Designing buildings for acoustics

Sound has a strong personality; it can impede concentration, healing and learning, or add drama, vibrance and energy.

That’s how Armstrong Architectural Specialties, designer and manufacturer of floors and ceilings, describe acoustics and its role in building design and construction. It was reiterated by its architectural systems manager for Australia and Southeast Asia, David Yaxley, during the Power of Sound forum last June 23, organized by BCI Asia in partnership with the company and World Home Depot Corp.

Though important, acoustics is seemingly neglected, especially in green buildings, Yaxley said. “People don’t consider them most of the time, because they can’t see it. But still, everyone can hear it.”

According to Yaxley, noise is a major concern, because it can cause “you to lose concentration.” This is especially significant for work and educational spaces, he said, where attention and understanding are crucial to productivity and learning.

Playing a sound role

Acoustics play an integral role in any space. Surface finishes selected must enhance the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) of a space relative to its functionality, with factors such as speech intelligibility, speech privacy, sound intrusion and noise reduction to be considered.

Research suggests that noise and room acoustics are serious issues affecting the productivity at workplace, learning abilities at classrooms, and well-being in health centers.

According to a study by Bosti Associates in 2001, people in office spaces spent 62 percent of their time for quiet and focused work. There is a dilemma between providing acoustic privacy for quiet work and openness for team interaction.

Meanwhile in educational spaces, excessive noise and reverberation interfere with speech intelligibility and the ability to concentrate and understand. Children require better acoustical environments to achieve the same speech intelligibility scores as adults, due to the level of their cognitive development and lack of vocabulary.

On the other hand, health centers require quiet environments for recovery, low noise and reverberation environment for accurate communication and high privacy to protect personal information.

But worldwide, sound levels inside hospitals average 72 decibels during the day and 60 decibels at night—exceeding the standard 40 decibels or less by the World Health Organization—according to a Chicago Tribune report. And noise distractions substantially increase dispensing errors, so do error rates, said the Coverly, Pharmacy Post in 2009, in turn compromising  sleep and recovery of patients.

Acoustic ceilings

Acoustic ceilings can help, Yaxley said. They are a type of ceiling made with tiles of material that dampen noise. They are an excellent way to reduce noise within a space. Armstrong’s portfolio of commercial acoustical ceilings offers solutions in mineral fiber, fiberglass, perforated metal and perforated wood.

When sound is not considered in design, it can result in distracting and irritating noise, Yaxley said. “Before putting project plans into action, it should be integrated already.”

For Yaxley, “Architectural design should provide a space that is both healthy and productive for the occupants while also being energy-efficient and sustainable.” And it includes designing for acoustics, he added.