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Commercial Real Estate Acoustics for
Tenant Comfort and Retention.
We measure and correct the noise and vibration problems that come up at renewal and lease-up.
We Solve the Complaints That Cost You Tenants.
Many acoustic problems in commercial buildings never reach a work order. A tenant who can hear the suite next door often raises it at renewal instead. Rooftop mechanical noise in a top-floor suite can turn into a request for rent abatement. An open floor without speech privacy is harder to re-lease at market rate.
These problems are often misdiagnosed. A wall upgrade gets approved when the sound is traveling through the ceiling plenum. The HVAC gets checked for airborne noise when the problem is vibration carried through the structure. The money is spent and the complaint comes back.
We start with measurement. We test the assembly, find the path the sound is actually taking, and design a correction for that path. We manage the installation around occupied suites and measure again when the work is done.
That applies whether you are resolving a complaint, preparing a floor for a new tenant, or setting acoustic standards across a portfolio. Each result is documented so you can share it with tenants, brokers, and ownership.
If a suite is generating complaints, send us the floor plan and a short description of the problem to get started.
These problems are often misdiagnosed. A wall upgrade gets approved when the sound is traveling through the ceiling plenum. The HVAC gets checked for airborne noise when the problem is vibration carried through the structure. The money is spent and the complaint comes back.
We start with measurement. We test the assembly, find the path the sound is actually taking, and design a correction for that path. We manage the installation around occupied suites and measure again when the work is done.
That applies whether you are resolving a complaint, preparing a floor for a new tenant, or setting acoustic standards across a portfolio. Each result is documented so you can share it with tenants, brokers, and ownership.
If a suite is generating complaints, send us the floor plan and a short description of the problem to get started.
Common Challenges We Solve.
Conversations and equipment noise carrying across demising walls that were designed to separate leases.
Tenants building phone booths, subdividing, or leaving because confidential calls can't be taken at a desk.
Hard-surface common areas that sound harsh on tours and undercut the impression a Class A building is meant to make.
HVAC, generators, and pumps transmitting airborne noise or structure-borne vibration into premium upper floors.
Footfall, rolling carts, and gym or restaurant equipment carrying down through the slab in mixed-use assets.
Disputes that escalate because no one has measured the condition, leaving negotiations based on perception instead of numbers.
How Sound Behaves in Commercial Real Estate
Commercial Real Estate
Speech Privacy Between Tenants
In Memtech's experience, speech privacy in multi-tenant buildings most often fails at the paths around the wall rather than the wall itself. Demising partitions that stop at the ceiling grid, shared plenums, common return-air paths, door undercuts, unsealed penetrations for conduit and sprinkler lines, and glass-fronted suites all let conversation travel between leases that are supposed to be separate.
It can also become a lease issue. A privacy failure between tenants can lead to a quiet-enjoyment dispute, and in buildings with legal, financial, medical, or HR tenants the stakes for ownership are higher.
We field-test the separation (ASTM E336) to compare what the assembly delivers with what it was designed for, then trace the flanking path. Typical corrections include extending or sealing the barrier above the ceiling, treating shared return-air paths, sealing door and glass interfaces, and adding absorption to lower the reverberant speech level. Sound masking can be part of the answer, but it does not replace sound isolation.
The result is measured: the field isolation rating before and after, and how intelligible speech is in the adjacent suite.
It can also become a lease issue. A privacy failure between tenants can lead to a quiet-enjoyment dispute, and in buildings with legal, financial, medical, or HR tenants the stakes for ownership are higher.
We field-test the separation (ASTM E336) to compare what the assembly delivers with what it was designed for, then trace the flanking path. Typical corrections include extending or sealing the barrier above the ceiling, treating shared return-air paths, sealing door and glass interfaces, and adding absorption to lower the reverberant speech level. Sound masking can be part of the answer, but it does not replace sound isolation.
The result is measured: the field isolation rating before and after, and how intelligible speech is in the adjacent suite.
Commercial Real Estate
Rooftop & Mechanical Noise in Leased Space
Mechanical noise complaints tend to concentrate on the top floor, often the highest-rent space in the building. Air handlers, chillers, cooling towers, exhaust fans, and generators produce both airborne noise and structure-borne vibration, and the two need different corrections.
