Studies show that acoustics are essential to ensuring optimal work performance.

But what is an effective acoustic environment? Because many have an incomplete understanding of this concept, they often pursue noise control strategies in what we call the “Quest for Silence” – the notion that good acoustics are achieved when the sound levels in a space are as low as possible, with zero being the best.

Others believe they can resolve the noise problems in their office by using only one or two of the methods and materials described in the “ABC Rule”—Absorb Noise, Block Noise, Cover Noise.

The first part of this presentation introduces the goals of acoustic design, describes methods of noise control and demonstrates how interior design elements can help achieve good acoustic performance in an office setting.

The second part explains the acoustic principles behind the use of these techniques and materials. By showing how sound masking works in conjunction with absorptive elements, it demonstrates that a combination of acoustic treatments is key to achieving the desired results because each one functions in a unique way.

This free presentation is a Registered Program of AIA/CES. It is 60 minutes long and qualifies for 1 LU/HSW Hour.
 

Effective acoustics are key to healthy buildings. After all, noise is known to provoke physiological stress responses that can negatively impact occupants. The World Health Organization describes it as an “underestimated threat” that contributes to stress, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, dementia, and diabetes. Hence, WELL, Fitwel and other building standards take acoustics into consideration; however, it remains a poorly understood indoor environmental quality (IEQ) parameter, and the lowest rated.

Amongst the architecture and design community, there is growing conviction these goals must be achieved through concern with ‘equity’—and applied to ‘real-world’ needs such as acoustical privacy, rather than amenities like pool tables, private chefs, and other perks; in other words, it is more a matter of how employees are treated than what they are being treated to. But what is ‘acoustical equity’? And how does one achieve it?

The first part of this course introduces the concept of acoustical equity and establishes speech privacy as a psychoacoustic metric that can be used to illustrate the concept of acoustical equity, set expectations during design, and estimate occupants’ subjective impression of the built space. The second part explains the key role the ‘C’ in the ‘ABC Rule’ plays in providing beneficial acoustical conditions, by controlling the temporal, spectral and spatial properties of background sound within the built environment. By tuning minimum background sound to meet a masking spectrum rather than leaving it in question, one can more cost-effectively and reliably design buildings to function acoustically for their users.

This course is a Registered Program of AIA/CES and qualifies for 1 LU/HSW.

Acoustics is a vital part of our everyday experience of the built environment; however, the role background sound plays in making these environments more comfortable for occupants is often overlooked. As a result, the misconception persists that acoustical dissatisfaction and lack of speech privacy can be resolved merely by limiting noise levels or blocking transmission.

Given today’s focus on health and wellness, it seems prudent to revisit our acoustical lexicon with the intention of developing deeper awareness of the differences between background sound and noise, as well as their implications for our experience within facilities.

Refining our understanding of “noise” and “sound,” as well as terms such as “silence” and “quiet,” allows for a more nuanced discussion of occupants’ needs and expectations, and fosters opportunities to improve building design practices. Indeed, it is only by controlling background sound—in contrast to limiting background noise—that one can realize certain benefits, such as increased speech privacy and improved specification of construction requirements, as well as the associated labor and cost savings.

This course is a Registered Program of AIA/CES and qualifies for 1 LU/HSW.