The indoor environment needs to be tailored to people, not vice versa
We perceive our surroundings with the help of our five senses, one of which is hearing. Historically, our hearing was adapted to a life outside walls, floors and ceilings, and essentially works the same way today. Creating a pleasant sound environment in our rooms is vital if we are to function well and stay well-balanced as individuals.
In a classroom, for example, it is important that everyone can hear each other and that background sound is reduced. In offices with open-plan solutions, speech needs to be intelligible over shorter distances while at the same time the sound needs to be damped further away in order not to disturb other workers. In a hospital, it is crucial to make sure that disturbing sound does not have a negative impact on patient recovery or communication between patients and hospital staff.