Buildings

Research

35 pages, 5287 KB

Open AccessArticle

Development of Noise Barrier Made from Recycled Plastic and Rubber Granule Hemp Shive Panels

by Robert Ružickij, Tomas Astrauskas, Jolita Bradulienė, Andrej Naimušin, Mantas Pranskevičius and Tomas Januševičius

Buildings 2026, 16(7), 1294; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings16071294 (registering DOI) - 25 Mar 2026

Viewed by 176

Abstract

Noise pollution has become an increasingly discussed environmental problem in recent years. Developing a traffic infrastructure and recent sustainability goals require new solutions to mitigate noise pollution. This paper investigates the efficiency of the noise barrier made entirely of recycled materials. This solution [...] Read more.

Noise pollution has become an increasingly discussed environmental problem in recent years. Developing a traffic infrastructure and recent sustainability goals require new solutions to mitigate noise pollution. This paper investigates the efficiency of the noise barrier made entirely of recycled materials. This solution would help achieve the United Nations sustainable development goals (SDGs). The proposed barrier target SDGs are: Good Health and Well-being (SDG 3); Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure (SDG 9); Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11); Climate Action (SDG 13). The changed barrier parameters were the parameters of the perforated panel and the air gap behind the porous material. To solve the optimisation problem, the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method was used. The results showed that the proposed barrier configuration was the following: perforation shape—round, perforation diameter—5 mm, increment angle perforation—30°, thickness of the perforated panel—10 mm, porous absorbing material (composite rubber granule and hemp shive panel (RGHS))—50 mm thick, 20% of hemp shive content, air gap between absorbing material and the rigid backing—100 mm. The total thickness of the noise barrier was 180 mm. The acoustic parameters of the noise barrier structure were: α_avg. = 0.24, peaking at 0.51 (1250 Hz) and R_W = 39.7 ± 1.0 dB. These results indicate that the proposed barrier made of recycled materials could be a sustainable alternative for noise pollution mitigation and improving people’s quality of life. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Acoustics and Well-Being: Towards Healthy Environments)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 367 KB

Open AccessArticle

Generating and Structuring Perceptual Attributes for Dining-Space Soundscapes: A Preparatory Study for PCA Modeling

by Han Zhang, Andrew Mitchell, Jian Kang and Francesco Aletta

Buildings 2026, 16(5), 1019; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings16051019 - 5 Mar 2026

Viewed by 225

Abstract

In soundscape studies, several models of perceived affective quality have been developed for specific indoor spaces to help characterize comfortable and satisfying environments. However, no model has been developed so far for dining spaces and the validity of existing models proposed for other [...] Read more.

In soundscape studies, several models of perceived affective quality have been developed for specific indoor spaces to help characterize comfortable and satisfying environments. However, no model has been developed so far for dining spaces and the validity of existing models proposed for other indoor contexts, like residential buildings and offices, in dining spaces settings remains uncertain. Therefore, this sequential mixed-method study was conducted to establish a list of attributes that researchers may use to describe dining space soundscapes, which will help in developing an indoor soundscape model for dining spaces. A total of 505 potential attributes were identified and collected through multiple approaches including a Large Language Model-driven synthesis and a systematic review of literature related to dining space soundscapes. Subsequently, the original attributes were refined using qualitative analysis methods in several steps, resulting in a final set of 129 single-word attributes, clustered into 53 semantically coherent groups. This set of attributes will contribute to identifying the main perceptual dimensions of dining space soundscapes and constructing a principal components model through quantitative analyses, while the proposed methodology integrates an LLM-driven synthesis with iterative qualitative expert refinement and offers a more efficient and scalable alternative to conventional labor-intensive manual descriptor extraction for attribute collection, therefore supporting efficient and scalable attribute compilation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Acoustics and Well-Being: Towards Healthy Environments)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

24 pages, 5944 KB

Open AccessArticle

A Study on the Redesign of Hospital Outpatient Halls Based on Acoustic Environment Requirements

by Zhirui Zhu, Xianfeng Huang, Guangrong Wu, Jiangda Qin and Zhuocheng Zhang

Buildings 2026, 16(4), 808; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings16040808 - 16 Feb 2026

Viewed by 460

Abstract

The acoustic design of outpatient halls is often ignored, yet the acoustic environment significantly impacts patients’ physical and mental well-being as well as their visit experience. This paper takes the outpatient hall of a hospital in South China as a case, employs in-situ [...] Read more.

