{"id":18388,"feature_order":5,"feature_code":null,"name":"Sound Reducing Surfaces","type":"O","intent":"Design spaces with sound\r\nreducing surfaces to minimize the buildup of speech or other unwanted sound.","intervention":"This WELL feature requires\r\nthe use of acoustic materials that absorb and\/or block sound to support concentration\r\nand reduce reverberation.","issue":"Increases\r\nin reverberation are commonly caused by lack of acoustical absorption.1<\/sup> When spaces are designed with hard reflective\r\nceilings and walls, perception of noise increases with an increase in ambient,\r\nreflected noise that decays in level at a longer rate.2,3<\/sup> When open collaborative spaces lack\r\nacoustical absorption at ceilings or partial height barriers, workers can\r\nbecome distracted by reflected sound, especially if that speech is perceptible.3\u20136<\/sup> Conversely, in learning environments,\r\nreverberation can impair a listener\u2019s comprehension of speech due to poor\r\nspeech intelligibility, especially when listeners are hard of hearing,\r\nexpending a greater auditory workload to process speech resulting in reduced\r\ntask performance.7\u201312<\/sup> In rooms where teleconferencing or audio\r\nequipment introduces amplified sound, spaces without adequate acoustical\r\ntreatment are subject to higher functioning background noise levels, which may\r\nbe heard in neighboring spaces.1,13\u201315<\/sup> Lack of reflected sound control in spaces for\r\nconferencing can impact the quality of speech intelligibility over\r\nteleconferencing equipment.","evidence":"

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nProviding\r\nacoustical treatment that significantly reduces sound across human speech\r\nfrequencies can greatly reduce unwanted buildup of reflected sound.1<\/sup> Ceilings typically provide the greatest area\r\nof coverage where highly absorptive materials can offer the best performance in\r\nreducing reverberation and controlling speech intelligibility and occupied\r\nnoise levels.3,16,17<\/sup> Wall treatment can reduce reflections that\r\nimpact performance of speech intelligibility with teleconferencing equipment.1<\/sup>
<\/p>","implementation":"","impact":"","max_points":2,"concept_id":1739,"slug":"sound-reducing-surfaces","gbd_exists":null,"review_summary":null,"citations":"

