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Environmental comfort involves creating comfortable and healthy indoor environments, taking into account the climate characteristics of the built environment. The novelty herein is to define the challenges of using Building Information Modeling (BIM) to assess the three dimensions of environmental comfort: thermal comfort, visual comfort, and acoustic comfort. This work conducts a bibliometric review, using the VOSviewer software (version 1.6.20) and the GPSV website, and a bibliographic review of recently published articles in the field. This paper aims to identify the dimensions of sustainability with a focus on environmental comfort and the themes associated with these dimensions, recognize the limitations of the research, and propose recommendations for future work. The results of this work define the limitations related to the three dimensions of environmental comfort and recommend establishing a reliable database, integrating BIM with parameters that could interfere with the quality of the indoor environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental comfort involves creating comfortable and healthy indoor environments, taking into account the climate characteristics of the built environment. The novelty herein is to define the challenges of using Building Information Modeling (BIM) to assess the three dimensions of environmental comfort: thermal comfort, visual comfort, and acoustic comfort. This work conducts a bibliometric review, using the VOSviewer software (version 1.6.20) and the GPSV website, and a bibliographic review of recently published articles in the field. This paper aims to identify the dimensions of sustainability with a focus on environmental comfort and the themes associated with these dimensions, recognize the limitations of the research, and propose recommendations for future work. The results of this work define the limitations related to the three dimensions of environmental comfort and recommend establishing a reliable database, integrating BIM with parameters that could interfere with the quality of the indoor environment.

There is no doubt that traffic noise has become one of the main sources of urban noise, and the electric bus, as an important means of transport frequently used by people in daily life, has a direct impact on the psychological and auditory health of passengers due to its interior noise characteristics. Consequently, studying electric bus sound quality is an important way to improve vehicle performance and comfort. In this paper, eight electric buses were selected and 64 noise samples were measured. Acoustic comfort was taken as an evaluation index, professionals were organized to complete the subjective evaluation tests for all noise samples based on rank score comparison (RSC). And nine psycho-acoustic objective parameters such as loudness, sharpness and roughness were calculated using Artemis software to establish the sound quality database of electric buses. Aiming at the practical application requirements of high-precision modeling of acoustic comfort in vehicles, this paper presented two improved extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) algorithms based on grid search (GS) method and particle swarm optimization (PSO), respectively, with objective parameters and acoustic comfort as input and output variables, and established three regression models of standard XGBoost, GS-XGBoost, and PSO-XGBoost through data training. Finally, the calculation results of three indexes of average relative error, square root error and correlation coefficient indicate that the proposed PSO-XGBoost model is significantly better than GS-XGBoost and standard XGBoost, with its prediction accuracy as high as 97.6 %. This model is determined as the evaluation model of interior acoustic comfort for this case, providing a key technical support for future sound quality optimization of electric buses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an increasing interest in accurately evaluating urban soundscapes to reflect citizens' subjective perceptions of acoustic comfort. Various indices have been proposed in the literature to achieve this purpose. However, many of these methods necessitate specialized equipment or extensive data collection. This study introduces an enhanced predictor for dwelling acoustic comfort, utilizing cost-effective data consisting of a 30-s audio clip and location information. The proposed predictor incorporates two rating systems: a binary evaluation and an acoustic comfort index called ACI. The training and evaluation data are obtained from the "Sons al Balcó" citizen science project. To characterize the sound events, gammatone cepstral coefficients are used for automatic sound event detection with a convolutional neural network. To enhance the predictor's performance, this study proposes incorporating objective noise levels from public IoT-based wireless acoustic sensor networks, particularly in densely populated areas like Barcelona. The results indicate that adding noise levels from a public network successfully enhances the accuracy of the acoustic comfort prediction for both rating systems, reaching up to 85% accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of urbanization and the resulting expansion of residential and transport infrastructures pose new challenges related to ensuring comfort for city dwellers. The emission of transport vibrations and household noise reduces the quality of life in the city. To counteract this unfavorable phenomenon, vibration isolation is widely used to reduce the propagation of vibrations and noise. A proper selection of vibration isolation is necessary to ensure comfort. This selection can be made based on a deep understanding of the material parameters of the vibration isolation used. This mainly includes dynamic stiffness and damping. This article presents a comparison of the method for testing dynamic stiffness and damping using a single degree of freedom (SDOF) system and the method using image processing, which involves tracking the movement of a free-falling steel ball onto a sample of the tested material. Rubber granules, rubber granules with rubber fibers, and rebound polyurethanes were selected for testing. Strong correlations were found between the relative indentation and dynamic stiffness (at 10–60 MN/m3) and the relative rebound and damping (for 6–12%). Additionally, a very strong relationship was determined between the density and fraction of the critical damping factor/dynamic stiffness. The relative indentation and relative rebound measurement methods can be used as an alternative method to measure the dynamic stiffness and critical damping factor, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aimed to provide auditory comfort conditions in call centers where the noise problem is very high and its use is increasing day by day. Since there are no partition walls in such places, noises from conversations, telephones and other office equipment, footsteps, air conditioning and lighting, office equipment (fax machines, printers, etc.), and noise from outside can reduce working efficiency and sometimes cause serious health problems. To assess this situation, the current noise levels situation in a call center were revealed with the help of observation, survey, measurement, and simulation. The number of personnel in the volume, different layout models, surface absorption, and obstacle heights were analyzed through the simulation program and appropriate call center models were obtained in terms of acoustic comfort. By taking the models as a reference, noise level maps have been prepared according to different frequency spectrums. When the noise maps are evaluated, while the call center noise level is 60 dBA in the current situation, it has decreased to 45–53 dBA noise levels as a result of the settlement proposal where the employees are facing in opposite directions in pairs. There has been a reduction