The sustainability, health and safety of Hush office pods
- Posted on: 11 February 2022
- By: Hushoffice Team
The Hush team wants clients, dealers, designers, and end-users to know that each of Hush office pods meets the highest standards and certifications. They’re sustainably designed. They’re safe. They promote employee wellness and comfort. Hushoffice customers can attest that strong focus results.
Our office pods are rigorously tested to meet the industry’s best, toughest standards. Our goal is to deliver the best, most sustainable work pods. And to, in turn, give employees utmost comfort and productivity
– says Mateusz Barczyk, Senior Brand Manager, Hushoffice.
Hush is ISO 9001 & ISO 14001 compliant.
Our company is compliant with the ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 Environmental Management System (EMS) standards.
Complete with the CE marking.
Each Hush pod’s CE marking proves compliance with the requirements for EC Declarations of Conformity.
We partner with safe, environmentally responsible suppliers.
When it comes to doing right by the environment, our heart is in the game. Meeting the highest standards guides us in becoming more resource-efficient, reducing waste, and driving down costs. It ensures our environmental impact is being measured and improved upon consistently
– offers Mateusz Barczyk, Senior Brand Manager, Hushoffice.
All wood components used in Hush pods have an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) according to ISO 14025 and are FSC-certified. Furthermore, they’re tested, certified, and labeled to meet TSCA Title VI or CARB Phase II standards regarding formaldehyde emissions.
Read more: Mikomax Smart Office official statement on formaldehyde emission from products.
All the right EPDs.
Hush’s particleboard/honeycomb structure is also FSC-certified and has an EPD according to ISO 14000. Hush’s multimedia port, steel, aluminum, edging, ABS plastic, and foam all have EPDs according to ISO 14001.
Easy-to-clean, disinfectable wood.
All wooden components used in Hushoffice pods are laminates impregnated with melamine resin and a sealed surface. They are easy to clean and can be thoroughly disinfected. They also have antibacterial properties per ISO 22196.
Formaldehyde-free, environmental carcass.
The surface layers of Eurolight boards in Hush pods conform to EN 312 board type P2 or EN 14322. The bonding to their hexagonal honeycomb core is done using a formaldehyde-free polyurethane adhesive system. And these hexagonal honeycombs are made from 100% recycled paper.
Safe, strong, tempered glass — with a sound-dampening property.
We use only safety glass in Hush. The acoustic pod door’s glass is tempered and laminated. This glass is 10.76mm thick, contributing to Hush’s perfect acoustics.
100% recycled wool upholstery for a premium, organic feel.
All wool used in Hush’s interior upholstering is 100% recycled. Moreover, this wool is of premium quality and gives Hush its distinct ambiance. It’s superior. It imparts the pod with a cozy feeling. Call it luxury comfort.
Biophilic, too.
The wool also adds a natural touch. Its organic quality helps strengthen the biophilic connection at work. And a stronger connection to nature is proven to boost well-being, performance, creativity, and health. Being a great sound-absorber, too, the wool used in Hushoffice pods also enhances Hush’s soundscape.
Hush office pods, a flame-retardant furniture.
Hush products may feature flame-retardant materials, including textiles, upholstery infill padding, outer panels and carpet liners. All Hush pods can also be ordered with a sprinkler culvert (a ceiling grommet for sprinkler provision).
ADA-compliant, helping create universal spaces.
Because its standard dimensions are large, hushMeet.L (the conference booth pod) offers sufficient space for a wheelchair to easily maneuver (an ADA compliant product is available on request).
Sustainably packaged.
We pack and deliver Hushoffice booths and pods in super light, easy-to-recycle cardboard boxes. The boxes are easy to segregate and recycle because we don’t use metal staples.
Technical support for assembly provided.
We offer installation by an accredited crew as well as new user training.
Once assembled, you’re set — your office is mobile.
The hushPhone acoustic call booth and the hushHybrid videoconference pod can both be relocated by the push of two teammates. All other booths, pods, and cabins from the Hushoffice collection can be relocated by pallet jack. This includes the hushMeet.L modular conference room cabin, which gets broken down into modules to be moved by pallet jack then set back up. Each Hush booth, pod, and cabin features leveling feet to easily level the product after moving it.
Our booths and office pods are energy-efficient.
Hush’s lighting and ventilation systems are either motion- or presence-sensor activated (depending on the pod model). And they both feature a shutdown delay. So Hush runs only when in use, saving energy. Both systems are also adjustable for max employee comfort.
How efficient are Hush office pods?
At a maximum, Hush acoustic pods consume…
hushPhone (office telephone booth): 7 W / 0.007 kwh
hushWork (acoustic desk pod): 42 W / 0.042 kwh
hushWork.sit&stand (acoustic desk pod w/ sit-stand desk): 42 W / 0.042 kwh
hushTwin (small office pod): 30 W / 0.03 kwh
hushMeet (4 person team meeting cabin): 49.5 W / 0.0495 kwh
hushHybrid (video call booth): 27.5 W / 0.0275 kwh
hushMeet (conference call booth w/ 2 modules): 65 W / 0.065 kwh
hushMeet.L3 (^ w/ 3 modules): 70 W / 0.07 kwh
hushMeet.L4 (^ w/ 4 modules): 75 W / 0.075 kwh
hushMeet.S (2 person meeting pod): 20 W / 0.02 kwh
hushMeet.open (4 person semi-open office cabin): 21 W / 0.021 kwh
hushMeet.open.S (2 person semi-open office cabin): 14 W / 0.014 kwh
Adjustable lighting boosts productivity and wellness.
