Acoustics have been studied since ancient Greece, always being linked to music. Pythagoras was the first to analize music through scientific methods, finding the numerical relationship of the intervals.
However, the study of architectural acoustics as a means of comfort did not become latent until the 1990s when the US Green Building Council developed LEED certification, a set of rules were determinated whether a building is sustainable.
In addition to granting certification, LEED offers strategies to improve the use of energy and the quality of the interior environment of buildings, so complying with acoustic comfort is necessary to obtain said certification.
These parameters include specific standards for both reverberation control and airborne and impact noise isolation that vary according to the use of the spaces. Seeing that is not necessary to isolate the same noise between commercial premises as between hotel rooms. Just as the reverberation control is different in an auditorium than in an office.
Keep reading: Some benefits of using acoustic panels in your workspace
Versatility, design and acoustic comfort
At NeoCon we realized that acoustics are a trend. As architects, it is now almost mandatory to ensure that the spaces we design meet the acoustic comfort necessary to carry out activities planned for them.
The population has grown, cities and the way of inhabiting them have changed, and added to this, the pandemic has revolutionized forms of life. All this has generated new needs, which, as architects, we have to attend to.
Now the versatility of the spaces is a characteristic that we have to comply with in the design, providing comprehensive comfort to users in this way, they will carry out all kinds of activities in them.
Acoustics is ceasing to be a luxury, understanding that it has always been a essential. When the acoustic quality of a space is not adequate, outside noise and excess reverberation affect communication both in person and in videoconference, directly affecting our concentration and therefore, our performance.
We were pleased to meet at NeoCon with many companies that set the acoustic performance of spaces as a priority, being us one of them.
