Software that predicts general acoustic performance can help you determine which design choices may have the largest impact on noise and speech privacy in your facility. But these programs don’t take enough factors into account to accurately predict the impact those choices will have across your entire space. They give you an overall rating.

For this reason, software can be used to guide a conversation about acoustic design. But it shouldn’t be used to replace sophisticated 3D-modeling packages - or better yet, the advice of an acoustical consultant.

Software programs that predict the acoustic performance of a facility can be useful in that they provide a general idea of the impact various design choices can have on noise and speech privacy levels. But software can’t model the differences between sound masking products. For the most reliable results from basic predictive software, we recommend you rely on a tool developed independently of a particular vendor.

COPE-Calc and COPE-ODE

The National Research Council of Canada – Institute for Research in Construction (IRC) offers two complimentary programs on their website:

COPE-Calc (Cost-Effective Open-Plan Environment) can model the propagation of speech from one workstation cubicle to another. It accounts for cubicle geometry, the acoustical properties of materials and the level of background noise and speech. The user can compare alternative workstation designs. Results can be displayed graphically, or listened to by a user.

COPE-ODE (Office Design Evaluator) runs directly in the user’s web browser. It accounts for cubicle geometry, light reflectivity and the acoustical properties of materials - as well as the level of background noise and speech. Cost data can be input, letting the user run cost-benefit comparisons of alternative workstation designs. Outputs include physical measures of lighting and acoustic performance, and indicators of satisfaction with lighting, privacy, and ventilation.

These programs can be downloaded free of charge at http://irc.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/ie/cope/07.html