MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL, MN – Design considerations for improving acoustics in green buildings are highlighted in the new issue of Implications, a research newsletter on design and human behavior produced by InformeDesign® (www.informedesign.umn.edu). The article considers the acoustical design challenges inherent in some green building techniques and recommends strategies to address them.
Ralph Muehleisen, PhD, PE, LEED® AP, FASA, faculty in the Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering at the Illinois Institute of Technology, suggests that “design techniques that are utilized in green buildings to improve energy efficiency, sustainability, and other indoor environmental quality (IEQ) aspects tend to exacerbate acoustic defects.” Among these techniques, the increased use of glass, use of natural ventilation, and the use of sound absorbing surfaces are discussed. Muehleisen asserts that an awareness of potential acoustic issues, an understanding of the need to address them, and a conscious effort to consider them in the design process will help ensure acoustic quality is supported in green buildings.
To view or download a copy of this issue, go to the InformeDesign Web site at www.informedesign.umn.edu and select Implications from the Main Menu.
InformeDesign is the first searchable database of design and human behavior research on the Web. The site currently contains more than 2,200 “practitioner-friendly” Research Summaries, Webcasts by design experts, a calendar of research-related events, and a glossary of terms. The free Web site is interactive, allowing users to provide comments about specific Research Summaries or other site issues.
ASID is a community of people—designers, industry representatives, educators and students—committed to interior design. Through education, knowledge sharing, advocacy, community building and outreach, the Society strives to advance the interior design profession and, in the process, to demonstrate and celebrate the power of design to positively change people’s lives. Its more than 36,000 members engage in a variety of professional programs and activities through a network of 48 Chapters throughout the United States and Canada. To learn more about ASID, visit www.asid.org.
The University of Minnesota is one of the most comprehensive public universities in the United States and has been ranked among the top three public universities. It is a state land-grant university with a strong tradition of research, education, and public service with faculty of national and international reputation. The College of Design unites programs in architecture, clothing design, graphic design, interior design, housing studies, landscape architecture, and retail merchandising creating a nationally distinctive, multidisciplinary college engaged in research, teaching, creative production, and public engagement. To learn more about the College of Design, visit www.cdes.umn.edu.