The acoustic design of outpatient halls is often ignored, yet the acoustic environment significantly impacts patients’ physical and mental well-being as well as their visit experience. This paper takes the outpatient hall of a hospital in South China as a case, employs in-situ acoustic measurement, and conducts a quantitative analysis of its indoor acoustic environment through acoustic simulation. The in-situ measurements show that the noise level, speech intelligibility and reverberation time in the hall all fail to meet standard requirements. The poor acoustic quality is mainly due to the lack of acoustic design. Consequently, this study proposes measures to improve the outpatient hall’s acoustic environment from two aspects, namely sound absorption and building form design. These measures include sound absorption treatment, adjustment of the hall’s floor height and optimization of planar length-to-width ratio. The redesigned outpatient hall plan demonstrates an evident enhancement in acoustic quality and validates the effectiveness of the proposed redesign strategy. This study can provide practical guidance for the design and acoustic renovation of healthcare buildings and can also offer new insights for the redesign of hospital outpatient halls from the perspective of improving the acoustic environments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Acoustics and Well-Being: Towards Healthy Environments)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

28 pages, 15837 KB

Open AccessArticle

3D Impulse Response Analysis and Acoustic Signature for the Sound Heritage of the Campo Pequeno Bullring in Lisbon, Portugal

by Manuel Martín-Castizo, Sara Girón and Miguel Galindo

Buildings 2026, 16(1), 232; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings16010232 - 5 Jan 2026

Viewed by 335

Abstract

Bullfighting in the bullrings of the Iberian Peninsula, with its most direct antecedent in the Roman amphitheatre, represents an established tradition that has been exported to the Americas. Bullfighting in Portugal shares general aspects with the bullfighting culture in neighbouring Spain. However, in [...] Read more.

Bullfighting in the bullrings of the Iberian Peninsula, with its most direct antecedent in the Roman amphitheatre, represents an established tradition that has been exported to the Americas. Bullfighting in Portugal shares general aspects with the bullfighting culture in neighbouring Spain. However, in Portugal, particular aspects are present: there is a preference for horseback bullfighting (cavaleiros) and forcados (a special type of bullfighting), and the bull is not killed in the ring. In this work, the authors aim to contribute to the acoustic narrative of bullfighting by linking architecture with the sounds of voice, environment, music, and silence that manifest in the emblematic Campo Pequeno bullring in Lisbon, thereby providing valuable information regarding its unknown intangible acoustic heritage. The presence of a mobile roof increases the number of reflections in the bullring, leads to a more linear energy decay, and prevents the acoustic inconveniences of roofless performance venues. The 3D impulse response measurements enable an overall monaural parametric analysis, together with the analysis of the distribution of sound energy in the time–frequency domain of early reflections, to determine the acoustic signature of the venue complemented with the direction of arrival of these early reflections. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Acoustics and Well-Being: Towards Healthy Environments)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

21 pages, 13280 KB

Open AccessArticle

An Airborne and Impact Sound Insulation Analysis of 3D Woven Textiles on the Floor in Buildings

by Ngan Thanh Vu, Won-Kee Hong and Seong-Kyum Kim

Buildings 2025, 15(20), 3643; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15203643 - 10 Oct 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1033

Abstract

Noise has detrimental effects on mental and physical health and quality of life, especially for those living in apartment buildings. Therefore, sound insulation materials are pivotal for reducing unwanted noise as well as enhancing acoustic comfort. This study offers a hybrid approach for [...] Read more.

