Main image courtesy of Reilly & Associates of PAC The Terraces, Paddington.
Attending the National Acoustic Engineers Conference recently, I learned just how destructive noise can be and it got me thinking about our acoustic solutions.
A paper delivered by guest presenter Professor Kerstin Persson Waye from Sweden, persuaded that the noise in most hospitals actually causes suffering and impedes healing.
In an hospital situation, Kerstin explained how poor acoustics can in fact be deadly, by virtue of impeding accurate communication. Education in spaces where acoustics are poor (which sounds like most classrooms I have seen and heard), actually impedes learning dramatically.
Acoustics is a much bigger issue in design and architecture than I had imagined. Huge!
Deaf Architects & Blind Acousticians
While re-reading ‘Deaf Architects & Blind Acousticians’ by Robert E. Apfel, it brought to mind a fascinating TED talk that addresses this very topical noise issue in Interior Design: Why architects need to use their ears (Julian Treasure | TEDGlobal 2012)
Because of poor acoustics, students in classrooms miss 50 percent of what their teachers say and patients in hospitals have trouble sleeping because they continually feel stressed. Julian Treasure sounds a call to action for designers to pay attention to the “invisible architecture” of sound.
Acoustic Solutions At Materialised
We have pioneered acoustic solutions at Materialised for decades. One of the innovations I am most proud of is our acoustic sheers.
At first sight, you wouldn’t believe that beautiful, sheer acoustic fabrics make such a difference to the acoustics of a room. In fact, the best way to really understand the dramatic change is to watch our extraordinary video footage. These subtle, neutral, translucent fabrics look amazing AND pack a powerful punch when it comes to sound absorption.
Learn more about what we offer by visiting our acoustic solutions page.
I believe we should all be on the side of delivering efficient, attractive, comfortable spaces for our fellow humans to inhabit! Come join the revolution and order samples for your next project.