This is not new, however it is a fundamental aspect to consider when designing optimal sustainable indoor environments. By measuring/recording the heart rate of teachers, an indicator of stress was apparent in lessons and also over a longer more sustained period. Here is a short insight overview on stress as stated by ASA (American Heart […]
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 […]
PhD defense Thursday the 28th of May 2020, Valentina Zapata-Rodriguez defended her PhD at DTU. Because of the Corona situation the PhD defense was planned to be online (on Teams) and I am impressed by the way Valentina handled this. Normally, you can interact with the audience and the committee in an auditorium – but […]
In search for a noisy environment? Visit a hospital. Studies show that noise levels are high due to operational activities, communication, alarms and noise from medical equipment, along with structural sounds from the building (such as ventilation and closing doors). Already back in 1859, nurse Florence Nightingale declared how “unnecessary noise is the most cruel abuse […]
Calculate right! Some years ago Saint-Gobain Ecophon published a new tool for calculating room acoustics. The tool makes it possible for the user to see both Sabine calculations on reverberation time, speech clarity and room gain – AND it makes it possible for the user also to see calculations based on air flow resistivity (AFR). […]
This new research summary is now available and lifts out evidence from a variety of research studies around the world. These studies address a broad range of important aspects which need to be considered in learning environments. It is based on a recent extensive literature review by Professor Emerita Bridget Shield made for Ecophon. We […]
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 […]
People who are cut off acoustically from the external world not only lose their hearing, they are at risk of becoming socially and intellectually isolated. The less stimulation the brain receives, the more quickly its capacity diminishes[1] . Hearing loss and mental health Research all over the world discusses the links between hearing loss and […]
The population is aging, we are living longer and new methods of treatment are constantly emerging. Growth is sought in the productivity of nursing care and the skills it requires will be more demanding. This creates pressure to build resilient, functional and technology-efficient hospital buildings with a long technical lifespan. Good facilities, their indoor climate […]