  1. General Services Administration. Sound Matters: How to Achieve Acoustic Comfort in the Contemporary Office. 2011. https:\/\/www.wbdg.org\/FFC\/GSA\/gsa_soundmatters.pdf.<\/li>
  2. Bradley. Speech Intelligibility Studies in Classrooms. J Acoust Soc Am. 1986.<\/li>
  3. Bradley JS. The acoustical design of conventional open plan offices. Can Acoust. 2003;27(3):23-31. doi:NRCC-46274 A<\/li>
  4. Venetjoki N, Kaarlela-Tuomaala A, Keskinen E, Hongisto V. The effect of speech and speech intelligibility on task performance. Ergonomics. 2006;49(11):1068-1091. doi:10.1080\/00140130600679142<\/li>
  5. Jensen KL, Arens E, Zagreus L. Acoustical Quality in Office Workstations , As Assessed By Occupant Surveys. Indoor Air 10th Int Conf indoor air Qual Clim. 2005:2401-2405. doi:10.1111\/j.1600-0668.2011.00745.x<\/li>
  6. Kim J, de Dear R. Workspace satisfaction: The privacy-communication trade-off inopen-plan offices. J Environ Psychol. 2013;36:18-26. doi:10.1016\/j.jenvp.2013.06.007<\/li>
  7. Klatte M, Hellbr\u00fcck J, Seidel J, Leistner P. Effects of Classroom Acoustics on Performance and Well-Being in Elementary School Children: A Field Study. Environ Behav. 2010;42(5):659-692. doi:10.1177\/0013916509336813<\/li>
  8. Bennetts L, Flynn M. Improving the classroom listening skills of children with Down syndrome by using sound-field amplification. Downs Syndr Res Pract. 2002;8(1):19-24.<\/li>
  9. Bradley JS. Speech intelligibility studies in classrooms. J Acoust Soc Am. 1986;80(3).<\/li>
  10. Cheesman MF, Jennings MB, Klinger L. Assessing communication accessibility in the university classroom: Towards a goal of universal hearing accessibility. Work. 2013;46(2):139-150.<\/li>
  11. Bradley JS. Speech intelligibility studies in classrooms Speech intelligibility. 2009;846(1986). doi:10.1121\/1.393908<\/li>
  12. Peters LJ. Auditory Performance: A Model to Predict Task Performance as a Function of Auditory Workload: Overview. In: Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting. ; 1991.<\/li>
  13. InfoComm International. AV \/ IT Infrastructure Guidelines for Higher Education.<\/li>
  14. Larsen JB, Vega A, Ribera JE. The Effect of Room Acoustics and Sound-Field Amplification on Word Recognition Performance in Young Adult Listeners in Suboptimal Listening Conditions. Am J Audiol. 2008;17(1):50-59.<\/li>
  15. Watson A, Sasse MA. Measuring Perceived Quality of Speech and Video in Multimedia Conferencing Applications. :1-6.<\/li>
  16. Pierrette M, Parizet E, Chevret P, Chatillon J. Noise effect on comfort in open-space offices: development of an assessment questionnaire. Ergonomics. 2015;58(1):96-106. doi:10.1080\/00140139.2014.961972<\/li>
  17. Larm P, Ker\u00e4nen J, Helenius R, Hakala J, Hongisto V. Acoustics in open-plan offices -- A laboratory study. Forum Acusticum. 2005;(Figure 1):2021-2025.<\/li>
  18. Veitch JA, Bradley JS, Legault LM, Norcross SG, Svec JM. IRC-IR-846: Masking speech in open-plan offices with simulated ventilation noise: Noise level and spectral composition effects on acoustic satisfaction. 2002;(November):1-56.<\/li><\/ol>","deleted_at":null,"equivalency_count":4,"faq_count":0,"resource_count":0,"feature_full_name":"S05 Sound Reducing Surfaces","feature_faq_name":"S05 Sound Reducing Surfaces-v2","max_core_points":1,"parts":[{"id":30756,"name":"Implement Sound Reducing Surfaces","part_number":1,"points":2,"possible_points":["1","2"],"core_points":1,"possible_core_points":["0.5","1"],"min_points":1,"rer_points":0,"wor_points":0,"parent_part_id":null,"feature_id":18388,"note":"","slug":"1-implement-sound-reducing-surfaces-16","note_position_override":"top","new_core_shell":null,"existing_core_shell":null,"new_occupied":null,"existing_occupied":null,"education":null,"retail":null,"mfr":null,"others":null,"photographic_verification":0,"gbd_exists":0,"hospitality":null,"assisted_living":null,"cultural_institutions":null,"public_assembly":null,"deleted_at":null,"na_alternative":0,"na_alternative_text":null,"leed_well":0,"part_prefix":"S05.1","feature_name":"Sound Reducing Surfaces","parent":null,"sub_parts":[{"id":33064,"condition":"AND","part_id":30756,"deleted_at":null,"space_types_included":[{"id":1,"name":"All Spaces","name_plural":"all"}],"space_types_excluded":[{"id":3,"name":"Dwelling Units","name_plural":"dwelling units"}],"options":[{"id":41993,"option_order":1,"name":null,"description":"

    For projects in which the room types listed in the table cumulatively make up at least 10% of occupiable project area, the following requirements are met:<\/p>","description_alt":null,"space_property":null,"certification":null,"note":null,"sub_part_id":33064,"deleted_at":null,"note_position_override":"top","verification_note":"

    Design specification<\/p>","verification_condition":"AND","requirements":[{"id":120642,"option_id":41993,"requirement_order":1,"description":"

    Acoustical furnishings meet the criteria shown in the following table:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\t\r\n\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t
    \r\n\t\t\t

     Room Type<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\r\n\t\t\t<\/td>\r\n\t\t\t

