Your reception space needs acoustic office pods.

Design with intention. Start with HushGuide. It covers space plans, technical tips, safety info, and a project checklist — everything you need to design thoughtfully using acoustic booths.

tl;dr — why office pods in the lobby?

• Welcome visitors into sensory balance. Placed where sound tends to get loud or boomy, pods soften a reception area’s noise. At the same time, they also simplify the space visually. The result is a calmer, more composed atmosphere.
• Offer call privacy right from the jump. Installing a phone pod near the main entrance gives visitors and clients a discreet, sound-insulated space to pick up without having to step outside.
• Set a tone of hospitality. Equipping your booths with comforts like water carafes, miniature plants, or notepads turns them to moments of genuine hospitality.
• Turn waiting time in reception into value. Office pods and booths in the lobby let people put their wait time to use.
• Let the foyer work double duty. Incorporating pods along the reception perimeter lets the space flex between a front-of-house welcome zone and impromptu collaboration hub. It’s a way to maximize real estate efficiency without compromising ambiance.
• Make the first step into your office welcoming to all. Accessible pods like hushFree.Access.M or hushFree.Access.L really work near the lobby’s main traffic flow. They ensure every guest has a dignified space to work or rest.
• Let your lobby lobby for your brand. You can custom-finish your pods in colors, fabrics, or textures that mirror your visual identity. The reception space will communicate brand character instantly.

Welcome visitors into sensory balance by placing noise-insulating pods at the threshold.

Reception zones can be generally overstimulating, with footsteps, conversations, and visual clutter blending. Pods balance things both auditorily and visually. They quiet the atmosphere while giving the eye a place to rest.

Pods are like spatial mufflers that tame sound and architectural sharpness.

Visitors make “thin‑slice” judgments of a space in seconds, with cues from layout to lighting forming a perception of professionalism. But the fabric finishes, curved lines, and dimmable lighting within work booths balance the hard materials typical of receptions, for a more human experience.

“A booth in the office’s front-of-house acts as a sensory pause point, tempering the space’s many energies, sights to sounds. When employees can take an unexpected call in hushFree.S on their way in, for instance, or meet briefly with a client just passing through in hushFree.M in light of limited time, there is practicality but also acoustic protection of the reception itself. The space’s soundscape is kept pleasant when harsh reverb from ricocheting phone calls or tinny intelligible speech are always contained, muffled by a pod. And a more curated reception, one that feels agreeable, is welcoming for neurotypical and neurodiverse visitors alike,” says Maciej Zabielski, Marketing Manager, Hushoffice

Situate a phone pod in the lobby — guarantee call privacy at the door.

Reception areas can be acoustically complex and unpredictable, and they typically lack speech privacy. Speech-private call cabins like hushFree.XS work well for waiting guests or clients who want to make use of their wait by taking a call.

• 76% of clients say they form an initial opinion about a company within 7 seconds of entering the company’s offices. Moreover, 62% of business visitors say they’ve reconsidered working with a company after noticing the cleanliness and overall look of its reception area.

A team conference cabin in the front entrance extends your workplace, maximizing space.

Positioning a team cabin like hushFree.L in the lobby turns idle space into working space. It’s an ideal approach for offices where the entrance is roomy and the main area constrained — but just as practical in tighter receptions thanks to the booth’s compact form.

Proof of teamwork — framed in silence. Visible hustle within steady hum.

By placing a spacious booth in the lobby and encouraging employees to meet there when convenient, you create a balanced first impression — motion within stillness, sound in check. Visitors instantly see a company alive with collaboration yet grounded in composure.

A two-person pod in the lobby provides a convenient space for drop-in meetings.

When time-pressed clients or remote employees need to discuss a critical matter in person and in private, connecting quickly in a lobby booth eliminates the need to navigate the main office, avoiding detours, delays, or small talk along the way.

For discreet and trouble-free conversations, right at the door. HushFree.XM.

Whether it’s a vendor or courier handoff, a supplier check-in, a media or contractor visit, or a speedy meeting with a consultant, technician, or delivery team, placing hushFree.XM in your front desk area makes every short encounter private and professional while hassle-free.

Your entryway need never sit idle.

Furnished with the right pods and booths, a reception can flex between welcoming visitors and supporting staff workflows throughout the day. When this first touchpoint conveys ease, it leaves visitors with a first impression of competence. And first impressions are lasting.

A video call booth in the lobby turns spare space into a practical spillover area.

If your lobby feels oversized or unwieldy, adding a video call booth may be a clever way to define its awkward corners or take up empty space, making the overall area feel cozier, all while providing another location for one of the workplace’s most frequent tasks: video calls.

An acoustic booth in the lobby is a work setting that feels distinct from the main office.

