Today’s high-performance buildings are designed to achieve a wide and often complex assortment of objectives, covering everything from aesthetics to energy efficiency, safety and resiliency, sustainability, circularity and more. A great deal of thought is given to how a building will look and function and also to how individuals will experience it. As such, building acoustics play an increasingly pivotal role as a design element central to occupant comfort and wellbeing.
The reason acoustics matter is simple—sound affects everyone and deeply impacts their experience in a particular environment. It can have a significant impact on our productivity, our health, our ability to relax, to think, act, learn, feel or heal. Considering the acoustic needs of a building at the start of the planning process can help save time and money by reducing the need for renovations or retrofits once construction is completed. Increasing awareness and understanding of acoustics among industry professionals, including architects and designers, engineers, building owners, as well as the general population, will help drive the shift in sound strategy from afterthought to forethought.