    		\r\n\t\t\t

    Metric<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\t\t\t<\/td>\r\n\t\t\t

    		\r\n\t\t\t

    Tier 1<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t

    {{well-points}}1 Point|0.5 Points{{\/well-points}}<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\r\n\t\t\t<\/td>\r\n\t\t\t

    		\r\n\t\t\t

    Tier 2<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t

    {{well-points}}2 Points|1 Point{{\/well-points}}<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\r\n\t\t\t<\/td>\r\n\t\t<\/tr>\r\n\t\t

    \r\n\t\t\t

    Open workspaces<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t<\/td>\r\n\t\t\t

    		\r\n\t\t\t

    Minimum NRC OR Alpha-w<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t<\/td>\r\n\t\t\t

    		\r\n\t\t\t

    0.75 for at least 75% of available ceiling area<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t<\/td>\r\n\t\t\t

    		\r\n\t\t\t

    0.90 for all available ceiling area1,18<\/sup><\/p>\r\n\t\t\t<\/td>\r\n\t\t<\/tr>\r\n\t\t

    \r\n\t\t\t

    Minimum furniture height and NRC OR Alpha-w<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t<\/td>\r\n\t\t\t

    		N\/A<\/td>\r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t

    Partial height barriers with a minimum height of {{well-unit}}4 ft|1.2 m{{\/well-unit}} above finished floor and a minimum NRC OR Alpha-w value of 0.70 between all opposing workstations1<\/sup><\/p>\r\n\t\t\t<\/td>\r\n\t\t<\/tr>\r\n\t\t

    \r\n\t\t\t

    Areas for conferencing and learning<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t<\/td>\r\n\t\t\t

    		\r\n\t\t\t

    Minimum NRC OR Alpha-w at ceilings<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t<\/td>\r\n\t\t\t

    		\r\n\t\t\t

    0.75 for at least 50% of available ceiling area<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t<\/td>\r\n\t\t\t

    		\r\n\t\t\t

    0.90 for all available ceiling area<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t<\/td>\r\n\t\t<\/tr>\r\n\t\t

    \r\n\t\t\t

    Minimum NRC OR Alpha-w at walls<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t<\/td>\r\n\t\t\t

    		\r\n\t\t\t

    0.75 on at least 25% of one wall<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t<\/td>\r\n\t\t\t

    		\r\n\t\t\t

    0.80 on at least 25% of two perpendicular walls<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t<\/td>\r\n\t\t<\/tr>\r\n\t\t

    \r\n\t\t\t

    Areas for dining<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t<\/td>\r\n\t\t\t

    		\r\n\t\t\t

    Minimum NRC OR Alpha-w at ceilings<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t<\/td>\r\n\t\t\t

    		\r\n\t\t\t

    0.75 on at least 50% of available ceiling area<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t<\/td>\r\n\t\t\t

    		\r\n\t\t\t

    0.90 for all available ceiling area<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t<\/td>\r\n\t\t<\/tr>\r\n\t<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>","description_alt":null,"deleted_at":null,"photographic_verification":0}],"verifications":[{"id":3,"name":"Technical Document (Audited)","chinese_name":"\u6280\u672f\u6587\u6863\uff08\u5ba1\u8ba1\uff09","is_auditable":1,"scale_type":"Audited","note":null}],"pvgbs":[]}]}],"on_sites":[],"annotated_documents":[],"letter_of_assurances":[],"part_guidances":[{"id":33169,"part_id":30756,"category":"WELL Core","sub_category":null,"rating_note":null,"alignment_note":null,"doc_guidance":"

    Meet these requirements in non-leased spaces. To earn an additional point, also meet these requirements in leased spaces.<\/p>

    WELL Core projects where non-leased space represents 40% or more of total project area may pursue the additional point without achieving the feature requirements in tenant spaces. Projects utilizing this pathway should include a note on the documentation required by the feature.    <\/span>
    <\/o:p><\/p>","points":"1"}],"methods":[]}],"ihmes":[],"sdgs":[{"id":11,"name":"11: Sustainable Cities and Communities","max_points":0}]}