“Acoustics for learning environments across physical and virtual realities” Chaired by Jenina Fels & Arianna Astolfi Forum Acousticum 2027 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, […]
noise
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 […]
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 […]
New research study to investigate noise exposure and stress in Finnish sports halls
The Liikkamelu project, begins now in spring 2026 and will produce for the first time research-based data on the noise exposure and stress of those working in sports halls. Study Aims This project will examine the noise exposure, stress and well-being of those working in sports halls, as well as the room acoustics of the […]
Acoustical Consultant
Photo by Ela Fasllija
The many impacts of inadequate acoustic environments on neurodivergent and noise sensitive people.
Guest post by Carmen Rosas-Pérez (a PhD student at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh (UK)). Overview This post summarises the research done for my PhD Thesis ‘Disabling Acoustics: Impact of daily-life acoustic environments on neurodivergent, auraldivergent and noise sensitive people’ carried at Heriot-Watt University (UK) and funded by a James Watt scholarship. As a neurodivergent acoustic engineer […]
The importance of C50 for speech communication and classroom group activities
This study investigates the acoustic conditions of 26 primary school classrooms during lessons. There was a specific focus on how classroom activity type, student age, and room acoustics shape both speech levels and activity noise. Using Gaussian Mixture Models, the researchers separated teacher and student speech from non-speech activity noise across 93 homogeneous activity periods. […]
Autism and auditory needs – An overview for accessible indoor spaces
“Ten questions concerning autism and auditory accessibility in buildings” is a recent paper which takes a deep dive into the topic The comprehensive literature study “Ten questions concerning autism and auditory accessibility in buildings” examines how autistic individuals experience sound within the built environment. The overview highlights major shortcomings in current design standards and offers […]
Improving acoustic comfort at Chelsea and Westminster hospital -The SILENTS study
Ecophon have been part of the Sound in Clinical Environments (SILENTS) study, looking at the effects of noise in the Acute Assessment Unit at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London, a project funded by the hospital’s official charity CW+. The aim of the study is to improve the experience of the acoustic environment on a […]
Architecture and Autism, shared spaces and sensory escape
On Friday, 28 November 2025, the BeSENSHome research group will host the international workshop “Architecture and autism, shared spaces and sensory escape”. Participation in the event at the University of Trieste is possible in person or online (see registration below). The event brings together researchers, designers, educators, and professionals. To explore how built environments can […]
