Effects of the location of sound masking loudspeakers on cognitive performance in open-plan offices: Local sound masking is as efficient as conventional sound masking

Renz, Tobias; Leistner, Philip; Liebl, Andreas

doi:10.1016/j.apacoust.2018.04.003

Cited by 8 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 47 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…While living labs have not been broadly adopted in the building sciences, recent field and chamber investigations successfully applied aspects of the approach, such as extensive environmental sensor networks, novel behavioral measurements, and/or wearable devices, to measure human outcomes in realistic or semirealistic settings. Examples include a chamber study evaluating the impact of air quality on cognitive performance [57]; a classroom study on personal fan use, thermal comfort, and cognitive performance [58]; an office study evaluating sound masking approaches and cognitive function [59]; a large-scale office study identifying workplace interactions from wearable and stationary sensors [60]; and an evaluation of office layout and its impact on collaboration [21].…”

Section: Experimental Design In Building Sciencementioning

confidence: 99%

The Spatial and Temporal Variability of the Indoor Environmental Quality during Three Simulated Office Studies at a Living Lab

et al. 2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The living lab approach to building science research provides the ability to accurately monitor occupants and their environment and use the resulting data to evaluate the impact that various components of the built environment have on human comfort, health, and well-being. A hypothesized benefit of the living lab approach is the ability to simulate the real indoor environment in an experimentally controlled setting over relatively long periods of time, overcoming a significant hurdle encountered in many chamber-type experimental designs that rarely reflect typical indoor environments. Here, we present indoor environmental quality measurements from a network of sensors as well as building system design and operational data demonstrating the ability of a living lab to realistically simulate a wide range of environmental conditions in an office setting by varying air temperature, lighting, façade control, and sound masking in a series of three human subject experiments. The temporal variability of thermal and lighting conditions was assessed on an hourly basis and demonstrated the significant impact of façade design and control on desk-level measurements of both factors. Additional factors, such as desk layout and building system design (e.g., luminaires, speaker system), also contributed significantly to spatial variability in air temperature, lighting, and sound masking exposures, and this variability was reduced in latter experiments by optimizing desk layout and building system design. While ecologically valid experimental conditions are possible with a living lab, a compromise between realism and consistency in participant experience must often be found by, for example, using an atypical desk layout to reduce spatial variability in natural light exposure. Based on the experiences from these three studies, experimental design and environmental monitoring considerations for future office-based living lab experiments are explored.

show abstract

Section: Experimental Design In Building Sciencementioning

confidence: 99%

The Spatial and Temporal Variability of the Indoor Environmental Quality during Three Simulated Office Studies at a Living Lab

et al. 2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Bei diesem Aufsatz handelt es sich um eine gekürzte Fassung eines kürzlich in der Applied Acoustics erschienen Artikels [43].…”

