Optimizing Classroom Acoustic Performance to Promote Children's Education and Wellbeing

• Main Author: Elwekil, Engy Moustafa
• Other Authors: Chalfoun, Nader V.
• Language: en_US
• Published: The University of Arizona. 2015
• Subjects: Children; Classrooms; Environment; Nature; Wellbeing; Architecture; Acoustics
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10150/604868; http://arizona.openrepository.com/arizona/handle/10150/604868

America was the leader in quantity and quality of high school diplomas. Today, it is ranked thirty six in the world. Some of the main factors that affect education in America are witnessing us on a daily basis. These factors affect our visual, thermal and auditory comfort levels. As environmentalists we strive to find solutions to these problems. Unfortunately, some designers aim their designs to merely aesthetics. Leaving out the environmental factor of thermal comfort to be dictated by mechanically engineers and not paying attention to how occupants interact with sound within the built environment. Today I will discuss how to design for the ears, and how sound has a major role in education promoting Children's health and wellbeing. Education reach its way to our minds through listening in adequate environment. Optimum design appreciates and is tailored to experiencing all five senses. Goal of this research: Design proper noise levels for classrooms to provide students with an optimal learning environment is imperative. Reverberation times need to be carefully sized and calculated, particularly in the primary grades when the young student's ears are not fully developed. Conduct background noise and reverberation time measurements in classrooms to assess the problem and recommend solutions. Acoustic performance design is vital. Good Sound = Happy Sound.