Playing It by Ear: Creating Superior Acoustic Environments in Buildings

by hanna_kowal | July 29, 2025 1:08 pm

[1]In designing better buildings, we often prioritize what we see—natural light, finishes, and spatial layouts. What we hear in buildings is just as important, and in some cases even more so, to occupant comfort, performance, and well-being. Good acoustic design is not a luxury but a necessity in today’s educational, commercial, residential, and healthcare spaces. A well-designed acoustic environment supports concentration, communication, and stress reduction—especially important for neurodivergent individuals, who are often more sensitive to sound. This article explores why acoustics matter, how design strategies differ by building type, which codes apply, and how to integrate acoustic expertise throughout the process.

The importance of good acoustic design

Good acoustics are foundational to environments that foster health, learning, and productivity. Excessive background noise or reverberation can lead to fatigue, disrupted concentration, errors, and disengagement. Research shows that even small improvements can enhance task performance and communication clarity.

For neurodivergent individuals—including those with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or auditory processing sensitivities—sound can either support comfort or cause significant distress. Acoustic design that considers this diversity supports inclusivity and benefits all users.

Schools

In educational settings, clear communication is paramount. Young learners are continually developing their speech, language, and cognitive skills, and many have shorter attention spans or hearing challenges. Good acoustic environments also allow educators to reduce vocal strain and better engage with their students. For these reasons, classrooms should minimize reverberation and keep background noise levels low. In addition, a well-insulated building envelope is essential to block external noise. Effective demising assemblies are needed to separate active classrooms from those focused on activities requiring concentration.

Standards recommend a reverberation time (RT60) of no more than 0.6–0.7 seconds and ambient noise levels below 35 dBA. Achieving these metrics often involves acoustic ceiling tiles, sound-absorbing wall panels, carpets, and well-designed HVAC systems. Upgraded windows and walls help to reduce sound transmission from intrusive sources inside and outside the school building. Sound masking is less common in classrooms but can be beneficial in administrative areas, wellness rooms, and counseling offices to support speech privacy.

Offices

While adults generally have stronger auditory comprehension than children, office work often involves focus, confidentiality, and collaboration. Acoustic priorities include limiting distraction from conversations and equipment, maintaining speech privacy, and managing sound spillover in open-plan areas. The acoustic design of effective work environments needs to accommodate the range of collaborative and focused work tasks, the diversity of tolerance to background noise, and distraction among the workforce.

Acoustic design strategies are similar to those for classrooms, but with different performance goals for the variety of space types, including open office, private office, and conference rooms. Controlling HVAC system noise is also important, as both excessive background noise and tonal and intermittent noise from cycling systems can disrupt workers’ focus and comfort. However, to avoid conditions that are too quiet, sound masking systems can raise the ambient sound level slightly improving privacy and reducing disruption in open or shared workspaces, since too much silence can be detrimental to one’s concentration and focus.

Healthcare facilities

Acoustics affect patient outcomes and staff performance in hospitals and clinics. Quiet environments promote healing and reduce patient stress. Private rooms should promote rest and recovery by minimizing sound transmission from adjacent spaces.

Speech privacy in consultation and exam rooms is also essential, requiring sound insulation and ambient noise control. The Facility Guidelines Institute (FGI) and the World Health Organization (WHO) recommend maximum noise levels in patient rooms.

Multifamily housing

In apartments, condos, and hotels, acoustics is a major quality-of-life issue so important that the acoustic performance is regulated by building code requirements. To meet these regulations, partitions and floor/ceiling assemblies must meet or exceed STC 50 (Sound Transmission Class) and IIC 50 (Impact Insulation Class) ratings, or installed ratings of 45 when tested after construction is completed. However, modern high-performance building envelopes reduce interior sound levels from the exterior noise, resulting in quieter conditions, which cause occupants to be more sensitive to noise transmission from their neighbors. For this reason, these code requirements often need to be exceeded (STC & IIC 55 plus) to meet occupants’ expectations.

This means careful detailing of demising walls, use of acoustic underlayment or floating floors, and isolation of plumbing and mechanical systems. In neighborhoods with high outdoor noise environments, projects may require additional mitigation, including noise barriers, upgraded glazing, improved exterior wall assemblies, or site planning strategies.

Codes, standards, and guidelines

A variety of codes, standards, and guidelines govern good acoustic design.

2021 International Building Code (IBC), Section 1207 requires enhanced classroom acoustics in smaller rooms (<566 m³ [<20,000 cf]), including:

• Maximum RT60 of 0.6–0.7 seconds, depending on the room
• Ambient noise levels no higher than 35 dBA/55 dBC

Multifamily requirements

STC and IIC ratings of 50 (or 45 field-tested) are required between residential units.

LEED v5 acoustic credits

LEED v5 introduces more refined guidance for acoustic performance. For schools, LEED aligns closely with American National Standards Institute (ANSI) S12.60 and IBC/International Code Council (ICC) A117.1, emphasizing low background noise and optimal reverberation. In office and healthcare settings, LEED offers flexibility to use sound masking as a tool to meet ambient noise criteria and improve speech privacy. It also rewards acoustic zoning and materials that reduce sound transmission.

WELL Building Standard v2–Sound Concept

WELL’s Sound Concept includes features that address noise control, sound insulation, reverberation, and speech intelligibility. Key strategies include:

• Designing mechanical systems to minimize noise generation
• Ensuring adequate STC ratings between functional spaces
• Promoting speech privacy through layout, materials, and sound masking
• Incorporating restorative quiet zones for stress reduction

Other guidelines

Other important standards and guidelines include:

• ICC G2-2010 Guidelines for Acoustics
• FGI Guidelines for healthcare and long-term care
• U.S. Courts Design Guide
• Unified Facilities Criteria 3-450-01 (military and secure facilities)
• HUD Noise Standards and local requirements in high-noise areas for federally funded residential projects

Working with an acoustic consultant

Acoustic consultants bring specialized knowledge in building physics, materials, and perceptual acoustics. They help model sound behavior, simulate reverberation, and recommend tailored solutions based on the building program.

Bringing a consultant on board early enables:

• Strategic space planning and zoning
• Informed selection of partitions, finishes, and ceiling systems
• Coordination with mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) to reduce noise from ducts, fans, and piping
• Design of sound masking systems and performance verification testing

Acoustics should be considered from schematic design onward, not retrofitted late with “panels.” Early collaboration avoids rework and delivers more effective, integrated solutions.

Conclusion

Acoustic design plays a quiet but powerful role in shaping how buildings function and feel for their occupants. Integrating acoustics into the design process, from concept to construction, supports better outcomes for all users.

[2]

Alan Scott, FAIA, LEED Fellow, LEED AP BD+C, O+M, WELL AP, CEM, is an architect and consultant with more than 36 years of experience in sustainable building design. He is the director of sustainability with Intertek Building Science Solutions in Portland, Ore. To learn more, follow Alan on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/alanscottfaia/.

[3]

Hyun Gabriel Paek, INCE, ASA, is an acoustical consultant with 28 years of experience and a principal consultant with Intertek Building Science Solutions in Orlando, Fla.

 

Source URL: https://www.metalarchitecture.com/articles/acoustic-environments-in-buildings/

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