Introduced in April 2023 the renewed room acoustic standard SS 25268:2023 [1] for the Swedish market is now less than a year old. The background and purpose of the standard is, among other things, to supplement the Swedish National Board of Housing, Building and Planning’s building regulations and other governing documents and to facilitate planning and design. Another important parameter is to clarify the division of responsibilities between the various players in the construction process. Renewed room acoustic standard Significant differences from the previous edition are as follows: There ..read more

The relationship between personality traits and burnout has been researched extensively. The current study conductd among UK office workers uniquely aimed to investigate the relationship between acoustic privacy, personality type and burnout. Although the link between acoustic privacy and burnout is less clear, the evidence shows that acoustic privacy affects stress levels, distractions, the ability to concentrate and job satisfaction. The current study uniquely aimed to investigate the relationship between acoustic privacy, personality type and burnout.  A quantitative approach with a cr ..read more

Many research studies investigate satisfaction with indoor environmental quality in offices. In their study, Jenni Raduni and Valtteri Hongisto from Turku University examined the influence of office types and satisfaction with indoor environmental quality factors on different activities’ perceived fit. The study was based on a large global dataset consisting of more than 82,000 respondents across six continents. Satisfaction with IEQ factors emerged as a crucial aspect of fit for purpose office. It highlighted the need for prioritizing environmental quality, particularly sound control, in offi ..read more

According to the study, sound absorbing materials – e.g. acoustic panels, carpets and soft furniture – play a significant role in creating calm and pleasant learning environments. In a study published in 2023 by Turku University of Applied Sciences. It was found that the noise generated in the school environment from the activities of the class is a significant negative factor. Even if the class meets the Finnish acoustic regulations. Good acoustic design and additional sound absorbing materials were found to reduce both noise generated during operation and its disturbance. In a stu ..read more

Knowledge of the relation between people’s preferences and room acoustic parameters is critical for choosing the correct acoustic treatment and for creating good sound environments for people. In the frame of a PhD, people’s preferences regarding different acoustic environments were investigated. Their judgments were related to various room acoustics parameters. The results from the study can be used to achieve appropriate acoustic design. The experiments Different acoustic configurations were used, altering the acoustic properties in a furnished room.  The configurations used both absorp ..read more

New wellbeing report captures the results of a pan-European survey conducted by European Schoolnet under its Future Classroom Lab initiative. This Teacher wellbeing survey was available to educators in 13 languages between February 2023 and June 2023. It investigated the current state of school acoustics across Europe. The aim included understanding better what secondary school educators think about the impact of classroom and school noise on their work and well-being. The “Sound in schools and its impact on learning and teachers’ wellbeing”, online questionnaire was followed by in-depth inter ..read more

Operating rooms for robotic surgery require sound absorption for lowered sound levels and improved speech intelligibility.  Introduction Operating rooms (OR) in hospitals are supposed to be quiet, controlled spaces that allow doctors and nurses to focus on performing complex surgeries. Unfortunately, the reality is often very different. Noise from medical equipment, combined with poor room acoustics, alarms, and conversations between staff members, can make it difficult to communicate effectively and lead to high levels of stress and fatigue among operating room staff. In this article, we ..read more

Acoustic Design for Special Educational Needs (SEN) in Mainstream Schools presented by Emma Greenland at EIAS2023. A review of the evidence base regarding acoustic design and special educational needs was undertaken. To answer the following questions on behalf of the Department for Education in England: What are the differing listening needs for students with different types of special hearing and communication needs (SHCN)? How can we quantify the listening disadvantage for different types of listening needs, including SHCN, English as an Additional Language, Early Years and other emerging li ..read more

At EIAS 2023 a poster session was presented and lots of great studies were shared. Studies from Education, Healthcare and Office segments were covered at the same time as studies about sound environments in restaurants and bars. A poster including a survey from France revealed that restaurant owners risk lower income because of noise. The study was conducted in France and generally reveals the importance of acoustic comfort and a need for well-being, to which many Ecophon solutions can provide an effective response. UNESCO’s Week of Sound To mark UNESCO’s Week of Sound, Saint-Gobain Ecophon Fr ..read more

In May 2023, it was again time for EIAS, Ecophon International Acoustics Seminar. We were utterly proud to once more host an event, focusing on development in room acoustics AND sharing a great time with some of the brightest minds within the field of acoustics. A bit more than 200 guests and 25 speakers from 6 continents shared knowledge and facts, smiles and laughs for 3 days. EIAS has gathered people with a professional interest in room acoustics for decades. It started as a smaller Swedish conference but has become an international event over the years. Thoughts have been revealed, gr ..read more