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 […]
acoustics
What does a good classroom sound like to a child? – The SOUNDkids project
A guest post by Chiara Visentin, a researcher at the University of Ferrara, Italy Moving beyond noise control towards a child-centred approach to classroom soundscapes When we think about good classroom acoustics, we often think about reducing noise, controlling reverberation and making the teacher’s voice easier to understand. All these aspects are essential. But are they […]
Education session overview Forum Acusticum 2026 Part 2
“Acoustics for learning environments across physical and virtual realities” Chaired by Jenina Fels & Arianna Astolfi After the opportunity to view the interesting poster session in Gratz the learning environments session continued… Arianna Astolfi – Reality versus Virtual Speech Intelligibility in a lecture room When field assessments are not feasible, virtual reality (VR) provides a […]
Soundscapes, Annoyance and Acoustic Comfort in Hospitals. Forum Acusticum 2026
One of the most thought-provoking sessions I attended at Forum Acusticum 2026 in Graz was Session A16.09: Acoustic Comfort in Hospitals. Two presentations approached a similar question from different angles: what actually makes sound annoying in healthcare environments? While researchers have studied hospital noise for decades, both speakers challenged the idea that measuring sound levels […]
Education session overview Forum Acusticum 2026 Part 1
“Acoustics for learning environments across physical and virtual realities” Chaired by Jenina Fels & Arianna Astolfi Forum Acousticum 2026 held in Gratz, Austria, this September was a certified “Green Meeting” Session overview part 1 A great mix of topics from acoustic modelling, predicting how learning spaces might sound and be perceived, listening effort and comfort, […]
BNAM 2026 in Gothenburg Sweden – a meeting place for the future of acoustics
Baltic Nordic Acoustic Meeting (BNAM) In May 2026, Gothenburg hosted the Baltic Nordic Acoustic Meeting (BNAM), one of the most important conferences on acoustics in the Nordic and Baltic regions. The event took place on 4–6 May at Chalmers University of Technology and brought together researchers, consultants, companies and students from across the region. BNAM […]
Beyond Decibels: Better Hospital Sound Environments, ICSV32
At the recent International Congress on Sound and Vibration (ICSV32) in Istanbul, two presentations stood out for their focus on a common challenge in healthcare: how we can create hospital sound environments that better support communication, concentration, well-being, and performance. While the speakers approached the issue from different angles, both highlighted an important shift in […]
Listening to the Hospital Soundscape: Two Research Perspectives, ICSV32
At the International Congress on Sound and Vibration (ICSV32) in Istanbul, several presentations highlighted a topic that is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore: the sound environment in healthcare facilities. While healthcare has made enormous advances in patient safety, technology and clinical outcomes, the acoustic environment often remains overlooked. Two presentations in particular caught my attention […]
Acoustical Capacity for Group Work in University Classrooms
At BNAM 2026 – “Room Acoustics – Offices, Hospitals, Schools, Restaurants” Oliver Bonde’s presentation “Acoustical Capacity for Group Work in University Classrooms” was first up in the session named “Room Acoustics – Offices, Hospitals, School, Restaurants”, chaired by Peter Svensson and Ayca Sentop Dumen. Background and based on Rindel’s eating establishments As Oliver explained, the […]
Acoustics impact the quality of life when living with Memory disorder
This text was previously published on The Alzheimer Society of Finland’s blog to educate various stakeholders about the importance of a supportive environment for people with memory disorders. Memory disorder We know that hearing loss and memory problems are linked: as hearing gets harder, social interactions become more difficult, often causing people to withdraw from […]
