Within moments of entering an office, potential clients make up their minds about a company and in a glance decide if they're good enough to do business with.

While a company can't control what people think, they can however stack the deck in their favour by creating a well-crafted and acoustically balanced environment.

Artfully blending the acoustic treatment into interior design can result in some extraordinary solutions, such as the Sony HQ, where Asona's Paddington flows up the walls and across the ceiling in long, linear, fabric cushioned planks, both enhancing the design while controlling the acoustics.

Another example is ASB Henderson branch where whimsical Triton Cloud (Sound Shapes) panels attract the eye to the acoustic treatment disguised as colourful umbrellas, grapes and fern shapes, proving that acoustic treatment doesn't always have to be hidden.

KPMG's Tauranga reception uses Paddington, this time in smooth vinyl fabrics to create a bold feature wall behind the reception area which continues around and down the corridor inviting the viewer into the building.

If impact is required, then Olabuenaga's reception area has it in spades. By using Newmat's acoustic stretched PVC wall and ceiling system, a large voluminous warehouse has been transformed into cutting edge offices — and it all starts at the reception area.