The Challenge

When one of the fastest-growing commerce companies in the world designed their new headquarters in Ottawa, Canada, their search for an acoustic solution to provide sound control in their offices led them to a New Zealand designed solution: Hush.

Shopify's world-class innovation hub accommodates more than 800 Shopify employees over 6 levels. Therefore the brief was for an efficient, collaborative workplace focused not only on productivity, but also on employee health and wellbeing.

With numerous studies showing how noise in the workplace can lead to increased stress levels, lower morale, and a reduction in productivity, acoustics was a real concern.

The Acoustic Solution

The contemporary, open plan space is dominated by hard surfaces – concrete, hardwoods and steel.

Designers, Linebox, and lighting consultants, Dark Tools, decided on Hush lights which not only provide light, but also reduce noise, control sound and echoes.

24 Hush Round fixtures were installed in their “Genius” call centre.

Hush’s lightweight, semi-rigid acoustic panels soften sound and reduce reverberations through the absorption of certain frequencies (mainly mid to higher frequencies), which then leave a room with much more comfortable sound level without eliminating noise completely.

Lighting consultant, Glenn Boccini explains: “Open concept offices and ‘team sharing’ provide many advantages to employers and the corporate culture. They are, however, problematic when it comes to sound quality as there are so many hard surfaces that the spaces start to sound cacophonic. Sound control and design were incredibly important to Shopify. Hush was chosen for their “Genius” call centre, where people are on the phone all the time. The fixture provided a whimsical approach to acoustics as well as provided a soft ambient lighting solution for the workspace.”

Shopify's workplace is an example of how a well-designed, comfortable environment can enable employees to work to their fullest potential.