The most common mistake we see is treating a vibration problem as a noise problem. Absorptive panels go into the tenant space and the complaint continues. Vibration carried through structural steel or the slab is radiated as sound by the room surfaces, and absorption in the room does not stop it. It has to be isolated at the equipment.
We treat airborne and structure-borne paths, and we design rooftop screening that meets both the tenant requirement and the local noise ordinance, which matters when the complaint comes from a residential neighbor.
The most common mistake we see is treating a vibration problem as a noise problem. Absorptive panels go into the tenant space and the complaint continues. Vibration carried through structural steel or the slab is radiated as sound by the room surfaces, and absorption in the room does not stop it. It has to be isolated at the equipment.
We treat airborne and structure-borne paths, and we design rooftop screening that meets both the tenant requirement and the local noise ordinance, which matters when the complaint comes from a residential neighbor.
Commercial Real Estate
Our Approach & Capabilities
Memtech measures and models the actual condition, then plans the work around the asset's business plan, including phasing around lease events when that makes more sense than doing it all at once.
Our capabilities include:
- Room acoustic modeling and reverberation time optimization
- Sound isolation analysis and partition design (field ASTC and AIIC)
- Speech privacy and sound masking system design
- Vibration control for mechanical and structural systems
- Material selection that meets both performance targets and finish standards
- Installation coordination and post-completion verification testing
Commercial Real Estate
Applications
We resolve noise issues across a wide range of commercial assets, including:
- Multi-tenant office buildings and towers
- Coworking and flexible-workspace floors
- Mixed-use developments with residential over retail
- Retail centers and restaurant tenancies
- Lobbies, atriums, and shared amenity spaces
- Fitness and wellness tenants in stacked assemblies
- Conference centers and tenant meeting suites
- Industrial and flex properties
Commercial Real Estate
Acoustics During Lease-Up and Re-Tenanting
A vacant floor between tenants is usually the least expensive time to fix an acoustic problem. There is no occupant to work around, no off-hours premium, and the work can often be folded into a build-out that is already scheduled.
It is also when the problem is easiest to ignore, because no one is complaining yet.
If a suite generated privacy complaints from its last occupant, it is likely to generate them from the next one. If the floor plate is going from private offices to open plan, the acoustic condition changes, and the old layout does not predict how the new one will perform. If you are pursuing a tenant whose business depends on confidentiality (legal, medical, financial, HR), acoustic performance may be a condition of the deal.
We work with owners and leasing teams to assess space between tenancies, establish what it will support, and treat it before the next lease commences. For prospective tenants with specific requirements, we can document the space's performance in advance, so the tenant has measured data during negotiations.
It is also when the problem is easiest to ignore, because no one is complaining yet.
If a suite generated privacy complaints from its last occupant, it is likely to generate them from the next one. If the floor plate is going from private offices to open plan, the acoustic condition changes, and the old layout does not predict how the new one will perform. If you are pursuing a tenant whose business depends on confidentiality (legal, medical, financial, HR), acoustic performance may be a condition of the deal.
We work with owners and leasing teams to assess space between tenancies, establish what it will support, and treat it before the next lease commences. For prospective tenants with specific requirements, we can document the space's performance in advance, so the tenant has measured data during negotiations.
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Commercial Real Estate
Treatment That Fits a Class A Finish
Acoustic treatment in a Class A building has to look like it belongs there. A prospective tenant touring a floor should register the space as considered, not as retrofitted.
We offer a full range of architecturally integrated treatments (panels, clouds, baffles, draperies, and barriers) available in textures, colors, and configurations that work with the existing finish package. Many can be specified to disappear into the design entirely while measurably changing how a space performs.
When needed, we use acoustic modeling and before-and-after playback simulations so ownership can hear the difference before capital is committed, and compare design options at different price points.
If your building isn't performing the way tenants expect, and renewals or lease-up are showing it, we can help.
We offer a full range of architecturally integrated treatments (panels, clouds, baffles, draperies, and barriers) available in textures, colors, and configurations that work with the existing finish package. Many can be specified to disappear into the design entirely while measurably changing how a space performs.
When needed, we use acoustic modeling and before-and-after playback simulations so ownership can hear the difference before capital is committed, and compare design options at different price points.
If your building isn't performing the way tenants expect, and renewals or lease-up are showing it, we can help.
Commercial Real Estate
Integrated Design & Install Solutions We Deliver
Fully integrated solutions that deliver measurable acoustic performance.
