Laboratories as open-plan offices Since March 2020, the coronavirus disease was formally characterized as a pandemic. Since that time, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to high demand for healthcare resources. Laboratory activities surged due to the rapid increase in testing. In hospitals or clinics, laboratories operate mainly in the domain of patient-related research and analyses. […]
room acoustics
Hospital Soundscapes and ways to heal them
The hospital soundscapes “The soundscape of the average modern hospital is a cacophony of overlapping beeps, blats, and pings from monitors, roaring ventilation systems, raucous bursts of conversation from visitors, patients and the nursing station, carts rumbling down hallways, televisions, phones. Sleep, essential to the healing process, is available primarily through medications. Even medicated sleep […]
Better sound environments for doctors and nurses in the Czech Republic
One of our editors in the Czech Republic (CZ), Iveta Kralova, was recently part of an intervention study to create better sound in an eye clinic in Hradec Kralove. Here follows her experience in a country where acoustic standards for healthcare are lacking and where a lot of buildings are too loud to heal. Many […]
Combination of Absorbers and Diffusers – An Experimental Study in a Classroom
This study provides information on how different acoustic treatments can be used to obtain different room acoustic qualities, and can be used to improve and fine-tune the room acoustic parameters for better speech and listening conditions in classrooms. The background overview The most common acoustical treatment in ordinary classrooms is a suspended sound absorbing ceiling. […]
Our Visual Focus (part 3) – Deafly Designed
What do modern human societies sound like? Have we neglected the soundscapes of human society, and how may our cultural focus on our sense of sight have affected how we design buildings? The World Health Organization (WHO) categorizes noise as the most significant environmental health threat right after air pollution (1). This should also be […]
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. […]
Prevent arousals and awakenings in hospitals
In search of 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 cruelest abuse of […]
Multipurpose spaces function much better for their activities after acoustic improvements
The Municipal Music School of Pinto, in Madrid was in need of improving the acoustics of its facilities in order to further motivate its students and offer teachers a healthier work environment. More specifically, a multipurpose room as well as the entrance hall were treated with “Class A” absorbing acoustic solutions acoustic solutions. The latter […]
The impact of noise in education – a research summary
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 […]
A good hospital is well built!
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, […]
