Steve Orfield founded Orfield Laboratories in South Minneapolis 40-years-ago and aimed to create the perfect open office with a perfect combination of lighting, architecture and sound design. Since then, they’ve become known for many things, but the anechoic chamber may top them all. It’s officially one of the quietest place on Earth, according to the 2012 Edition of Guinness World Records, with a then record of -13 dBA. Read more to see what happens when you spend 41-minutes in this room.
When people aren’t trying to set world records, companies use the anechoic chamber to test their products and NASA has even sent their astronauts to help them adapt to the silence of outer space. The biggest issue with staying in this room for so long is that you begin losing orientation, as you don’t have any perceptual cues for balance and maneuverability, which means that a chair is necessary.
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We challenge people to sit in the chamber in the dark – one person stayed in there for 45 minutes. When it’s quiet, ears will adapt. The quieter the room, the more things you hear. You’ll hear your heart beating, sometimes you can hear your lungs, hear your stomach gurgling loudly,” said Steven Orfield, Orfield Laboratories founder.
