Acoustics is more often considered a niche subject than the other physical aspects of interior comfort. Maybe this is why assumptions and preconseptions guide the way in which people tend to deal with the sound quality of the interior environment. In India where I’m from, I’m frequently confronted by several presumptions or myths when I meet specifiers and the users of interior spaces. In […]
office environments
Study: less cognitive stress in open-plan offices with good acoustics
Saint- Gobain Ecophon and the Stress Research Institute in Stockholm conducted a unique study in a real-life office environment to examine how sound affects people in open plan offices. The aim was to see how the ceiling’s properties affect workers’ health, productivity and the perceived disturbance. And the result was clear – a better sound […]
Balancing ECOnomy, ECOlogy, ECOsystem – in ECO for Sustainable Design!
Sustainable design and acoustics goes hand in hand in the new ECO for Sustainable Design magazine – Office Edition. As “Green Buildings” are starting to focus on sustainability; the complete picture with more focus on the people and their health and productivity; we have gathered a potpourri of stories on sustainable acoustic environments such as: Philip Vanhoutte’s […]
5 questions about tinnitus & what you can do
We interviewed Eimear O’Carroll, from Restored Hearing about what it’s like to live with tinnitus and how indoor environments can support people with tinnitus. She has been working together with business partner Rhona Togher on hearing problems for almost 10 years now. The young entrepreneurs both studied physics and use their training to create products to help people with impaired […]
EIAS2015 will take place again in Båstad Sweden this October!
This event on the 1st & 2nd October is the seventh occasion. This International Room Acoustics Seminar will focus on knowledge sharing for more sustainable environments. For more info about who the speakers are and the sessions taking place visit the homepage here. Registration is nearly full, however if you would like to attend the […]
Workplace Trends: Spring Summit – The Healthy Workplace
The Healthy Workplace and Active Design are the buzz words of the moment. With Acoustic being on top of the agenda! The workplace has a significant impact on people’s health and well-being. Poor management of workplace health can lead to work-related ill health and to high levels of sickness absence. This gives real cause for concern, not […]
Leesman index – changes how the workplace is measured
78% of employees say telephone conversations are an important workplace activity, yet 47% are dissatisfied with noise levels. Can the two ever be balanced? 53% of employees report that their workplace enables them to work productively. But can these figures be improved and what is the benefit to organisational performance? LeesmanIndex who works globally, is changing the […]