What are good acoustic conditions in elderly care? Recently, a new study in an elderly care home in Denmark was finalized. The motivation for this study conducted by the two Architectural Engineers Cecilie Søgaard Petersen and Stine Sonne Nautrup was that we see demographic changes all over the world and this also means that the […]
absorbers
Optimum room acoustics in audiological research facilities
Copenhagen Hearing and Balance Center Audiological Research Facilities are part of Rigshospitalet’s new North Wing which officially opened on Tuesday 14 January 2020 with optimum room acoustics. The new wing of 54,700 m2 was designed to cater to the needs of patients and their families and includes 196 private rooms and 33 high-tech operating theatres. […]
Study interview: The effect of absorbers and screens on the decay of speech in offices
What exactly can you expect from different kinds of acoustic treatment? Which types of treatment should be prioritised and how does one treatment affect the other? In this post we interview Dr. Valtteri Hongisto about a unique and comprehensive study that provides new insights into effective acoustic design of offices. Researchers Valtteri Hongisto, Jukka Keränen […]
Clever hospital designs prevent noise and calm down patients
A few years ago, at the Healthcare Estates Conference in Manchester, UK John Criddle from Evelina London Children’s Hospital and Martin Jones from Art in Site talked about how they designed the emergency dept. with the use of illustrative and digital arts to guide, reassure, and role model behaviors. Their talk was called: Taking the ‘OUCH’ out of Emergency. […]
Covid-19 facilities and acoustics
Test Centers in Denmark White tents show up around Denmark – and have been since March 2020. Covid-19 test centers and treatment facilities around the world have been part of our lives in the last months and almost everywhere temporary healthcare facilities are needed. In some countries, Covid-patients have to get treatment in alternative hospital […]
Great acoustics in operating rooms!
Noise in hospitals Noise levels have steadily increased in hospitals over the last >40 years, both daytime and nighttime [1]. The noise level in operating rooms can be particularly difficult and research shows that this may affect the ability of the staff to perceive proper oral instruction; it also affects their perceived stress and well-being. […]
Acoustic measurements: affects on cognitive testing of patients
To investigate what impact room acoustics have on staff and patients an intervention study with acoustic measurements 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 […]
Bad acoustics – higher pulse, more medication
Healthcare and sound Some of us have tried to be sick in a hospital – most of us have tried to be relatives to a sick person in a hospital – and all of us have been affected by sound. Sometimes we are aware of it – sometimes we suffer without knowing it. This following […]
Short reverberation time in critical care is not enough
Short reverberation time does not do the whole trick in healthcare facilities, it´s the peaks that will wake the patients up! Out of our comfort zone When we are sick and feel bad – we seem to forget that just opening the door to a hospital makes us out of our comfort zone. Our system […]
Modular operating rooms – how do they really sound?
Modular operating rooms Building a hospital is a complex task to do and especially operating rooms can be a challenge. The functionality of the room has to be ‘spotless’ as well as the cleanliness. In a lot of projects – both new buildings and renovations – modular operation rooms are used to secure a short, […]
