It's the oddest experience.

I'm working on an office floor known as the focus floor.

The expectations are that noise levels be library-like.

Old-style library-like noise levels. (Not sure what libraries are like these days, TBH)

People are moving around softly, speaking in hushed voices and gently closing meeting room doors.

It's so stressful.

Any sound above 2 decibels is loud.

Whispered conversations can be heard from the other side of the room.

A dropped cup or a banged chair is cacophonic.

It was a relief to go to another floor where the conversations were liberal and the noise level a hubbub.

Maybe knowledge workers are not used to focus work?

They're used to headphones, background music and the low hum of traffic. A constant noise.

Sustained focus work, working in the flow, is a skill that needs to be re-learnt.