The global Covid-19 pandemic has profoundly affected the way we live and work. Connection is both far more challenging due to social distancing measures, and also far easier because of the connectivity that is provided through the internet and digital platforms. Everywhere one looks, there is another previously face-to-face activity that has been moved online […]
Having met Isabella Bower while she was a research associate with the research team LEaRN we have been following her own research about how buildings affect our emotion. So we asked her to share insights from her research examining how design characteristics of buildings modulate neural networks involved in emotion regulation. Isabella’s work explores what […]
Having a proper indoor climate can raise productivity more than 15%[1] For more than decade, ‘Evidence Based Design’ (EBD) has been part of our DNA in regards to building healthcare facilities. When it comes to indoor climate we know that lighting, air quality and acoustics are crucial parameters in healing architecture together with biophilic designs […]
To investigate what impact room acoustics have on staff and patients an intervention study was done in a dementia clinic in Århus, Denmark. The study was part of a BA project at The Technical University of Denmark[1]. The room that was used for the study was an office where the doctors do cognitive testing of […]
Background to the report Despite resistance to open plan classrooms in many countries, the movement towards innovative learning environments continues in parts of Europe, especially Scandinavia, Australia and New Zealand. Their definition (ILEs), is an ongoing discussion in itself and their success is dependent on many aspects. However, understanding the changes in pedagogic approaches, including […]
One of our editors, Morten Roar Berg, has recently been a speaker at an event for hearing impaired people. Here are his reflections after the event. Recently I had the pleasure of doing my first presentation for a crowd with either inborn hearing impairment or hearing damage. It really broadened my professional perspective. In my […]
Thea Mathilde Larsen, Research Assistant at DTU (Technical University of Denmark), has recently defended her master thesis project ‘Study of Room Acoustics and Noise at Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital’, a study that aimed to investigate the need for improving room acoustics in hospitals along with investigating staff’s opinion of the noise problem. It is no […]
How can we design a workplace fit for purpose? This was the overall question on the international seminar Human Centric Workplaces held in Stockholm November 30. Seven highly recognised experts all delivered the same conclusion: There is no one-fit-all answer. This conclusion is why seminars and conferences like this are so important to the industry. […]
Good acoustics matters at work A good acoustic environment helps us concentrate, reduces stress and improves wellbeing, which in turn has a positive impact on the bottom line. In the latest episode of Ecophon UK and Ireland’s Podcast “A Sound Effect on People”, presenter Salma Cranefield is joined by Ecophon UK&I concept developer Paige Hodsman […]
I had the privilege to present a paper at Internoise 2016 based on an intervention study in a dementia clinic in Munich. The study was done in collaboration with Saint-Gobain Ecophon, the Technical University of Munich, the acoustic company PMI and the architect company Dietz Health Care Facilities. Current standard, DIN 18041 – only reverberation […]