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School and hospital acoustics — speech clarity and calm
In a classroom, speech clarity affects learning; in a hospital, quiet affects recovery. We design and measure to hit the target values. Poor acoustics in these settings aren't just an inconvenience — they measurably affect how well students understand a teacher and how well patients rest and recover. We set targets appropriate to each room type, then verify them once the space is built or renovated.
When to call us
- You're designing a new school or hospital and want acoustic targets built into the design
- You're renovating a lecture hall, auditorium, or ward and speech or noise is a known issue
- Patients or staff have raised complaints about noise on a ward or in a clinical area
- You need to verify a PA or public address system's speech intelligibility performance
How we help
- Assess speech intelligibility (STI) and reverberation (RT)
- Design classrooms, auditoriums, and patient-care spaces
- Control noise from outside and building systems
- Verify to standard
What you get
- An STI or STIPA speech intelligibility measurement report
- A reverberation time and background noise assessment
- Acoustic design specifications for architects and contractors
- A commissioning report for handover, confirming the space meets its acoustic targets
Standards applied
ISO 3382 · STI criteria · education/healthcare target values
Ready to start?
FAQ
Can you measure speech intelligibility?
Yes — we measure STI/STIPA to standard.
Can you reduce noise in patient wards?
Yes — by controlling background noise and reverberation.
Why does classroom acoustics matter so much for young children?
Younger children rely more heavily on acoustic cues to understand speech than adults do, and they haven't yet developed the ability to mentally 'fill in' words lost to background noise or echo. A classroom with poor reverberation and high background noise measurably reduces how much they understand and retain.
Can you assess an existing building, or only new designs?
Both. For an existing classroom, lecture hall, or ward, we measure current performance against the relevant target and recommend practical treatment; for a new build or renovation, we set targets during design and verify them once complete.
What is a good STI value?
STI (Speech Transmission Index) runs from 0 to 1. As a general guide, 0.60 and above is considered good for most classrooms and lecture spaces, while values below 0.45 indicate speech that's genuinely difficult to follow. The right target depends on the room's use — we'll confirm the figure for your specific space.