Poor concentration, disrupted sleep, cardiovascular disease, diminished performance, type-2 diabetes – this is not a list of side effects associated with common health risks such as excessive drinking or obesity, but instead a list of the potential consequences of an often-underestimated risk to your health: noise.
The WHO lists noise as the second-biggest environmental health risk within the European Union. Accordingly, the only greater threat to our health from our environment is air pollution. Surprised? You’re not alone – that’s because the side effects of noise are widely underestimated. One consequence of this is that planners either don’t integrate a building’s requirements in terms of room acoustics into construction projects at all, or only do so once it’s too late.
Why noise can make people ill
Whether and to what extent noise damages our health depends on a variety of factors. In a technical publication, the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) describes the negative effects of noise as a direct consequence of our evolution. According to the FOEN, our bodies are still programmed to perceive sounds as the sources of potential threats. Sounds can therefore be described as stressors that put our body in fight-or-flight mode. And it is this fight-or-flight response that indirectly causes these deleterious side effects: our bodies produce stress hormones, our blood pressure increases, our breathing grows rapid. In many instances, these reactions by our bodies to stress are associated with chronic illnesses, including of the cardiovascular system, the FOEN writes.
Noise is often preventable – with the right measures
The fact that noise continues to be underestimated as the source of many preventable diseases is also reflected in the planning and implementation of construction projects. Thus architects and planners often fail to take room acoustics into consideration, or only do so at a late stage. Modern concrete constructions with large windows only make the room acoustics worse. Luckily, the room acoustics can still be improved considerably even after the construction project has been completed. Akustik & Raum AG offers bespoke solutions for private and public clients and considerably reduces reverberation in spaces ranging from apartments, offices, restaurants and concert halls through to airports and train stations, using aesthetic and effective acoustic elements.
Our MAKUSTIK products are completely versatile
The elements of our innovative MAKUSTIK products offer high sound absorption and complete versatility. Usable as wall and ceiling cladding or in the form of cabinet fronts, the acoustic elements stylishly integrate into a whole range of environments. The application areas of these products are just as varied as the different functions of the MAKUSTIK innovations: FineMicro offers the highest perforation on the market with 467,000 holes per square metre, while FineMicro Secure is a composite fire protection solution that offers new possibilities for architects, planners and developers. Our FeinMikro solution with antibacterial surface properties has been developed for public facilities such as hospitals and schools where surfaces are touched, brushed against or used by countless people every day.
Get in touch with us to find out more about our bespoke acoustic solutions and experience room acoustics like never before. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn, to get the latest news about our innovations and products.