Hush’s lighting is tweakable. So employees enjoy a luminescence easiest on the eyes and most supportive of the task at hand. They can make it bright for collaboration or dim for focus. They get the most flattering light level for video calls. And they can make it dimmer for a relaxing effect.
Adjustable ventilation for optimal thermal comfort.
Employees can set the most comfortable fan speed in Hush. This ensures adequate air is being brought in from outside the booth, maintaining good air purity and oxygen levels. But it also boosts thermal comfort, which is a foundational aspect of work ergonomics shown to increase productivity.
The air inside a Hushoffice pod is fresh, never stuffy.
When in use, Hush’s ventilation system is continual — it continually brings new air in from the office. And because Hushoffice pods pass all relevant formaldehyde emissions mentioned above (TSCA Title VI and CARB Phase II standards), Hush doesn’t “produce” harmful chemicals.
Safe, chemical-free foam.
The standard foam used in Hush pods is a flexible polyurethane standard polyether foam produced by slabstock technology. It’s made without any fluorocarbons (freons) or volatile organic solvents (i.e., Methylene chloride). The flame-retardant foam is also made without fluorocarbons or volatile organic solvents. So the air is clean, safe, and fresh.
Working in a private acoustic booth like hushWork.sit&stand is like taking a breath of fresh air. Literally and figuratively. For starters, Hush’s ventilation is constant, always bringing in new air. Hush is also architecturally secluded from the open floor, so the employee gets privacy. It’s restorative. Thanks to acoustic properties of pods, the employee enjoys a mini-vacation from office noise. At the same time, they can be as loud as they want without fear of bothering others. Hence, we call Hush a breath of fresh air, all around
– explains Eliza Donek, Product Manager, Hushoffice.
The Hush greenWall cleans office air of pollutants, relieves stress, and recycles water.
Gorgeous and useful, the greenWall is like an indoor vertical garden secured to the sides of any Hushoffice pod.
Purify the air. Relieve stress. Win-win.
The greenWall is complete with a frame, fixing arms, spaces for flower pots with irrigation channels, and an automatic electronic irrigation system. So you simply add your own plants, water regularly, and enjoy. Consider recycling water from the AC to create a bona fide closed-loop indoor garden.
Read more about recommended plants for the greenWall here.
Hushoffice pods are a long-term, environmental alternative to short-term, wasteful construction.
Pods are greener than demo and reno, because they’re never demolished or discarded, while hard infrastructure inevitably is. Instead of being thrown away, they’re rearranged and relocated, all the while maintaining office functionality.
Every Hush pod is designed with ergonomics top of mind.
In the name of comfortable, focused work…
Perfectly structured sofas Hush sofas strike an apt balance of structured yet lightly plush. They promote a healthy working position, making longer meetings and work sessions comfortable.
Adjustable lighting & ventilation for eye health and thermal comfort As mentioned above, adjustable lighting and ventilation help boost these two oft-overlooked environmental aspects of ergonomics.
Ergonomically designed workstations HushWork.sit&stand’s sit-to-stand workstation brings movement to the desk. HushHybrid’s depth-adjustable desk supports the most comfortable typing posture. HushPhone’s leaning armrest allows users to lean, shifting positions throughout their call.
It feels comfortably quiet in a Hush office pods.
Think calming hum. Muffled thrum. Hush pods aren’t stark quiet. They’re pleasantly quiet. They dampen distracting office noise, converting a ~70dB blare into a ~40dB buzz.
Scientifically engineered for focus.
This 40dB is key. 40dB is the scientifically proven apt decibel level for focus. For reference, 70dB is like the sound level inside a car driving 65 mph, a vacuum cleaner, or a hairdryer. It’s an annoyingly loud volume to most people. 40dB, on the other hand, is soothing. Think stream, quiet library, or bird sounds.
Hush booths improve the office’s soundscape for everyone.
Hush’s traps all noise made within. By containing phone calls, team conversations, collaborative racket, and the like, Hush helps eliminate office noise. The acoustic pods, booths, and cabins thereby contribute to a better soundscape for employees both inside and outside Hush.
Learn more about how Hushoffice pods help turn office noise into office ambiance: The quick, comprehensive guide to office noise
Hush is a peaceful refuge that’s not the least bit isolating.
Those comfortably quiet acoustics help. That beautiful, premium wool helps, too. And Hush pods feature a glass panel to the left and right. So the user feels a healthy sense of connection to the office space beyond while using their pod.
Customizable for the ideal amount of separation.
Frost Hush’s rear glass panel for more separation from the office. You can also add your own filters, fine-tuning the amount of separation with your own solutions. And because they are mobile, Hush pods and booths can be positioned and repositioned in the office wherever suitable isolation from busy zones is found.
Want the immersive experience? Read about Hush’s exceptional privacy from the user’s perspective: Private pods. What does privacy actually feel like in an office pod?
If you have any questions regarding the sustainability, health, or safety of Hush, please contact us. We take all three areas seriously and are more than happy to talk over materials and substances!
Office pods – frequently asked questions
Do your office pods come with a sprinkler?
All Hush pods can be ordered with a sprinkler culvert (a ceiling grommet for sprinkler provision).
Are Hush office pods ADA-compliant?
HushMeet.L offers sufficient space and can easily accommodate a wheelchair. An ADA compliant product is available on request. The dimensions of other Hush products do not provide sufficient space inside to allow a wheelchair to maneuver freely.
How will I know we’ve installed the pod correctly?
The Hushoffice team offers installation by accredited crews as well as new user training.
Are your office pods level?
Yes. Each pod is built with leveling feet, so you can make them perfectly level after setting them up.