Noise is the number-one complaint in open-plan offices. Phone calls, keyboards and foot traffic erode concentration, especially for teams that work with figures and documents. The cheapest fix per square metre is not adding rooms — it is the right office partition and screen system. This guide covers partition types, ideal heights, materials, and how to calculate cost per square metre straight from the factory.
BG Office Furniture is an office furniture factory in Foshan, China, supplying workstation partitions, staff desks and cabinets to Indonesia at 0% ACFTA tariff (Form E). Every partition component can be combined with desks and cabinets in one mixed container.
Office Partitions vs Office Screens
The terms are often used interchangeably, but there is a difference:
- Office partition — a divider attached to a desk system or frame, usually used to split a single run of workstations. Heights are low to medium, and it is part of the furniture rather than a wall.
- Office screen — a more independent divider: floor-to-ceiling, freestanding, or suspended. Screens separate two departments, a waiting area, or a small meeting corner inside an open floor.
In practice the two work as one system. Start with low partitions at desk level, then add partial screens when one team begins to disturb another. See our office workstation range, which includes partition options.
The Four Partition Types Indonesian Offices Buy Most
1. Low screen partitions (400–900 mm)
Sits on top of the desk to create a light visual boundary without blocking light. Best for teams that need to communicate often — customer service and sales.
2. Workstation partitions (900–1,350 mm)
The de facto standard for open-plan offices: seated visual privacy, yet you can still talk to the colleague opposite without standing up. This is the type we ship most to Jakarta and Surabaya.
3. Acoustic partitions (1,400–1,800 mm)
Taller, with a sound-absorbing core plus fabric or perforated facing. Used by phone-heavy teams, finance departments, and areas next to main circulation routes.
4. Glass and full-height screens
Divide the room up to ceiling level for director's rooms, small meeting rooms or HR areas. Glass screens deliver acoustic privacy while keeping the space feeling open — the same pattern used in 2026 meeting room design.
Ideal Partition Height: A Quick Guide
- 400–600 mm — visual boundary, room stays airy. Good for offices with low ceilings (under 2.7 m).
- 900–1,200 mm — the safest balance: seated privacy with easy communication. Our recommendation for most offices.
- 1,200–1,500 mm — for high-focus work and heavier phone use.
- 1,600 mm and above — close to a full division; only for teams with data-confidentiality needs (finance, legal, HR).
A simple rule: the taller the partition, the darker and more enclosed the room becomes. The trade-off is even lighting and window access, as covered in our guide to ergonomic office layout.
Why Acoustic Panels Matter So Much
An ordinary partition blocks sightlines, not sound. Acoustic panels work differently: porous materials and fabric absorb sound energy so reverberation drops. Ask any supplier for two figures:
- NRC (Noise Reduction Coefficient) — sound absorption on a 0–1 scale. Fabric panels with a porous core typically reach 0.6–0.9; an untreated melamine panel only 0.1–0.2.
- Room sound target — for concentration-heavy work the common target is 45–50 dB(A) in the work zone. Without absorbers, a busy open-plan office easily exceeds 60 dB(A).
The most effective combination is therefore acoustic-core partitions plus a ceiling or wall absorber, not simply adding partition height.
Partition Materials: Which One Fits?
- Melamine / MDF — the most economical and most widely mass-produced option. Ideal for 900–1,350 mm partitions; scratch-resistant, easy to clean, many colours.
- Acoustic fabric — best acoustic performance and a warm look. Needs more care, especially in humid tropical climates.
- Glass (tempered) — feels spacious and transmits light; a popular pairing with aluminium frames.
- Steel frame + powder coating — for screen frames and taller partition structures; strong, stable and colour-customisable.
For Indonesian offices we recommend melamine MDF panels with tight PVC edge banding to protect against humidity, plus an acoustic core on the side facing busy walkways.
Calculating Quantity and Cost per Square Metre
The fastest way to size a partition package is by the length of each desk run. A simple example for one four-seat cluster:
- Desk size 1,200 × 600 mm per person in a single four-person run → run length 4.8 m.
- Partitions running along the back and centre of the run → roughly 4.8–7.2 linear metres of partition.
- For an office of 30 staff split across several runs, partition demand typically lands between 40–60 linear metres.
Because partitions are produced alongside the desks, buying one package from the factory is far more economical than sourcing partitions separately in the local market — often 20–35% cheaper after logistics, as explained in mixed-container importing of office furniture. For overall furniture pricing see our 2026 office desk price guide.
Cutting Noise Without Adding Walls
- Raise partitions only for the teams genuinely affected, not the whole floor. Minimum change gives maximum budget impact.
- Screen the phone lanes — one-sided conversations often disturb more people than team discussion does.
- Add carpet or wall panels to cut reverberation; combined with acoustic partitions this reduces complaints fastest.
- Keep at least 900 mm of circulation between desk runs. Cramped partitions make a room noisier because people speak louder.
- Choose a modular system so partitions can be shortened, moved or extended as the organisation changes — the same logic we cover in 2-person vs 4-person workstations.
Partition FAQ
What partition height is ordered most often for open-plan offices?
Most of our orders for Jakarta offices sit between 1,000–1,200 mm. That height gives seated visual privacy without blocking daylight, and still allows easy desk-to-desk conversation.
Can partitions be ordered separately from the desks?
Yes, especially to replace partitions on older desks whose modules are still standard. But when you are adding new units anyway, ordering the desk-plus-partition package is more economical because frames and colours are matched in one production run.
Do acoustic partitions really reduce noise?
Yes, but by a measurable margin. Panels with an NRC of 0.6–0.9 will noticeably cut reverberation when placed correctly — between the sound source and the listener's ear. For best results combine them with an acoustic ceiling or carpet rather than just adding height.
Conclusion
Office partitions are not a design accessory. They determine how comfortably a team works, how easily the floor can be reconfigured, and how much you spend per square metre. Start with low screens, raise height only where focus is needed, and place acoustic panels along the busiest lanes.
Need a partition recommendation for your floor plan? Send your floor area, headcount and a layout sketch to WhatsApp +861****2556, or browse the full BG Office Furniture catalogue. Our team will prepare a configuration, partition height and colour recommendation, plus a container volume estimate and factory quotation within one business day.