Theoretical considerations have led to the design and completion of three acoustically successful open‐plan offices. With but minor compromises, each was treated with highly absorptive materials to reduce and to localize the sounds of speech and other activities. In two of the three cases, a steady level of background noise is generated and distributed electronically. Partial‐height barriers are employed to maximize privacy between work stations. This paper briefly reviews the acoustical principles employed, methods adopted, and results achieved. Specifically, it deals with the questions of surface absorptivity and background noise. The findings include observations on the level and uniformity of background noise, the level of activity sounds, sound attenuation with distance, and barrier performance. While there has been no opportunity to collect and tabulate occupant response, the over‐all results are very encouraging. They largely substantiate the validity of the approach taken and reinforce the value of exact acoustical design.