What Our Clients Say
“They did a great job! Their customer service is EXCEPTIONAL.”
“Great Job, I would highly recommend.”
- Elvis J., Washington MI
- Elvis J., Washington MI
Why Memtech Acoustics?
- Precision Over Guesswork
We begin with by acquiring comprehensive data at your location. Our designs are not based on assumptions. - Full-Service, No Shortcuts
We’re Michigan’s only full-service firm. We design it, source it, and install it. - Certified Experts, Not Salespeople
Your project is led by engineers and trained acoustical analysts. We speak the language of results and compliance. - Consultative, Not Cookie-Cutter
No two environments are the same. We tailor every solution around your space, constraints, and business goals. - Quiet With Great Aesthetics
From conference rooms to corporate headquarters, our solutions are as aesthetically refined as they are acoustically effective.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why does acoustic performance matter to building owners specifically?
Noise complaints affect renewals and re-leasing, which shows up in net operating income rather than a maintenance log. Unresolved privacy or mechanical noise issues can also lead to abatement requests or quiet-enjoyment disputes.
A tenant is complaining they can hear the suite next door. Where does that sound actually come from?
In Memtech's experience, most often the ceiling plenum rather than the wall. Demising partitions frequently stop at the ceiling grid, leaving a continuous open cavity above two "separate" suites. Shared return-air paths, unsealed conduit and sprinkler penetrations, and door undercuts are the other common paths. We test to identify the specific path before recommending a correction, because treating the wall when the plenum is the issue produces little improvement.
How does sound masking improve speech privacy in an office?
Sound masking is a low, engineered background sound distributed through the ceiling. It raises the background level enough to reduce the intelligibility of overheard speech. Properly designed, it improves speech privacy in healthcare, HR, and legal settings and reduces distraction in open-plan offices. It does not reduce the sound passing through a wall. Memtech Acoustics designs and installs these systems as part of a broader acoustic strategy.
Can you work in an occupied building without disrupting tenants?
Yes. This is standard for commercial property work. Testing is typically non-invasive and can be scheduled around tenant hours. Installation is commonly phased off-hours, over weekends, or coordinated with existing build-out activity. We'll identify at proposal stage which portions of a scope require access to leased space so there are no surprises for your property management team.
Will sound masking solve a tenant privacy complaint?
Sometimes, and it is often the fastest and least disruptive option, but it isn't a universal fix. Masking raises the background level so overheard speech is harder to understand; it does not reduce transmission. Where the sound arriving from an adjacent suite is loud enough, masking alone won't close the gap and may just add noise. We measure first and recommend it where it will work.
Can you provide documentation for a tenant dispute or lease negotiation?
Yes. We provide written reports with calibrated measurement data, test methodology, and clear findings. Where remediation is performed, we conduct post-installation verification so you have before-and-after documentation. This is often what resolves a dispute, because it replaces a subjective complaint with a measured condition.
Do your solutions meet building codes and industry standards?
Yes. Memtech Acoustics designs with compliance in mind, referencing IBC, ASTM E90/E413 (STC), ASTM E336 (field sound isolation), ASTM E492 (impact insulation), ASTM C423 (sound absorption and NRC), and applicable local noise ordinances. For privacy-sensitive tenancies we also design to the FGI Guidelines for healthcare and to WELL and LEED acoustic criteria.
We own several buildings with the same problem. Can you address that at the portfolio level?
Yes. Recurring failures usually trace to a repeated construction detail rather than to individual buildings. We can assess across assets, identify where the exposure concentrates, and help establish acoustic criteria for tenant improvement work going forward so the problem stops being rebuilt at each turnover.
How do I know the solution will work?
When Memtech performs the correction, we measure the baseline before work begins and verify performance after completion with calibrated equipment. Results are written in plain language your team and your tenants can read without interpreting technical data.
The complaint is coming from a neighbor outside the building, not a tenant. Can you help?
Yes. Rooftop mechanical equipment, generators, loading operations, and outdoor tenant activity are common sources of municipal noise ordinance complaints. We measure environmental noise at the property line, compare it with the applicable local limit, and design barrier or enclosure solutions to meet it.
Let’s Engineer the Right Solution, Together.
Let's Get Started. Contact Us.
Talk to our experts. We’ll assess your needs and recommend a solution that works for your project.