in noise level of approximately 16%. As a result of the study, the measures to be taken to improve the auditory environment were determined within the scope of architectural and acoustic design, and results were obtained to guide the designers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring the combined effects of multisensory interactions in open spaces can help improve the comfort of campus environments. Nine typical spaces on a university campus in Fuzhou were selected for this study. Subjects perceived the environment and then completed an on-site subjective questionnaire. At the same time, meteorological data (global radiation, air temperature, globe temperature, wind speed, relative humidity, and illumination intensity) were measured to determine the interactions between visual and acoustic and thermal perceptions. Differences in the meteorological parameters between the measuring points were described using a one-way ANOVA and Tukey's post hoc test, and a chi-square test of independence was used to determine significant associations between thermal, acoustic, and visual comfort, which in turn led to the study of interactions between visual, acoustic, and thermal comfort using a two-way ANOVA. The following conclusions were drawn: (1) the Thermal Comfort Vote (TCV) increased with the increasing Acoustic Comfort Vote (ACV) at all levels of thermal stress. (2) The highest and lowest Acoustic Sensation Vote (ASV) values for each sound type were derived from either "slightly cold" or "warm" conditions. Both the Thermal Comfort Vote (TCV) and the Acoustic Comfort Vote (ACV) were positively correlated. (3) When "neutral", the Thermal Sensation Vote (TSV) increased with increasing illumination intensity (LUX). (4) The Sunlight Sensation Vote (SSV) increased with the increasing Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) when illumination intensity (LUX) was moderate and bright. (5) The highest and lowest Acoustic Sensation Vote (ASV) values for each sound type came from either "slightly cold" or "warm" conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we investigated the effects of thermal–acoustic environments on human comfort in a cold region by focusing on Xi'an in China as a representative city. Four typical open spaces were identified within two universities, with one located in an urban area and the other in a suburban area. Surveys were conducted using questionnaires and environmental parameters were measured to assess thermal–acoustic perception. The physiological equivalent temperature (PET) and noise sound pressure levels were employed to measure the thermal–acoustic environments in the four open spaces. The results showed that the neutral PET was 19.1 °C in Xi'an from March to May, and the neutral temperature range was 14.9–23.4 °C. The preferred temperature was 20.0 °C. Acoustic sensation votes were lower in suburban areas than urban areas. Respondents in urban areas exhibited significantly higher sensitivity to the thermal and acoustic environments compared with those in suburban areas. Sensitivity to the thermal environment decreased as the environmental noise levels decreased. The temperature perceived as most suitable increased as the sensitivity to the thermal environment decreased. Acoustic comfort evaluations were generally higher in colder and warmer environments. Warmer environments heightened the sensitivity to the acoustic environment and this effect gradually decreased as the sound pressure levels increased. Thus, based on empirical analyses, we compared the effects of outdoor thermal–acoustic parameters on comfort to provide experimental data support for further outdoor thermal comfort research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study focuses on the impact of exterior traffic noises on sound environment evaluation in office spaces, considering their interaction with interior noises. There were three interior noise conditions: silence, air-conditioner noise, and irrelevant speech noise. Six exterior traffic noises (road, maglev, tram, metro, conventional inter-city train, and high-speed train) were merged with interior noise clips to create the combined noise stimuli. Forty subjects participated in the experiment to assess the acoustic environment in office spaces exposed to multiple noises. The results showed that both interior and exterior noise significantly affected acoustic comfort and noise disturbance. As for the exterior traffic noise, both the traffic noise source and the noise level were found to be influential on both attributes. More temporally fluctuating traffic noises, such as high-speed train noise, were found to have a greater negative effect on subjective evaluations. Meanwhile, the interior noise source was also found to influence evaluations of the sound environment. Compared to the single traffic noise condition, irrelevant speech noise significantly increased the negative impact of traffic noises, while the air-conditioner noise had a neutral effect. In addition, participants in offices with speech noise were less sensitive to the traffic noise level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an increasing concern about noise pollution around the world. As a first step to tackling the problem of deteriorated urban soundscapes, this article aims to develop a tool that automatically evaluates the soundscape quality of dwellings based on the acoustic events obtained from short videos recorded on-site. A sound event classifier based on a convolutional neural network has been used to detect the sounds present in those videos. Once the events are detected, our distinctive approach proceeds in two steps. First, the detected acoustic events are employed as inputs in a binary assessment system, utilizing logistic regression to predict whether the user’s perception of the soundscape (and, therefore, the soundscape quality estimator) is categorized as “comfortable” or “uncomfortable”. Additionally, an Acoustic Comfort Index (ACI) on a scale of 1–5 is estimated, facilitated by a linear regression model. The system achieves an accuracy value over 80% in predicting the subjective opinion of citizens based only on the automatic sound event detected on their balconies. The ultimate goal is to be able to predict an ACI on new locations using solely a 30-s video as an input. The potential of the tool might offer data-driven insights to map the annoyance or the pleasantness of the acoustic environment for people, and gives the possibility to support the administration to mitigate noise pollution and enhance urban living conditions, contributing to improved well-being and community engagement.

Acoustic comfort is one of the essential needs for people to live in calm and comfort in dwellings. Because of technological and industrial development, noise pollution became one of the big dangers that impacts human psychologically and physiologically. The historical neighborhoods in Sulaimani City are affected by this technological advancement, the demolishing of traditional houses and changed to commercial has increased the environmental noise. Therefore, this research aims to evaluate residents’ satisfaction in traditional houses in term of acoustic conditions, also aims to investigate if the design characteristics of traditional houses have role in providing acoustic comfort, and to promote traditional designs in today’s architecture. The absence of a practical study evaluating acoustic conditions in traditional houses and their impact on inhabitants’ satisfaction in Sulaimani city formed the main problem of the research. The results from the questionnaire and the in situ measurements have shown that, although most of these old houses were demolished and changed to commercial areas, the acoustic environment inside most houses is comfortable and most inhabitants are satisfied with the acoustic conditions. The traditional design turned the houses to be a barrier against transmitting noise whether from outside to inside or vice versa.

Purpose: This article addresses the problem of perception and evaluation of the soundscape by users of urban parks in an industrial region. According to the International Organisation for Standardization (ISO), the subjective perception of sound comfort complements the measurement of sound pressure levels (SPL) and is an essential component of the analysis of the sound environment. Design/methodology/approach: Park Grunwaldzki in Gliwice was studied. A functional and spatial analysis of the park space was carried out along with an analysis of the acoustic map of the area. Other methods used were: observations, acoustic walks, sound recordings, 15 structured interviews with park users. The main discriminator was the category of pleasure-unpleasantness, which is considered to be the most unambiguous and context-independent. The theoretical basis is provided by R.M. Schafer's concept of soundscape. Findings: The analysis confirms that the park is not free of mechanical sounds, which are perceived by users as unpleasant. In contrast, the evaluation of social sounds varies and depends on the context. Natural sounds are the most desirable sounds in this space. The soundscape of the park has a variable rhythm throughout the day. Research limitations/implications: The present study has limitations due to the small number of participants surveyed and the timing of the observations, which took place in May and June. Further research should take into account the variability of the audiosphere according to the seasons. Practical implications: The results may facilitate the planning or revitalisation of urban parks, as well as the management of the city's recreational resources. Social implications: Research conducted in the urban environment can have an impact on improving the quality of life in cities. This is important because of the need to support public health measures and the increasing need to organise leisure time for residents of densely populated agglomerations. Originality/value: The article demonstrates the practical needs of urban park users, knowledge of which will facilitate the work of planners and architects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) researchers spend inexhaustible resources of materials, time and money in determining the objective factors that are important in ensuring acoustic comfort in vehicles. In this paper, the factors that directly influence the interior acoustic pressure level in a heavy-duty vehicle were investigated. It was determined using specific descriptors and different units of measurement in assessment of sound levels and the impact generated by noise, the level of interior acoustic pressure and particular values of some prominent sources of noise in the operation of vehicles (engine, HVAC system), taking into account the factors of insurance and thermal comfort, with the aim of determining the cumulative impact at the board of heavy vehicles due to noise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acoustic comfort is one of the essential needs for people to live in calm and comfort in dwellings. Because of technological and industrial development, noise pollution became one of the big dangers that impacts human psychologically and physiologically. The historical neighborhoods in Sulaimani City are affected by this technological advancement, the demolishing of traditional houses and changed to commercial has increased the environmental noise. Therefore, this research aims to evaluate residents' satisfaction in traditional houses in term of acoustic conditions, also aims to investigate if the design characteristics of traditional houses have role in providing acoustic comfort, and to promote traditional designs in today's architecture. The absence of a practical study evaluating acoustic conditions in traditional houses and their impact on inhabitants' satisfaction in Sulaimani city formed the main problem of the research. The results from the questionnaire and the in situ measurements have shown that, although most of these old houses were demolished and changed to commercial areas, the acoustic environment inside most houses is comfortable and most inhabitants are satisfied with the acoustic conditions. The traditional design turned the houses to be a barrier against transmitting noise whether from outside to inside or vice versa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aeroacoustic field of a rectangular subsonic jet impinging on a slotted plate was investigated experimentally using microphones and stereoscopic particle image velocimetry (S-PIV). The study was carried out with a Reynolds number of 6700 and an impact distance of 4 cm. The current configuration represents a benchmark standpoint, featuring high levels of generated noise. A control mechanism consisting of a thin rod was introduced downstream from the jet exit to suppress the self-sustained tones. A total of 1085 positions of the rod between the jet exit and impinging plate were tested to identify positions of optimal noise reduction. Two zones were distinguished in terms of control efficacy: a zone where the sound pressure level (SPL) dropped by up to 19 dB and another zone where the SPL increased by up to 14 dB. The velocity fields show that the presence of the rod divides the jet into two lateral secondary jets on both sides of the main jet axis. The outer part of the secondary jets expanded radially with less interaction with the plate compared to the case without the control. This behavior affected the deformation of vortices against the slot. Proper orthogonal decomposition was applied to the velocity field for a better understanding of the turbulence dynamics with and without the control rod. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The empirical assessment of the quality of the sound landscape in restaurants and how it affects the overall customer experience has only recently begun to be addressed. Noise from recreational activities, such as discos, restaurants, bars, hotels, etc., characterizes the soundscape of tourist centers, where there is a need to ensure the coexistence of noisy commercial activities and the right to rest of citizens customers of accommodation facilities, often already compromised by traffic. Although there is a renewed sensitivity to the issue of noise, restaurants are often characterized by poor acoustics and a poor multi-sensory perception of comfort. This article examines the noise levels of a hotel's dining room in an Italian tourist resort during lunch and dinner hours. The study included aspects related to the acoustics, lighting, and quality of the location, also for the assessment of the perception of comfort obtained was given to customers a questionnaire of satisfaction during the meal, every day for a week. Considering the correlation between the three components of the soundscape, namely people, sound, and the environment under consideration, this study aims to explore the effects of the soundscape on sound restoration for accommodation facilities in tourist resorts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the use of trailing edge serrations to reduce the noise generated by axial-flow automotive cooling fans. Three different serration profiles (sinusoidal, rectangular, and triangular) were examined, with the profiles being extended radially along the entire blade length and truncated at half the blade length while keeping the dimensionless wave number k ∗ and wave amplitude 2 h ∗ constant. The simulations employed a hybrid URANS-LES solver for the flow field and Ffowcs Williams-Hawkings analogy for the sound field, corresponding to the maximum volumetric flow rate and fan rotational speed. Acoustic pressure measurements were taken at multiple receivers upstream and downstream of the fan, and the overall sound pressure level was computed based on the results. Furthermore, the study also compared the aerodynamic performance of all serration types with the baseline fan, revealing that the baseline fan was relatively more efficient than their serrated counterparts. Despite the reduced efficiency, the trailing edge serrations offered significant noise reduction benefits of up to 10 dB, making them a promising solution for improving acoustic comfort in automotive cooling systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an increasing interest in accurately evaluating urban soundscapes to reflect citizens’ subjective perceptions of acoustic comfort. Various indices have been proposed in the literature to achieve this purpose. However, many of these methods necessitate specialized equipment or extensive data collection. This study introduces an enhanced predictor for dwelling acoustic comfort, utilizing cost-effective data consisting of a 30-s audio clip and location information. The proposed predictor incorporates two rating systems: a binary evaluation and an acoustic comfort index called ACI. The training and evaluation data are obtained from the “Sons al Balcó” citizen science project. To characterize the sound events, gammatone cepstral coefficients are used for automatic sound event detection with a convolutional neural network. To enhance the predictor’s performance, this study proposes incorporating objective noise levels from public IoT-based wireless acoustic sensor networks, particularly in densely populated areas like Barcelona. The results indicate that adding noise levels from a public network successfully enhances the accuracy of the acoustic comfort prediction for both rating systems, reaching up to 85% accuracy.

The development of urbanization and the resulting expansion of residential and transport infrastructures pose new challenges related to ensuring comfort for city dwellers. The emission of transport vibrations and household noise reduces the quality of life in the city. To counteract this unfavorable phenomenon, vibration isolation is widely used to reduce the propagation of vibrations and noise. A proper selection of vibration isolation is necessary to ensure comfort. This selection can be made based on a deep understanding of the material parameters of the vibration isolation used. This mainly includes dynamic stiffness and damping. This article presents a comparison of the method for testing dynamic stiffness and damping using a single degree of freedom (SDOF) system and the method using image processing, which involves tracking the movement of a free-falling steel ball onto a sample of the tested material. Rubber granules, rubber granules with rubber fibers, and rebound polyurethanes were selected for testing. Strong correlations were found between the relative indentation and dynamic stiffness (at 10–60 MN/m3) and the relative rebound and damping (for 6–12%). Additionally, a very strong relationship was determined between the density and fraction of the critical damping factor/dynamic stiffness. The relative indentation and relative rebound measurement methods can be used as an alternative method to measure the dynamic stiffness and critical damping factor, respectively.

Exploring the combined effects of multisensory interactions in open spaces can help improve the comfort of campus environments. Nine typical spaces on a university campus in Fuzhou were selected for this study. Subjects perceived the environment and then completed an on-site subjective questionnaire. At the same time, meteorological data (global radiation, air temperature, globe temperature, wind speed, relative humidity, and illumination intensity) were measured to determine the interactions between visual and acoustic and thermal perceptions. Differences in the meteorological parameters between the measuring points were described using a one-way ANOVA and Tukey’s post hoc test, and a chi-square test of independence was used to determine significant associations between thermal, acoustic, and visual comfort, which in turn led to the study of interactions between visual, acoustic, and thermal comfort using a two-way ANOVA. The following conclusions were drawn: (1) the Thermal Comfort Vote (TCV) increased with the increasing Acoustic Comfort Vote (ACV) at all levels of thermal stress. (2) The highest and lowest Acoustic Sensation Vote (ASV) values for each sound type were derived from either “slightly cold” or “warm” conditions. Both the Thermal Comfort Vote (TCV) and the Acoustic Comfort Vote (ACV) were positively correlated. (3) When “neutral”, the Thermal Sensation Vote (TSV) increased with increasing illumination intensity (LUX). (4) The Sunlight Sensation Vote (SSV) increased with the increasing Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) when illumination intensity (LUX) was moderate and bright. (5) The highest and lowest Acoustic Sensation Vote (ASV) values for each sound type came from either “slightly cold” or “warm” conditions.

The research on vehicle sound quality is an emerging and highly promising field. This paper proposes a solution for sound quality improvement based on sensitivity analysis of psycho-acoustic parameters, in which the main acoustic techniques involved include noise signal acquisition, subjective and objective evaluations, sound quality modelling and prediction, parameter sensitivity and spectral analysis, and fuzzy comprehensive evaluation. In addition, taking 64 noise samples of electric bus as an application case, the presented sound quality analysis steps are implemented successively, and the obtained test results of improving the whole vehicle sound quality verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maintaining a satisfactory indoor environmental quality (IEQ) is an integral element of improving occupant health and well-being. In particular, IEQ is an essential factor in some facilities, such as school buildings, to improve student academic performance. This study employed an objective and subjective measurement approach to assess IEQ in a government high school (GHS) and a private high school (PHS) located in Oman, which is characterized by its extreme hot climate. A total of 212 high school students were surveyed during the summer season across 10 different classrooms to ascertain their perception of IEQ situations. The results suggested that most of the observed IEQ factors, including air temperature, relative humidity, and lighting levels across the classrooms in GHS and PHS, satisfied the ASHRAE standard, except the indoor air temperature, which was slightly above the maximum threshold of the European Standard (EN). The average indoor sound levels (>60 dB) exceeded critical limits of 35 dB for school buildings, which may pose the risk of high annoyance (HA) to 30% of students. Satisfactory predicted mean vote (PMV) and predicted percentage of dissatisfied (PPD) scores were obtained from both schools when they were evaluated against the ASHRAE standard compared with the EN standard. The maximum proportion of the students reported their classroom's air temperature (33%), relative humidity (25%), and air movement (47%) levels as not acceptable, and thermal comfort (33%), visual comfort (22%), and air quality (41%) as bad (P < 0.001). Multiple regression analysis revealed a strong linear relationship between indoor air temperature (R2 = 0.89) and other IEQ parameters, while PPD (R2 = 0.45) and PMV (R2 = 0.17) showed a weak relationship with outdoor environmental factors. Outdoor air temperature and humidity levels accounted for greater changes in indoor air temperature levels in the PHS than in the GHS. Providing increased urban vegetation, green façade, and retrofitting and the utilization of passive cooling could help improve IEQ in Oman schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Outdoor environmental noise is a major source of annoyance in urban areas and exposure to it can increase the risk of severe health issues. Consequently, it has been the focus of research for decades. Even though people spend the majority of their time indoors, most studies use outdoor noise levels and do not include indoor noise measurements to estimate real exposure levels. This study conducted simultaneous indoor and outdoor noise measurements for 24 h in four multi-unit residential buildings to identify the levels and sources of outdoor noise heard indoors and quantify the effects of outdoor noise on indoor levels. The measurements were conducted in unoccupied suites that are most exposed to traffic and other outdoor noise sources. Surveys were administered following building occupancy to collect information regarding perceived acoustic comfort levels due to outdoor noise. The indoor LAeq,24h in three of the study buildings were above 40 dB(A) and exceeded WHO's noise level limits. Regression analysis showed that outdoor noise only explains 14%–58% of the variability in indoor noise levels. This is mainly because of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system noise which resulted in consistently high indoor noise levels despite variations in outdoor noise. Analysis of the survey showed a poor correlation between reported annoyance and measured noise levels. But annoyance strongly depended on other factors such as suite location and noise sensitivity. The findings show that outdoor noise measurements alone may not be good predictors of exposure levels and the effects of outdoor noise on occupants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several policies have been developed to improve the quality of life for older adults in cities, with soundscape being one of the factors that most influence general comfort. This work aims to present a systematic review based on PRISMA methodology, of the existing scientific literature that identifies the differences in sensitivity, noise annoyance, acoustic comfort, and urban soundscape preference of the elders with the rest of the population. Soundscape evaluation is a complex issue, understood as the relationship between human beings and the acoustic environment, based on sound, environment, and people's perceptions of those. Among the personal variables, age is related to physiological, psychological, social, and cultural factors that lead to evaluate urban soundscape in a certain way. Our results show that the greatest difference among older adults and other age groups is presented on noise annoyance and the least differences were presented on sound level evaluation. More research is needed in this field, to achieve comfortable urban areas through soundscape design which should be pleasant and inclusive for all, including elders as a vulnerable group, and contribute to improving their health and quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resource-efficient buildings are one of the most important challenges of the construction industry, which could be achieved by limiting the extraction of natural resources and by replacing them with industrial residues. The present work proposes innovative panels made from textile wastes as an efficient solution for making the semi-open atrium in the Polytechnic University of Bari, acoustically suitable for use as an area of study. Several measurements were carried out in the atrium under empty and occupied conditions in order to characterize the sound field of the space (i.e., the reverberation time and the sound pressure level) and the actual sound sources (i.e., the sound power level of the students occupying the space). The on-site measurement results were useful to calibrate a geometrical acoustic model implemented in CATT-Acoustic software and used to predict the effect of the proposed treatments. About 700 m2 of absorbent panels were distributed, leading to a predicted reduction in the reverberation time from 2.4 s to 1.4 s at 500 Hz, and consequently to an estimated 3 dB reduction in sound pressure level, resulting in a reduction in the background noise level due to speech. Furthermore, as a consequence of the “Lombard effect”, a decrease in the background noise level will likely reduce the sound power level of the speakers by 2 dB, with an expected overall reduction of 5 dB.

The present study focuses on the impact of exterior traffic noises on sound environment evaluation in office spaces, considering their interaction with interior noises. There were three interior noise conditions: silence, air-conditioner noise, and irrelevant speech noise. Six exterior traffic noises (road, maglev, tram, metro, conventional inter-city train, and high-speed train) were merged with interior noise clips to create the combined noise stimuli. Forty subjects participated in the experiment to assess the acoustic environment in office spaces exposed to multiple noises. The results showed that both interior and exterior noise significantly affected acoustic comfort and noise disturbance. As for the exterior traffic noise, both the traffic noise source and the noise level were found to be influential on both attributes. More temporally fluctuating traffic noises, such as high-speed train noise, were found to have a greater negative effect on subjective evaluations. Meanwhile, the interior noise source was also found to influence evaluations of the sound environment. Compared to the single traffic noise condition, irrelevant speech noise significantly increased the negative impact of traffic noises, while the air-conditioner noise had a neutral effect. In addition, participants in offices with speech noise were less sensitive to the traffic noise level.

Architecture is a place to move comfortably. The mosque is the four worshippers of muslims who should have an optimal level of comfort. This study aims to examine the comfort performance of the prayer room of the Great Mosque of Pati based on applicable theories and standards, then design based on the results of a comfort study to get a prayer room design that meets the comfort criteria for its users. The research was conducted by dividing the prayer room into 16 points. At each point, 3 measurements are carried out, namely thermal, lighting, and noise measurements both in the morning, afternoon, afternoon, and evening. From the measurement results, it is known that the average temperature in the worship room is 27.4 °C, meaning that the temperature is hotter than the standard of comfort (

Mekân, fiziksel boyutları ile durağan olsa da işlevi (verilen eğitimi) destekleyici yönde davranacak şekilde tasarlanmalıdır. Eğitimin kesintilere uğramadan ve aksamadan devam edebilmesi, kalitesinin yüksek olabilmesi için fiziksel konfor koşullarının sağlanması gerekir. Akustik konfor, bu fiziksel konfor koşullarından biridir. Bir mekânda belirlenen işlev gerçekleştirilirken insanın ihtiyaç duyduğu fiziksel ve psikolojik işitsel alanın sağlanabilmesi için gerekli olan işitsel gereksinimlere akustik konfor koşulları denir. Eğitim amaçlı mekanlarda iyi bir akustik konfor sağlanabilmesi için gürültünün minimum seviyede olması gerekir. Akustik kusurları olan dersliklerde uzun süreli ders işlenmesi mümkün olamamaktadır. Mimarlık atölyeleri: formal ve informal etkinliklere ev sahipliği yapan çeşitli öğrenme tarzlarının bir arada ve bazen aynı anda gerçekleşebilmesi gereken özel işlevli eğitim mekanlarıdır. Bu çalışmada mimarlık atölyelerinin sahip olması gereken akustik konfor koşulları göz önünde bulundurularak Çukurova Üniversitesi mimarlık bölümü YADYO Atölyesinin değerlendirilmesi yapılmıştır.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has affected city dwellers' physical and mental health and has raised concerns about the health of urban public spaces. This field investigation research in Dalian, China, examined the perceived audiovisual environment characteristics of urban pedestrian streets with traffic noise and their influences on the environmental health of the pedestrian streets. Five indicators reflecting psychological responses to environmental characteristics (willingness to walk, relaxation, safety, beauty, and comprehensive comfort) were used to measure environmental health of pedestrian streets with traffic noise. The results showed that safety was rated the highest, and willingness to walk was evaluated as the lowest among health evaluation indicators. The imageability and openness of the streetscape were associated with each health evaluation indicator. In contrast, the rhythm and continuity of the street buildings had a greater effect on willingness to walk than the other health indicators. There were negative correlations between LAeq for traffic noise and health evaluations. Positive health evaluations were observed when LAeq was less than 55 dBA. In contrast, soundscape indicators showed positive correlations with health evaluations, and acoustic comfort and noise annoyance, rather than sound preference and subjective loudness were associated with each health evaluation indicator. In terms of the combined audio-visual factors, acoustic comfort, the quantity of greening, annoyance, sky visibility, spatial scale, and building distance were examined as the determining factors affecting health evaluations, and 55.40% of the variance in health evaluations was explained by the soundscape and streetscape indicators. The findings provide references for better understanding the relationships between healthy experience and audio-visual perceptions. Moreover, they enable environmental health quality optimisation of pedestrian spaces considering audio-visual indicators and approaches in the post-epidemic era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems represent one of the main noise sources inside classrooms. This explain why HVAC systems require careful design, competent installation and balancing, and regular maintenance. Many factors influence the classroom acoustical design, such as air handlers or fans, the velocity of air inside the classroom, as well as the size and acoustical treatment of ducts, returns, and diffusers. Acoustic parameters, including background-noise levels, reverberation time, and intelligibility, were analyzed in 17 classrooms at the Università Politecnica in the Marche region. The study of intelligibility was performed by measuring the objective parameters in situ and using prediction methods to determine the intelligibility score. The relationship between speech intelligibility measurements and speech intelligibility calculation has been studied. The relationship between the STI values with the background-noise levels and the reverberation time was also studied. This research shows that a comparison between predictive methods and measurement methods results in speech intelligibility for classrooms of different sizes with and without HVAC systems. The current method of calculating the voice transmission index (STI), proposed by national and international standards, has been used to determine speech intelligibility scores in classrooms. The results show that the calculation tool has computational robustness allowing its use in preliminary evaluations of speech intelligibility, design of the optimal type of school buildings, and sound amplification systems in classrooms that comply with Italian regulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A crowd can be both a sound source and an absorber. The sound of human voices significantly impacts evaluations of acoustic indicators in urban public spaces. This study aimed to investigate whether human sound impacts evaluations of the overall environment from both visual and auditory aspects. Primary sound sources and scenes in Harbin, China urban public space served as the research object. Four sets of sound sources and six sets of images were collected in situ in urban public spaces. A subjective evaluation of both visual and auditory aspects was then performed in the laboratory. The results showed that when different types of sounds in urban public spaces are superimposed with human sound, the volume of human sound (45.6 dBA, 55.6 dBA, and 65.6 dBA) significantly affects the acoustic evaluation of the environment. When the superimposed sounds were birds and music, the evaluation of the environment decreased with the human voice increasing in volume. Crowd density and the surrounding visual environment also influence evaluations of the overall sound environment. In this study, the sound preference and acoustic comfort of birdsong and music decreased as the human sound volume increased. The effect of human sound combined with traffic sounds significantly decreased the scores for sound preference and acoustic comfort at higher volumes. The results of the experiments on audio–visual interactions in which people evaluated visual scenes showed that the influence of the visual density of a crowd on assessments of the sound environment is negatively related to the magnitude of the sound of the crowd. When human voices are at 45.6 dBA and 65.6dBA, there is a significant effect on the evaluation of visual scenes for high-density people. When the sound pressure level of human voices is the same, changes in the visual environment are more likely to affect people's evaluation of the overall sound environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resource-efficient buildings are one of the most important challenges of the construction industry, which could be achieved by limiting the extraction of natural resources and by replacing them with industrial residues. The present work proposes innovative panels made from textile wastes as an efficient solution for making the semi-open atrium in the Polytechnic University of Bari, acoustically suitable for use as an area of study. Several measurements were carried out in the atrium under empty and occupied conditions in order to characterize the sound field of the space (i.e., the reverberation time and the sound pressure level) and the actual sound sources (i.e., the sound power level of the students occupying the space). The on-site measurement results were useful to calibrate a geometrical acoustic model implemented in CATT-Acoustic software and used to predict the effect of the proposed treatments. About 700 m2 of absorbent panels were distributed, leading to a predicted reduction in the reverberation time from 2.4 s to 1.4 s at 500 Hz, and consequently to an estimated 3 dB reduction in sound pressure level, resulting in a reduction in the background noise level due to speech. Furthermore, as a consequence of the "Lombard effect", a decrease in the background noise level will likely reduce the sound power level of the speakers by 2 dB, with an expected overall reduction of 5 dB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Occupant comfort in buildings is one of the most crucial considerations in designing a building. Accordingly, there is a growing interest in this area. Aspects of comfort include thermal comfort, visual comfort, acoustic comfort, and indoor air quality (IAQ) satisfaction. The objective of this state-of-the-art review was to provide a comprehensive, explicit, and up-to-date literature review on occupant comfort in buildings, since this issue has a great impact on the lifestyle, health, and productivity of occupants. A meta-synthesis method was also used for an analytical-interpretive review of previous studies. In this research, scientific research studies related to the subject of indoor occupant comfort in the period 2002–2022 were reviewed. Previous reviews have often covered the fundamental concepts and principles related to indoor occupant comfort. Although innumerable studies have focused on thermal comfort, other aspects of occupant comfort have not been considered. The review is analyzed and discussed in reference to type of study, case study geographical locations and climate zones, case study building types, decision-making models, assessment criteria, data-collection tools, and data analysis strategies. Finally, future research recommendations are presented. Through the review, we find that the comfort models used in research are mostly based on comfort perception votes collected from experimental studies, which may not reflect the preferences of users well. In addition, only the influence of environmental factors on the models has been investigated, and other personal factors have been ignored. This study presents a useful guide for researchers to determine their outlines for future research in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aeroacoustic field of a rectangular subsonic jet impinging on a slotted plate was investigated experimentally using microphones and stereoscopic particle image velocimetry (S-PIV). The study was carried out with a Reynolds number of 6700 and an impact distance of 4 cm. The current configuration represents a benchmark standpoint, featuring high levels of generated noise. A control mechanism consisting of a thin rod was introduced downstream from the jet exit to suppress the self-sustained tones. A total of 1085 positions of the rod between the jet exit and impinging plate were tested to identify positions of optimal noise reduction. Two zones were distinguished in terms of control efficacy: a zone where the sound pressure level (SPL) dropped by up to 19 dB and another zone where the SPL increased by up to 14 dB. The velocity fields show that the presence of the rod divides the jet into two lateral secondary jets on both sides of the main jet axis. The outer part of the secondary jets expanded radially with less interaction with the plate compared to the case without the control. This behavior affected the deformation of vortices against the slot. Proper orthogonal decomposition was applied to the velocity field for a better understanding of the turbulence dynamics with and without the control rod.

After being neglected for a long time, in the last years, ships have been recognized and studied as sound emitters. The sound energy they generate impacts the outside, but it can also affect the indoor quality of life if the environments are not properly designed. In fact, acoustic comfort plays a pivotal role, particularly in recreational crafts. In the present work, room acoustics and acoustic camera measurements were performed, inside a 50 m length overall yacht, chosen as a case study in order to evaluate the acoustic comfort. The Italian classification procedure UNI 11367:2010 for buildings was applied, and results have been compared to other international comfort classes. However, all of these are based on prescription for standard buildings, and the present work highlights that they do not account for the effective ship's acoustic issues: sound energy transfer from impacts over ceilings and sound energy leakage. While attention of shipbuilders in acoustic comfort is shown in the measured good reverberation times, the acoustic camera revealed sound energy leakages corresponding to hidden escape ways that have been poorly insulated. This compromises the standardized sound difference between contiguous compartments and also the thermal insulation, as leakage involves air passages. The present work attempts to evolve the classification procedure by also including, for the first time, the reverberation time, but future studies focused on finding correct standardized impact level noise for ship cases are needed. In fact, their values were very high and not comparable with those measured in actual buildings and for which reference values have been designed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The period of home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic made the importance of a high-quality surrounding environment even more evident than before. Several studies have been carried out to assess the (negative) impacts of noise on annoyance, particularly whilst working from home (WFH). The present study takes a step further by (1) investigating the positive and negative impacts of the "actual" acoustic environment on a range of activities, i.e., WFH, relaxation, physical, and sexual activities, and (2) identifying the characteristics of an "ideal" indoor soundscape. The study is based on the qualitative analysis of verbal descriptions collected from open-ended questions included in a survey administered in January 2021 to 464 respondents living in London, during the COVID-19 lockdown. The range of impacts in the actual scenario varied from no effect on task execution, to disruption, distraction, concern of disturbing others or being heard. Positive impacts included support of concentration, relaxation, motivation, freedom of sound expression, feeling of being connected to the surroundings and comforted by the presence of others, according to mechanisms described in the study. Negative appraisal could trigger coping strategies (e.g., controlling windows, playing music, wearing headphones) and behavioural changes (e.g., lowering the volume of the voice or music, muting oneself during call, changing workout type) that could in turn limit or enhance the freedom of behaviour, affect or foster wellbeing. Negative impacts were most frequently reported on WFH (by 55% of the participants), followed by relaxation activities (40.6%), sexual activities (30.1%), and home workout (20.1%). The ideal soundscape was described as a quiet, well-sound insulated environment, which guarantees access to positive sounds (i.e., natural sounds, music, urban background), thus resulting in privacy, intimacy, and a place where to express themselves without noise-related constraints. The study complements literature findings on housing design directions in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, by providing further evidence on the impacts of poor sound insulation at home, the potential benefits of nature-based solutions for positive indoor soundscapes, and opportunities for an activity-based design of domestic environments, inclusive of a broader set of home uses and household compositions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Multisensory comfort is assessed by mobile measurements and thermal walks. • Sun and glare sensation vote influence thermal comfort. • Noise annoyance vote has a cross-modal effect on thermal comfort. • Thermal comfort is influenced by air quality vote. • Irritability and perceived tiredness affect thermal comfort. Urban residents are exposed to multiple environmental stimuli. Past studies have examined the influence of heat stress on outdoor thermal comfort, but the cross-modal effects of various sensory stimuli on outdoor thermal comfort remain unclear. This study used chi-square tests and logistic regression to examine the cross-modal effects of perceived environmental quality (acoustic, visual and air quality) and psychological status (irritability, perceived tiredness) on outdoor thermal comfort. We conducted thermal walk experiments in Guangzhou, China, in September and October 2022. This panel study consisted of mobile environmental sensors and thermal comfort surveys by fourteen university students on three walking routes, representing urban renewal sites, new urban areas, and urban blue-green spaces. The 'very bright' (OR=15.76, p <0.001) and 'glaring' groups (OR=4.09, p <0.001) were likelier to feel hotter than the 'dark' and 'not glaring' groups. People who found the noise level annoying were likelier to feel uncomfortable (OR=1.61, p =0.004). Moreover, people perceiving air quality as 'very good' were less likely to find the thermal environment unacceptable (OR=0.27, p =0.035). The irritated (OR=4.18, p <0.001) and tired groups (OR=1.81, p =0.002) were likelier to find the thermal environment intolerable. Our findings highlight the need to consider multisensory comfort and psychological status to inform sustainable urban design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Critical knowledge gaps regarding passive strategies' impacts on IEQ are identified. • Current trends show energy use is prioritized over indoor environmental quality. • Thematic analysis indicates passive retrofits should focus beyond energy usage. • The interactions between indoor environmental quality aspects are not addressed. • The review formulated recommendations to advance future practice and research. Residential buildings are one of the largest sectors of energy use in the United States. While there are a range of measures available to improve the energy efficiency in residential buildings, these interventions can have a significant impact on occupant well-being. This paper presents a systematic review of the impact of passive retrofits on indoor environmental quality (IEQ) in residential buildings. It covers the literature published from study locations in the United States from 2000 to 2023. Although there are existing reviews that address the energy efficiency of passive retrofits, systematic reviews that assess the impact of passive retrofit strategies on IEQ in residential buildings in the United States are rare. Therefore, a bibliometric analysis for temporal, geographic, and climate distribution, alongside a thematic analysis for performance indicators, key takeaways, and limitations in the existing literature, is performed. The review results indicate that retrofit strategies that improve energy efficiency should also focus on improving the indoor built environment. Furthermore, among the studies that do address IEQ, acoustic comfort and visual comfort are largely not addressed, and interactions between the IEQ aspects require further exploration. Based on the review findings, recommendations are suggested to advance practice and research, including assessment of interactions among distinct aspects of IEQ, integrating the impacts of climate change, design of comprehensive frameworks and guidelines, and additional financial incentives for building retrofitting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study presents findings of a data collection campaign conducted in 61 residential buildings in England during the summer of 2022, aiming to investigate the factors influencing 1) window usage, and 2) activation and deactivation of mechanical ventilation systems, and 3) the correlation between the residential soundscape, landscape, individual noise sensitivity, and the significance attributed to the external acoustic environment in determining window usage. The survey, covering 55 dwellings reliant on windows for ventilation, highlights that window opening is predominantly driven by perceived indoor air quality (PIAQ) and thermal comfort concerns. Conversely, the acoustic factor ranks first in prompting window closure, alongside considerations related to perceived cold, safety concerns, excessive drafts, and insect intrusion. Within the 6 dwellings utilizing manually controlled mechanical ventilation, ventilation needs emerges as the predominant factor triggering system activation, followed by considerations related to thermal comfort and PIAQ. Reasons for system deactivation primarily involve a preference for window opening, excessive drafts, and, secondarily, excessive noise or thermal discomfort, with participant-voiced concerns about operational costs. The significance attributed to the external acoustic environment in determining window usage is mainly independent of perceived sound sources, measured loudness, or soundscape content. However, higher acoustic comfort scores correlate with a greater willingness to open windows for an acoustic contact. Interestingly, noise sensitivity modulates the importance attached to the external acoustic context when interacting with the window (odds ratio: 1.04). The study underscores the need of incorporating noise sensitivity as a relevant individual factor in models simulating window closing behaviour. • Window opening and HVAC operation are mainly driven by thermal and IAQ factors. • Outdoor acoustic contact drives window opening more in comfortable contexts. • Outdoor noise is relevant for window closing, especially for noise sensitive people. • Noise sensitivity to be considered in future research on window opening behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The poor acoustic quality in educational buildings is a prevalent issue that can significantly influence teachers' and students' health, comfort, and performance. An integrative literature study was conducted to understand the current research on acoustic quality in educational buildings. The study aimed to identify (1) common research topics related to acoustics in educational buildings, (2) methods that were used to collect and analyze data in previous relevant studies, and (3) knowledge gaps that need to be addressed to evaluate and enhance acoustic quality in educational buildings. In total, 206 relevant studies collected from the Web of Science database were reviewed and analyzed. Three research topics emerged based on the co-occurrence links between terms in the abstract and title of these papers: acoustic conditions and improvements in educational buildings, impacts of acoustic quality in educational buildings on students' performance, and impacts of acoustic quality on teachers' and students' health. Four commonly employed data collection methods and three analysis methods were identified, and their advantages and disadvantages were discussed. Gaps in the research topics, methods, and ways of improvement were discussed to highlight directions for future research in the acoustics field. Two individually controlled acoustic improvement methods and the interaction effects between acoustic quality and other environmental factors were suggested to be considered for future studies. Furthermore, this study advocated incorporating electroencephalography (EEG) and machine learning techniques in future research to gain deeper insights into the effects of acoustic quality on occupants in educational buildings. • Studies on acoustic comfort in educational buildings were reviewed. • Three research topics were identified based on bibliometric networks. • Commonly employed data collection and data analysis methods were discussed. • Suggestions on future research topics and methods were proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]