The Role of Acoustics in Design

Designing spaces isn't merely about choosing the right color scheme or picking out stylish furniture. A key player that often gets overlooked -- but holds the power to transform a well-decorated room into an exceptional user experience -- is acoustics. 

Why should you care? Acoustics shape everything, from how well you can hear your dinner party guests to the noise level in your workplace or even how well sound travels during a concert.

A Bit About Acoustics

Sound is a fickle friend. It bounces, echoes, douses, or amplifies depending on the environment that holds it. Other times, it takes on a life of its own, whispering around corners, floating up staircases, or sinking in soft materials.

Acoustics can be the difference between a classroom where students struggle to hear their teacher and one where every word is heard crystal clear. Research has shown a startling link between excessive noise and reduced performance among students. With every 10 dB increase in ambient noise, standardized test scores dropped an average of over five points.

Room structure, ceiling height, and wall materials: it's easy to see how these factors could affect sound within a space. But did you know even furniture placement plays a role? Yes! Audio isn't just about speakers and microphones; strategic planning around physical objects can optimize acoustics.

According to the World Health Organization, conference rooms and classrooms should aim for background noise levels of 35 dB during active use. The acceptable range for private offices and workrooms is 40-45 dB. Common spaces like lobbies, reception areas, and dining halls can have slightly higher levels of 45-55 dB.

For bedrooms, the World Health Organization recommends noise levels not exceed 30 dB for continuous noise and 45 dB for individual noise events to avoid sleep disturbance. Outdoor living areas should be kept to 50-55 dB during daytime hours.

How to Incorporate Acoustics in Interior Design

1. Don't fall for tall ceilings

Sure, a high loft-style ceiling might look impressive, but the reverberation caused by sound bouncing off tall, hard surfaces isn't ideal for dinner conversations. If high ceilings are unavoidable, acoustic ceiling clouds or wall panels are a good design-friendly option. They come in many shapes and colors for you to choose from, such as the Nuvola Acoustical Custom-Shaped Clouds from Decoustics.

2. Walls have ears...and voices too

Walls not only define an enclosure but also direct how sound behaves within it. If you live in a house with hard, smooth surfaces (like tile or hardwood floors), sound has a playground to bounce off everywhere. 

Did you know glass contributes considerably to noise pollution by letting most sounds pass through unchecked? Even though those big window panes bring in a lovely view and plenty of natural light, they also usher in traffic noise from outside. 

Curtains aren't just for blocking out the sun or nosy neighbors. Depending on their thickness and how tightly woven they are, curtains can also help absorb sound coming in from windows or even between rooms. Thick curtains made of dense fabrics like velvet can create an additional seal against noise intrusions. It's a great solution for big city residences.

3. Floors to dampen or amplify

The flooring choice is also something to consider for noisy footsteps of people walking across a room.

Wall-to-wall carpeting might feel outdated to some, but it's great at soaking up sound and stopping echoes in big rooms. However, if you're aiming for hard floors due to aesthetics or practicality, you can use thick area rugs as a compromise.

4. What's outside counts too

City life brings with it a constant barrage of sounds: car horns blaring, brakes squealing, emergency vehicles wailing, and the overall commotion of urban activity. So, if your client lives in a location where external noise is high, install double-pane windows or special noise-reducing windows that can filter out a significant chunk of the outside din. 

Another alternative is to use your landscaping to block out noise by planting zones of dense, tall shrubs or setting up high walls. 

5. Acoustic testing

Do you see athletes swinging their bats blindly, hoping for a home run? No! They watch, adjust, and then strike with precision after understanding the pitch dynamics. That same concept of testing and strategy should be applied to acoustics in design. 

Strategic placement of furniture, dividers, or sound-absorbing materials won't solve your acoustic problems unless you observe and understand the complexities of sound movement within your space.

6. Acoustic panels

Acoustic panels can easily double as an interesting design element. They're created to absorb noise, helping soundproof a room and creating more peace in the process. These panels come in a wide range of colors, shapes, and sizes to fit any room decor or theme while still being incredibly effective sound barriers.

Even better, bookshelves filled with books can work as noise absorbers without looking out of place. To optimize their sound-damping capacity, consider placing them against shared walls or where sounds tend to reflect.

7. Don't forget the furnishings

Furnishings can also contribute positively to a sound-optimum space. Big plush couches and armchairs, decorative pillows, throws, or blankets on furniture -- these are all great absorbers of noise within a room. The soft materials they are made of help soak up sounds bouncing around the room rather than reflecting them back into space as harder surfaces do.

To stay on top of the latest innovations in acoustic design, check out some of the exciting new technologies like graphene foam, metamaterials, soundproof blinds, noise-canceling glass, and privacy glass.

Finding the balance between distracting noises and eerily quiet spaces is often key in designing successful interiors. Take this as an opportunity to innovate! Who knows? Your ambitious design could redefine 'sound awareness' and set a new acoustic trend in the industry. After all, innovation happens when you dare to bend the rules a bit.