Section: Hinweisunclassified

Sound Masking in Büroumgebungen

2019

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Zur Verringerung der Störwirkung sind die Bedämpfung und Reduktion störender Sprache erforderlich. Die akustische Gestaltung im Büro kann sowohl die Nutzerzufriedenheit als auch die Arbeitsleistung deutlich beeinflussen [7]. Dieses Ziel kann nur dann erreicht werden, wenn mehrere Aspekte zu einer ganzheitlichen Lösung zusammengeführt werden: 1) die architektonische und organisatorische Gestaltung des Büros, 2) die Berücksichtigung gleichmäßig schallabsorbierender Oberflächen, 3) die Einbringung schirmender Elemente, 4) die Erzeugung eines konstanten Hintergrundgeräuschpegels. Sound Masking, sprich das Einbringen eines definierten Geräusches in eine Bürofläche, kann die Störwirkung durch Hintergrundsprache verringern. Konventionelle Sound Masking-Systeme bestehen meist aus in der Decke eingebauten Lautsprechern in einem Raster von 2 -4 m. Personalisierte Sound Masking Systeme, bei denen Lautsprecher lokal in Arbeitsplatznähe positioniert sind, sind bislang wenig erforscht. Bei solchen Systemen beeinflusst die Positionierung der Lautsprecher die Wirksamkeit. Der Aufsatz beschreibt die Ergebnisse eines Hörversuchs, der in einem Mehrpersonenbüro in laborähnlichen Bedingungen durchgeführt wurde. Die Versuchsteilnehmer bearbeiteten eine Aufgabe zur Messung der Kurzzeitgedächtnisleistung und einen Fragebogen unter zwölf Schallbedingungen. Die kognitive Leistung der Versuchspersonen war niedriger, wenn das Maskierungssignal und die Sprache aus unterschiedlichen horizontalen Richtungen anstatt aus der gleichen Richtung wiedergegeben wurden. Ein ähnlicher Effekt wurde beobachtet, wenn das Maskierungssignal über ein konventionelles System mit Deckenlautsprechern wiedergegeben wurde. Dieser Nachteil trat nicht auf, wenn die Deckenlautsprecher auch zwischen 100 und 200 Hz Schallenergie abgaben. Da die Maskierung mit konventionellen Deckenlautsprechern weder zu niedrigeren Fehlerraten führte noch als weniger lästig bewertet wurde, kann daraus geschlossen werden, dass das personalisierte Sound Masking-System genauso wirksam wie das konventionelle System war. Stichworte Mehrpersonenbüro; Lärm; Hintergrundsprache; Kognitive Leistung; Schallmaskierung Sound Masking in Office Environments Personalized and conventional systems can increase the cognitive performance: Sound masking, which denotes the specific creation of a background sound field, can reduce the disturbance by irrelevant background speech in open-plan offices. Conventional sound masking loudspeakers are usually positioned in the ceiling within a grid spacing of 2-4 meters. Personalized sound masking architectures with close-by sound masking loudspeaker positions are still subject to research. Such systems may depend on spatial masking release, and hence the loudspeaker position may have an impact on the efficiency. This paper reports on a study in an open-plan office with laboratory-like conditions. The subjects performed a serial recall task and completed a questionnaire during twelve different sound conditions. With regard to serial recall performance, a disadvantage...

show abstract

“…To overcome many of these issues, sound masking systems are often added to work environments to protect occupants' speech privacy. Properly-designed sound masking systems have been shown to lower stress levels and, therefore, affect performance on simple attention tasks [20][21][22][23]. However, these findings conflict with those outlining occupants' increased annoyance with these systems and reports that they afford distractions [24] and health concerns [25].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Commissioning the Acoustical Performance of an Open Office Space Following the Latest Healthy Building Standard: A Case Study

et al. 2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Healthy building design guides are cogent and necessary. While elements that contribute to healthy buildings are multifactorial, the perception of sound versus noise is subjective and difficult to operationalize. To inform the commissioning process, the acoustics in an open office was examined following the first international building certification system that focuses on the well-being of occupants. Results highlight the role facility managers play in ensuring acoustical quality and offer suggestions to optimize healthy building rating systems. Mixed empirical evidence concerning the advantages of open office designs exists, as does evidence that noise, and a lack of privacy, affects workers’ levels of distraction and dissatisfaction. Sound masking systems can lower stress levels and augment performance. However, the sound produced by these systems can also be disruptive; conflicting information exists for facility managers to use when making decisions. The results suggest that, although objective measurements and healthy building guidelines for designing satisfactory indoor acoustic environments are important, changes to the physical environment, and acoustical systems, in particular, require iterative subjective assessments within the retrofit process to bolster occupant satisfaction. Mixed-methodologies used in this study may aid facilities managers in capturing and interpreting occupant data about physical stimuli in the workplace and improving the commissioning process.

show abstract

Effects of the location of sound masking loudspeakers on cognitive performance in open-plan offices: Local sound masking is as efficient as conventional sound masking

Cited by 8 publications

References 47 publications

The Spatial and Temporal Variability of the Indoor Environmental Quality during Three Simulated Office Studies at a Living Lab

The Spatial and Temporal Variability of the Indoor Environmental Quality during Three Simulated Office Studies at a Living Lab

Sound Masking in Büroumgebungen

Commissioning the Acoustical Performance of an Open Office Space Following the Latest Healthy Building Standard: A Case Study

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About