Recent research has found that current work environments are fulfilling the needs for collaboration and communication, but are doing a poor job of providing an acoustical environment free from distractions and conducive for productivity and speech privacy. This presentation will cover:

• Research on current satisfaction levels in workplace environments
• Current design trends and associated acoustic issues
• Fundamental acoustic principles
• Sound masking technology and what it can and cannot do

Participants will leave with an understanding of how to identify interior design factors that will signal the need for sound masking and approaches to address the issues.

Learning objectives:

1. Understand the importance of acoustic privacy in the workplace

2. Understand what speech privacy is and how it is measured

3. Describe the principles involved in the ABCs of good acoustical design

4. Understand what sound masking is and what role it plays in speech privacy

5. Identify some of the major design issues related to speech privacy in open offices, private offices, and healthcare facilities

Credits: 1 AIA LU (HSW)