What is acoustic comfort and why it’s important

When dealing with noise, accurately measuring volume, distance, reverberation, noise absorption, etc. is important. If there wasn’t a precise way to measure these variables it would be almost impossible to write and enforce laws that deal with excessive noise.

However, these laws and limits are designed to protect us from unhealthy situations and possibly permanent damage to our hearing. They are usually not thought to provide comfort, just safety.

That’s when the concept of “acoustic comfort” comes into play.

As loud as our cities and workspaces might be, most of us luckily don’t have to worry all that much about noise pollution causing permanent damage to our hearing. As you probably are very well aware though, that does not mean we are not affected by noise pollution. We are!

Going to the stadium to watch your favorite team’s game might not be loud enough to harm you, but it would sure bother you to have all those people cheering if you were writing an essay, right?

Acoustic comfort has to do with defining what type and noise level is acceptable depending on the context you are in.

The definition of acoustic comfort

Acoustic comfort is a perceived state of appropriate acoustical conditions in a given environment. It defines a physically and, probably most importantly, psychologically pleasing sound environment.

In other words, acoustic comfort is the subjective appreciation of sound conditions in a specific space and activity, with respect to both its impact on human perception as well as its effect on acoustic quality.

Acoustic comfort is important for providing a pleasant atmosphere and avoiding the negative effects of sound pollution or excessive noise levels. It includes aspects such as volume, reverberation, interference, etc.

Why is acoustic comfort important?

Acoustic comfort is important because it allows us to do whatever it is that we are doing without noise having a negative impact on us.

This means acoustic comfort isn’t just something we should worry about at home when we are trying to get some rest and a fire truck goes by blasting its sirens. Companies should be looking at acoustic comfort very carefully as well, as getting it wrong could have a severe impact on their employee’s performance, which would certainly have an economic impact on their bottom line.

This is particularly true in the modern workspace. With coworking on the rise, open-plan offices, ping-pong tables in common spaces, etc. it’s very easy to cross the line and turn the workspace into a space that is not really ideal to work in.

This is not to say we should always aim to be as quiet as possible. I’ve already implied this, but acoustic comfort does not always mean quiet.

Let’s go back to that stadium. Imagine watching a game with the crowd being completely quiet. That would be weird, right? It would totally kill the mood and would probably ruin the experience of going to watch a sporting event live. In this scenario, a relatively noisy environment will be considered comfortable.

How can we measure acoustic comfort?

So, if acoustic comfort is subjective (to a certain degree), and it varies depending not only on the space, but also on the activity taking place, the mood, etc. How can we measure acoustic comfort? How can we tell if a space/moment is acoustically comfortable?

Think of it like this: If you are sitting at the dinner table looking back at your day, trying to remember a moment when you thought about noise/silence/sound, and can’t, that means your day was good in terms of acoustic comfort. If on the other hand you can remember being bothered by the PA system in the supermarket, or having to yell your order at the drive-through, that means acoustic comfort was not achieved on those occasions.

Simply put. Unless you are a sound engineer or musician, you should not be thinking about noise/silence/sound on a regular basis. If you are, that means there’s something wrong, and you should look into fixing it (if possible).

How can we achieve acoustic comfort?

With sound, as with almost everything in life, it is always better to tackle problems at the source.

If you can stop the source of the noise that is interfering with your activity, do so. If you can ask your neighbor not to moan his loan during work hours, do so. If you can ask your coworker to silence his/her phone, or to wear headphones while looking at a tutorial, do so.

If getting rid of the source of the noise is not possible, either because it’s not up to you, or because it’s an intrinsical part of the context (think of a loud restaurant, you can’t get rid of all the other tables), you’ll have to start thinking about solutions to block or minimize that noise.

Depending on where the noise is coming from you can think about installing soundproof windows, or soundproofing the space in order to isolate it from the exterior.

If the noise is coming from within the space itself (think about that loud restaurant again), adding sound-absorbing panels and other soft furniture/materials can make the difference between being able to comfortably have a conversation with your date or not.

If none of those are options either, your last option is to try to isolate yourself. Using noise-canceling headphones, or even listening to some white noise can help you block out undesired noise and focus. Of course, this is only an option if you are trying to work or do something else by yourself, not if you are trying to have a conversation with someone.

What are the benefits of acoustic comfort?

The benefits of acoustic comfort are many, as it allows us to enjoy our surroundings in a more relaxed and pleasant way.

Enjoying experiences

Imagine a concert hall where the music is heard crystal clear, but without being overwhelming or uncomfortable. Now imagine that same concert hall with the music being muffled and distorted by echoes bouncing off the walls and ceiling. That would be a much less enjoyable experience.

Imagine being able to have dinner with friends in a restaurant where you can hear each other perfectly well. That would be much more enjoyable than having dinner while shouting at each other!

Being productive

Studies show that people who work in acoustically comfortable environments can be up to 66% more productive than those same people working in loud, uncomfortable environments.

Similarly, studies have shown that students learn better when the environment is acoustically comfortable.

This is why companies and organizations that have their own offices and buildings should be looking at acoustic comfort carefully.

Rest and wellbeing

Being able to rest properly is vital to our health and our performance in all aspects of our lives. Being able to get a good night’s sleep will make all the difference in your mood and energy level the next day. And being able to do so regularly will have a great impact on your health. The opposite can lead to chronic fatigue, depression, and other symptoms, all of which go against whatever it is that you do or want to achieve.

If your place of rest is busy outside of your control, try getting some good earplugs to sleep at night. Not those foamy ones you can get at the pharmacy, but the ones that are custom-made for you. Trust me, they will change your life! (most hearing aid centers make them).

Conclusion

In conclusion, acoustic comfort should not be seen as a luxury or something we can live without. It should be taken seriously, and seen as an important part of our everyday lives.

By improving the acoustic environment we live in, we can enjoy experiences more fully and be more productive in our tasks, and lead a healthier, happier life 🙂