Light levels may differ and the flow of people is naturally varied. These subtle shifts create a refreshing change of pace, tapping into our natural desire for novelty. And, indeed, more than half of employees say the office must support a variety of work modes for them to feel productive.

• Because changing conditions trigger reward circuits in the brain, variety actually releases dopamine. This explains why even switching scenery can refresh focus. In fact, people who inhabit a greater variety of locations in a day report more positive emotions like feeling happy, relaxed, strong, and attentive.

Welcome wellness, not just people, by including ADA compliant booths.

Ultimately, the best receptions are not just functional thresholds but spaces of psychological transition. They allow people to decompress, to orient, and really to prepare for whatever is next. And importantly, they provide this sense of readiness for everyone who enters the building.

“A reception that embraces its role as a point of orientation fosters ease for all who enter. ADA-compliant booths are key here because they are welcoming to everyone including those with mobility needs. From the Hushoffice line, the aptly named hushFree.Access.M and hushFree.Access.L both fit the bill, featuring low thresholds for smooth wheelchair entry, wide doors with handles that pull easily without twisting the wrist, and configurable left- or right-handed doors to fit any office layout,” says Maciej Zabielski, Marketing Manager, Hushoffice

• Roughly 40% of office workers say their perception of a company has been negatively affected by the lobby or reception area experience. More than half cite a lackluster ‘welcoming’ as the primary reason for a negative perception.

So which Hushoffice pods work best in reception areas?

This depends on the scale of your space and the types of interactions that happen there. For detailed guidance, check out hushGuide — your go-to reference for placing pods, designing privacy, and reflecting brand through architecture.

Smaller booths like hushFree.XS or hushFree.S.Hybrid are ideal for solo use.

This includes tasks like video calls, private discussions via phone, or focused work while waiting. Such booths are compact, noise-insulated, and add structure to open or oversized foyers.

For short in-person meetings, hushFree.XM or hushFree.M work well.

These two-person and four-person pods let employees connect with visitors, vendors, or contractors without the need to traverse the main office. They guarantee professionalism right at the door.

Larger pods transform idle lobby space into a fully functional team zone.

This includes more spacious booths like hushFree.L and hushFree.Access.L. They showcase collaboration in action while keeping the area acoustically calm — making teamwork visible amid ambient composure.

“Equipping your reception with acoustic booths like Hushoffice reshapes it from a mere passageway into a carefully orchestrated environment — one that expresses intentionality. Guests experience a space where energy and calm coexist in proportion, where conversation and quiet have each been given their rightful place. Every booth is a commitment to aesthetics that soothe and to operations that run smoothly. They demonstrate that your organization ‘gets it’ so to speak — that professionalism today is as much about sensory consideration as it is about performance,” says Maciej Zabielski, Marketing Manager, Hushoffice

Download HushGuide today for a comprehensive look at how to space plan using acoustic booths.

tl;dr — why office pods in the lobby?

• Welcome visitors into sensory balance. Placed where sound tends to get loud or boomy, pods soften a reception area’s noise. At the same time, they also simplify the space visually. The result is a calmer, more composed atmosphere.
• Offer call privacy right from the jump. Installing a phone pod near the main entrance gives visitors and clients a discreet, sound-insulated space to pick up without having to step outside.
• Set a tone of hospitality. Equipping your booths with comforts like water carafes, miniature plants, or notepads turns them to moments of genuine hospitality.
• Turn waiting time in reception into value. Office pods and booths in the lobby let people put their wait time to use.
• Let the foyer work double duty. Incorporating pods along the reception perimeter lets the space flex between a front-of-house welcome zone and impromptu collaboration hub. It’s a way to maximize real estate efficiency without compromising ambiance.
• Make the first step into your office welcoming to all. Accessible pods like hushFree.Access.M or hushFree.Access.L really work near the lobby’s main traffic flow. They ensure every guest has a dignified space to work or rest.
• Let your lobby lobby for your brand. You can custom-finish your pods in colors, fabrics, or textures that mirror your visual identity. The reception space will communicate brand character instantly.

Author: the Hushoffice team

Hushoffice Frequently Asked Questions

Are Hushoffice pods ADA-compliant?

Models like hushFree.Access.M and hushFree.Access.L certainly are. They are fully accessible, featuring low thresholds, wide doors, and easy-to-use handles. Set up in your reception area, they make inclusivity tangible from the moment someone enters your space.

Can acoustic work pods make better use of unused or awkward lobby space?

Absolutely. Consider placing a pod in an underutilized area like a large corner or along an unused wall. It will define space, making the lobby feel more human in scale while adding practical function.

Why are people putting office pods and booths in their office reception areas?

Pods offer so many benefits. They bring acoustic balance. They are private and peaceful. And they are mobile, giving the front of the office more layout flexibility. They make receptions feel calmer while maximizing its utility.