Call for Papers…
Growing evidence of the need to address the diverse needs and preferences of occupants
The acoustics of the built environment strongly influence occupants’ health, well-being, comfort and performance. Growing evidence highlights the need for acoustic design approaches that explicitly address the diverse needs and preferences of occupants, to ensure accessibility regardless of age, ability, social background, or other individual factors. The goal is to design sound environments that support performance and well-being of occupants, by adopting an inclusive, human-centred approach that accounts for diversity across the lifespan and across abilities. Achieving this goal also requires translating such approaches into standards and design guidelines that can balance potentially conflicting user needs while remaining economically and practically feasible.
This is an opportunity to advance the understanding in acoustic environments to promote well-being and inclusion
Building on this perspective, this Special Issue invites contributions that advance research on the understanding, design, and implementation of acoustic environments that promote well-being and inclusion. Contributions are encouraged to examine the interaction between acoustic conditions and individual factors such as age, hearing status, neurodiversity, cognitive skills, cultural background, and task demand. Relevant studies may address a wide range of built environments, including workplaces, educational facilities, healthcare settings, and residential buildings.
This issue aims to set a research background for understanding the interplay between sound environment and individuals
In this context, the Special Issue aims to set a research background for understanding the interplay between sound environment and individuals. It will bring together original contributions that can be framed within an overarching model accounting for both the sound environment (or the acoustic situation) and individual differences, including needs, preferences, psychological, physiological, personal, and social factors. By fostering dialogue across disciplines and user groups, this Special Issue supports a shift toward acoustic design practices that prioritize human diversity, ultimately contributing to more inclusive and supportive sound environments for all.
Publication, special issue – guest editors:
Dr. Chiara Visentin PhD
Department of Engineering, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
(room acoustics, listening effort, psychoacoustics, indoor soundscape)
Prof. Arianna Astolfi PhD
Department of Energy, Politecnico di Torino
(room acoustics, speech intelligibility, psychoacoustics, vocal effort and load)
Manuscript submission information:
Manuscript submission open date: 1 May 2026
Manuscript submission deadline: 31 December 2026
Interested to contribute to this very important topic – Acoustic design for all and the call for papers, read more here.
See some posts below, if you are interested in reading more about the work carried out by Arianna and Chiara:
