Articles tagged “speech privacy”
26 articles covering speech privacy in acoustic engineering and building design.
Open Plan Office Acoustics: Why 73% of WELL Submissions Fail
Why 73% of WELL Building Standard acoustic submissions fail on sound masking and speech privacy, with ISO 3382-3 metrics and proven treatment strategies.
Speech Transmission Index (STI): What It Is and Why Your Building Might Fail
Learn how Speech Transmission Index (STI) is calculated per IEC 60268-16, why buildings fail speech intelligibility tests, and how to fix poor STI scores.
How is STI Measured?
STI (Speech Transmission Index) is measured using modulation transfer functions derived from impulse responses or STIPA test signals. Learn the full-band and STIPA methods per IEC 60268-16.
What is Acoustic Privacy? Controlling Who Hears What
Acoustic privacy is the condition where speech cannot be understood by unintended listeners. Learn STC requirements, speech privacy classes, masking systems, and open-plan vs closed-office strategies.
Acoustic Privacy in Healthcare — HIPAA, SPC & Speech Intelligibility | AcousPlan
HIPAA acoustic requirements, Speech Privacy Class (ASTM E2638), healthcare consultation room design, and exam room STC requirements for medical facilities.
Ceiling Attenuation Class (CAC) — Speech Privacy Above the Ceiling | AcousPlan
CAC rating explained: ASTM E1414 test method, how open plenums destroy wall STC, CAC ratings for common ceiling tiles, and plenum barrier strategies for speech privacy.
Sound Masking Design Guide 2026 — Spectrum, Level & Speaker Layout | AcousPlan
Complete sound masking design guide 2026: target spectrum shape, levels by space type, speaker spacing calculation, and commissioning procedure per ASTM E1130.
Coworking Acoustics — Why Phone Booths Are a Symptom, Not a Solution | AcousPlan
Phone booths treat 2% of floor area while 98% stays noisy. ISO 3382-3 D2,S analysis shows ceiling treatment + masking outperforms booths 3:1 on cost.
Open Plan Office Acoustics — 5 Design Failures That Guarantee Complaints | AcousPlan
Open plan offices fail because of 5 specific design decisions. ISO 3382-3 D2,S data proves it. Learn the fixes with real before/after measurements.
Sound Masking System Design: Spectrum, Level, and Coverage Calculation
Design a sound masking system for a 500 m² open office from scratch: masking spectrum, required level, speaker spacing, and before/after Articulation Index.
Speech Privacy in Open Offices Is Physically Impossible Without Sound Masking
Acoustic panels and high partitions cannot achieve Normal speech privacy in an open office without sound masking. Here's the physics proof with ASTM E1130 calculations and real numbers.
What Is Sound Masking? — How Adding Noise Creates Privacy
Sound masking adds engineered background noise to make speech unintelligible at a distance, creating acoustic privacy without physical barriers. Learn how it works, where it is used, and how to specify it correctly.
Open Office Speech Privacy — Why You Can Hear Everything and How to Fix It
Your open office has an Articulation Index of 0.45 — that is Poor privacy. Here is the calculation per ASTM E1130 and the 3 changes that fix it.
Sound Masking Specification Guide — How to Write an Acoustic Masking Spec per ASTM E1130
A complete specification guide for sound masking systems in offices. Target levels, spectrum curves, speaker placement, and the ASTM E1130 framework.
How to Pass WELL v2 Feature 74 Acoustics First Time — The 8-Step Process
73% of WELL F74 acoustic assessments fail Part 3 on first submission. This 8-step process prevents every common failure mode before assessment — from early-stage RT60 design through post-construction STI verification.
Office Acoustic Design 2026: WELL v2, Activity-Based Working, and the Hybrid Office
The complete guide to office acoustic design for 2026 — covering activity-based working zones, hybrid office layouts, WELL v2 Feature 74 compliance, sound masking, privacy distance, and ISO 3382-3 open plan parameters. Includes a worked example for a 500 m² hybrid office with three acoustic zones.
Why Sabine's Formula Gives Wrong Results in Open Plan Offices
Sabine's formula assumes a perfectly diffuse sound field — uniform energy density throughout the room. Open plan offices violate this assumption completely. Here is why standard RT60 calculation fails for open offices and what ISO 3382-1 Annex A recommends instead.
Speech Privacy Index (SPI): How to Measure and Achieve Acoustic Privacy
A technical guide to the Speech Privacy Index (SPI) per ASTM E1130: how it relates to STI and AI, the three elements that determine privacy, privacy classification thresholds, and practical design strategies for offices, healthcare, and open plan environments.
State of Office Acoustics 2026 — Data from 500 WELL Assessments
A comprehensive analysis of acoustic performance data from 500 WELL v2 assessments worldwide. Covers RT60 distributions, common failure modes in Feature 74, regional differences between UK, US, and Australia, and the trends reshaping office acoustics in 2026.
Why Your WELL Acoustic Certification Will Fail: The 5 Errors Most Architects Make
Five calculation errors that cause WELL v2 Feature 74 acoustic certifications to fail at assessment stage — each with the specific number that trips the design. Passing RT60 is necessary but not sufficient. Here is what WELL assessors actually check.
WELL AP Exam: Acoustic Questions Study Guide — Every Feature 74 Detail You Need to Know
Comprehensive study guide for WELL AP exam acoustic questions covering Feature 74 (Sound) Parts 1-3, RT60 thresholds, background noise criteria, STI calculations, and speech privacy requirements. Includes practice questions with explained answers.
Free WELL v2 Feature 74 Acoustic Calculator — Generate Your Compliance Report
Calculate WELL v2 Feature 74 acoustic compliance free. Parts 1, 2, and 3. RT60, background noise, and speech privacy (STI) checked simultaneously. Generate a WELL F74 compliance report in PDF format.
BS 8233 vs WELL v2 Feature 74 — When You Have to Meet Both and What Changes
UK buildings targeting WELL certification must satisfy both BS 8233 (UK mandatory reference) and WELL v2 Feature 74 (voluntary certification). When the two standards conflict — WELL's Part 3 STI requirement has no BS 8233 equivalent — WELL wins.
Open Plan vs Enclosed Offices: The Acoustic Trade-offs That Determine Workplace Satisfaction
Open plan offices cost 40-60% less per desk but generate 3x more acoustic complaints. Enclosed offices provide speech privacy but reduce collaboration. Here is the acoustic comparison with STI measurements, distraction distance data, WELL compliance pathways, and the hybrid compromise that works.
Open Plan Office Acoustic Design: The Complete Guide (WELL v2 | BS 8233 | ISO 3382)
The definitive guide to open plan office acoustics covering WELL v2 Sound features, BS 8233 targets, ISO 3382-3 open plan parameters, sound masking, and the ABC rule. Includes worked examples, compliance checklists, and cost analysis for 200-2000m² floor plates.
WELL v2 Feature 74 Decoded: Every Acoustic Requirement, Every Calculation, Every Clause
WELL Building Standard v2 Feature 74 has three parts with different requirements for RT60, background noise, and speech privacy. Most WELL assessors fail Part 3 because the speech privacy STI calculation is never written down in one place — until now.