RT60 is 0.23s — PASS.
Room Setup
Total surface area: 126.2 m². Calculation method: Sabine equation (ISO 3382-2:2008 Annex A).
Surface Materials
| Surface | Material | Area (m²) | NRC |
|---|---|---|---|
| ceiling | Ecophon Focus E | 30.0 | 0.90 |
| walls-main | Plasterboard on studs | 41.4 | 0.07 |
| walls-treatment | Fabric-wrapped panel 50mm | 18.0 | 0.80 |
| floor | Carpet (heavy) | 30.0 | 0.30 |
| windows | Double glazing 6mm | 5.0 | 0.04 |
| door | Solid timber door | 1.8 | 0.08 |
Absorption coefficients sourced from manufacturer datasheets and ISO 354 test reports. Browse the full acoustic materials database.
Step-by-Step Calculation
- 1
Room Volume
V = L × W × H = 6 × 5 × 2.7 = 81 m³
- 2
Total Surface Area
Stotal = 30.0 + 41.4 + 18.0 + 30.0 + 5.0 + 1.8 = 126.2 m²
- 3
Absorption per Surface at 500 Hz
ceiling: 30.0 m² × 0.90 = 27.00 Sabins
walls-main: 41.4 m² × 0.05 = 2.07 Sabins
walls-treatment: 18.0 m² × 0.78 = 14.04 Sabins
floor: 30.0 m² × 0.14 = 4.20 Sabins
windows: 5.0 m² × 0.04 = 0.20 Sabins
door: 1.8 m² × 0.08 = 0.14 Sabins
- 4
Total Absorption at 500 Hz
Atotal = 27.00 + 2.07 + 14.04 + 4.20 + 0.20 + 0.14 = 47.65 Sabins
- 5
Sabine RT60 at 500 Hz
RT60 = 0.161 × V / A = 0.161 × 81 / 47.65 = 0.27s
- 6
Compare to Target
Mid-frequency RT60 (avg of 500, 1k, 2k Hz) = 0.23s. Target: ≤ 0.6s per NCC-AS2107. Verdict: PASS
Octave Band Results
| Frequency | 125Hz | 250Hz | 500Hz | 1kHz | 2kHz | 4kHz |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Absorption (Sabins) | 26.8 | 38.2 | 47.6 | 56.9 | 64.3 | 64.3 |
| RT60 (s) | 0.49 | 0.34 | 0.27 | 0.23 | 0.20 | 0.20 |
| Target (s) | — | — | 0.60 | 0.60 | 0.60 | — |
| Verdict | — | — | PASS | PASS | PASS | — |
Compliance Verdict
Reference: AS 2107:2016 Table 1
AS 2107 recommends RT60 ≤ 0.6s for small offices. The compact volume means even modest treatment achieves excellent results. Serviced office providers increasingly use acoustic quality as a competitive differentiator.
STI result: 0.80 (per IEC 60268-16:2020)
Cost Estimate
Costs are indicative and vary by region, supplier, and installation complexity. For a detailed cost breakdown, use the AcousPlan calculator.
Open the AcousPlan calculator pre-loaded with the exact room dimensions (6m × 5m × 2.7m) and RT60 target (0.6s).
Open CalculatorField Story
A serviced office provider in Melbourne is refurbishing 40 small office suites and wants to market them as premium quiet suites for legal and financial professionals who need confidential phone conversations. The existing rooms have basic plasterboard ceilings and thin carpet — functional but acoustically mediocre with RT60 around 0.8 seconds. The refurbishment upgrades to Ecophon ceiling tiles, heavy carpet, and fabric panels on two walls. A before-and-after acoustic demonstration during the open day convinces three law firms to sign long-term leases at a 20% premium over competing spaces.
Frequently Asked Questions
What RT60 does a Serviced Office Suite — NCC/AS 2107 Compliance achieve?
With the specified materials and dimensions (6m x 5m x 2.7m, volume 81m3), the calculated mid-frequency RT60 is 0.23s using the Sabine equation. The target under NCC-AS2107 is 0.6s or less. The result is a PASS.
What materials are used in this office acoustic example?
This example uses Ecophon Focus E on the ceiling (NRC 0.9), Plasterboard on studs on the walls-main (NRC 0.07), Fabric-wrapped panel 50mm on the walls-treatment (NRC 0.8), Carpet (heavy) on the floor (NRC 0.3), Double glazing 6mm on the windows (NRC 0.04), Solid timber door on the door (NRC 0.08). The total absorption at 500 Hz is 47.6 Sabins.
How much does acoustic treatment cost for this room?
The estimated treatment cost is A$5,070 for 78 m2 of absorptive material at approximately A$65/m2. Actual costs vary by region, supplier, and installation complexity.
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All calculations are advisory and based on the Sabine equation (ISO 3382-2:2008 Annex A). Results require professional verification for compliance submissions. Absorption coefficients are sourced from manufacturer datasheets and ISO 354 test reports.