A quiet room or silent room is a room, typically in an office, built with regard to

silence Silence is the absence of ambient audible sound, the emission of sounds of such low intensity that they do not draw attention to themselves, or the state of having ceased to produce sounds; this latter sense can be extended to apply to the c ...

by shielding

noise Noise is unwanted sound considered unpleasant, loud or disruptive to hearing. From a physics standpoint, there is no distinction between noise and desired sound, as both are vibrations through a medium, such as air or water. The difference aris ...

from or towards the surroundings. In an office setting, they are often made for one person, and differs from a meeting room which typically are larger and can accommodate several people. Quiet rooms have been described as necessity in office landscapes in addition to telephone rooms and meeting rooms. Some have suggested that an office landscape should have at least one quiet room per six employees.

Use

A quiet room can both shield against noise from the surroundings, and shield the surroundings from noise from inside the quiet room.

For concentration

In one sense, the quiet room is a place of silence where one can stay without noise disturbance from others, for example in order to perform work requiring concentration or which is

confidential Confidentiality involves a set of rules or a promise usually executed through confidentiality agreements that limits the access or places restrictions on certain types of information. Legal confidentiality By law, lawyers are often required ...

in nature. An example of use can be if a person is seated in a noisy office landscape and is handed a task which requires special concentration. There are also examples of quiet rooms being installed in small private homes which otherwise lack the space or number of rooms to give the occupants privacy (see also man cave).

For noisy work

In another sense, a quiet room can be used to shield the surroundings from noisy work. This may be relevant, for example, if a person in an office landscape is to have a video meeting, and especially if the meeting is longer or if the person will be having an active role in the meeting. In this context, a distinction is often made between a quiet room and a meeting room; a quiet room is usually used when one person in the office is having a longer conversation, while meeting rooms are used for accommodating several meeting participants in the same room.

Other meanings

2012-07-18_-_Bayerischer_Landtag_-_Raum_der_Stille_-_8117

A quiet room can, depending on context, be used as an

euphemism A euphemism () is an innocuous word or expression used in place of one that is deemed offensive or suggests something unpleasant. Some euphemisms are intended to amuse, while others use bland, inoffensive terms for concepts that the user wishes ...

for special types of rooms. Multifaith spaces are sometimes called quiet rooms. Breastfeeding rooms are also sometimes called quiet rooms. Quiet room or rest room can also refer to sensory rooms, for example for recovering stroke patients. Quiet rooms can also refer to a "

sanctuary A sanctuary, in its original meaning, is a sacred place, such as a shrine. By the use of such places as a haven, by extension the term has come to be used for any place of safety. This secondary use can be categorized into human sanctuary, a s ...

" or a place where you can rest and let the mind fly, or even perform

yoga Yoga (; sa, योग, lit=yoke' or 'union ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India and aim to control (yoke) and still the mind, recognizing a detached witness-conscio ...

. In some cases, quiet rooms have been set up temporarily as a place where people can mourn.

References

{{Reflist, 30em Office work Rooms

Use

For concentration

For noisy work

Other meanings

See also

References