LAYSON, PATRICIA BUILDING UTILITIES 3

ARC-3203 FEBRUARY 03,2022

EFFECTS OF POOR ACOUSTICAL BUILDING DESIGN

DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF STRUCTURE, THE POTENTIAL COMPLICATIONS FROM

POOR ACOUSTICAL DESIGN CAN VARY GREATLY. LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT THE RANGE
OF POSSIBLE NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES THAT NOISE CAN PRODUCE IN DIFFERENT
BUILT ENVIRONMENTS. IN HEALTHCARE SETTINGS, NOISES CAN RANGE FROM
IRRITATING TO HARMFUL FOR PATIENTS AND CAREGIVERS.

FOR PATIENTS:

• SUDDEN NOISES CAN SET OFF STARTLE REFLEXES, LEADING TO INJURY,

INCREASED BLOOD PRESSURE AND HIGHER RESPIRATORY RATES
• PROLONGED NOISE CAN CONTRIBUTE TO MEMORY PROBLEMS, IRRITATION,
IMPAIRED PAIN TOLERANCE AND PERCEPTIONS OF ISOLATION
• REDUCED NOISE LEVELS IN INTENSIVE CARE UNITS HAVE BEEN FOUND TO
PROMOTE BETTER SLEEP AND HEALING
NOISE AT ALL HOURS CAN LEAD TO SLEEP DEPRIVATION WHICH HAS BEEN TIED TO
LONGER RECOVERY, FALLS, DEMENTIA, HIGHER RE-HOSPITALIZATION AND WORSE
MEDICAL OUTCOMES.

FOR CAREGIVERS:

• HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS CAN USUALLY PERFORM IMPORTANT TASKS IN

HIGH-STRESS SITUATIONS, INCLUDING HIGH LEVELS OF NOISE; HOWEVER, IT
MAY REQUIRE GREATER ENERGY TO DO SO, CONTRIBUTING TO FATIGUE.
• THE NEED TO PROTECT PATIENT CONFIDENTIALITY IS CRITICAL, SO SPEECH
PRIVACY – THE ABILITY TO HOLD DISCRETE CONVERSATIONS WITHOUT BEING
HEARD BY UNINTENDED LISTENERS – IS ESSENTIAL.
• SPEECH INTELLIGIBILITY IS A VERY REAL RISK IN HEALTHCARE
ENVIRONMENTS WHEN NOISE IS UNCONTROLLED. PATIENT CARE TEAMS
REQUIRE THE ABILITY TO QUICKLY AND ACCURATELY UNDERSTAND AND
RESPOND TO AUDITORY SIGNALS, BE THEY CARE DIRECTIVES, EQUIPMENT
ALARMS, ETC.
IN AN OFFICE OR EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT, THE ACOUSTICAL DESIGN CAN
SEVERELY LIMIT PRODUCTIVITY AND INHIBIT PRIVACY WHEN NOT PROPERLY
CONSIDERED. OPEN DESIGN CONCEPTS IN THE WORKPLACE ARE ON THE RISE FOR
QUITE SOME TIME, IN PART BECAUSE THEY PROMOTE GREATER COOPERATION AND
COLLABORATION AMONG COLLEAGUES, DECREASE RESPONSE TIMES TO
REQUESTS, AND ENHANCE NECESSARY COMMUNICATION. HOWEVER, THESE TYPES
OF ENVIRONMENTS MAY LEAD TO LOUDER WORKING ENVIRONMENTS AND
FREQUENT DISTRACTIONS, AS THERE ARE FEWER SURFACES TO ABSORB THE NOISE
FROM COWORKER CONVERSATIONS, MECHANICAL SYSTEMS, AND OTHER
BACKGROUND SOUNDS. SIMILAR DESIGN TRENDS ARE OCCURRING IN EDUCATIONAL
BUILDINGS.

THE SHIFT TO OPEN-CONCEPT SPACES THAT ALLOW FOR MORE NATURAL LIGHT AND
WARMTH BY INCORPORATING GLASS WALLS, HIGH CEILINGS AND LOW PARTITIONS,
CAN ALSO CONTRIBUTE TO INCREASED DISTRACTION AND LOWER PRODUCTIVITY.
PRIVACY CAN BE NON-EXISTENT IN THESE DESIGNS, THOUGH IN FAIRNESS,
TRADITIONAL FLOOR PLANS WITH CLOSED-DOOR OFFICES AND CLASSROOMS OFTEN
DON’T INCLUDE AN ADEQUATE ACOUSTICAL DESIGN AND THEREFORE PROVIDE A
FALSE SENSE OF PRIVACY. SPECIFIC SHORT-TERM HEALTH PROBLEMS RELATED TO
POOR ACOUSTICS INCLUDE INCREASED STRESS, ANXIETY, AND HIGHER HEART AND
RESPIRATION RATES, AND MUSCLE TENSION.

THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT NOW, MORE THAN EVER, CREATING AN OPTIMAL
ACOUSTICS EXPERIENCE IN ANY KIND OF BUILDING IS AS IMPORTANT AS THE LOOK,
FEEL AND FUNCTION OF THE SPACE TO ENSURE THE HEALTH AND WELLBEING OF
OCCUPANTS.