Noise has detrimental effects on mental and physical health and quality of life, especially for those living in apartment buildings. Therefore, sound insulation materials are pivotal for reducing unwanted noise as well as enhancing acoustic comfort. This study offers a hybrid approach for analyzing 3D woven textile sound insulation material effectiveness, especially in residential buildings, by simulating airborne sound insulation and testing manufactured slab samples with 3D woven textile mortars in a laboratory using a tapping machine. At the same time, the JCA model and the transfer matrix method are employed to calibrate sound absorption coefficients (SAC) and simulate its airborne sound insulation effect in buildings in Seoul, South Korea. Results indicate that the maximum mean sound pressure level (SPL) of the 3D woven textile was reduced up to 9 dB in the octave band frequencies. The thickness improvement of 3D woven textiles enhances the mid- and high-frequency sound absorption effect, most pronounced in 3D woven textiles made of double-layer (DSRM) material, which demonstrated an air sound insulation efficiency around 28.5% greater than that of traditional materials. The maximum drop in impact sound pressure level (SPL) at 2 kHz is 13 dB. The study also proposes a strategy to optimize sound insulation performance, which is used as an effective solution for noise control in buildings. These findings lay the groundwork for research on the application of 3D woven textiles for sound insulation in residential buildings and offer prospects for sustainable textile composites in architectural building applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Acoustics and Well-Being: Towards Healthy Environments)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 2154 KB

Open AccessArticle

Soundscape Preferences and Cultural Ecosystem Services in the Grand Canal National Cultural Park: A Case Study of Tongzhou Forest Park

by Linqing Mao, Hongyu Hou, Ziting Xia and Xin Zhang

Buildings 2025, 15(13), 2360; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15132360 - 5 Jul 2025

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1134

Abstract

As research on national cultural parks advances, the significance of conducting multi-dimensional perception evaluations of their cultural ecosystem services (CESs) becomes increasingly apparent. This study examines the eight dimensions of CESs within the Grand Canal National Cultural Park from the perspective of soundscape [...] Read more.

As research on national cultural parks advances, the significance of conducting multi-dimensional perception evaluations of their cultural ecosystem services (CESs) becomes increasingly apparent. This study examines the eight dimensions of CESs within the Grand Canal National Cultural Park from the perspective of soundscape preference. Using Tongzhou Grand Canal Forest Park as a case study, five categories of soundscapes comprising 19 sound sources were identified through the analysis of online textual data. This study then collected public preferences and perceptions of these five soundscapes via on-site questionnaires and analyzed the data using SPSS26 for correlation and IPA analyses. The results indicate that the overall evaluation of the park’s CESs is positive. There is a significant mutual influence between soundscape preference and CES perception. Specifically, the preference for natural soundscape significantly impacts the evaluation of each CES dimension, while satisfaction with leisure and entertainment is positively correlated with preferences for all types of soundscapes. Additionally, there are notable differences in soundscape preference among different age groups. These findings not only enhance our understanding of soundscape planning in national cultural parks but also provide valuable guidance for their management and design. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Acoustics and Well-Being: Towards Healthy Environments)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

24 pages, 2293 KB

Open AccessArticle

Research on the Healing Effect of the Waterscapes in Chinese Classical Gardens in Audiovisual Interaction

by Zhigao Zhai, Luning Cao, Qinhan Li, Zheng Gong, Li Guo and Deshun Zhang

Buildings 2025, 15(13), 2310; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15132310 - 1 Jul 2025

Viewed by 1411

Abstract

As an important part of world cultural heritage, waterscapes in Chinese classical gardens are renowned for their unique design, rich cultural connotations, and distinctive esthetic value. However, objective studies of their impact on mental health are lacking. This paper focuses on Xishu Garden, [...] Read more.

As an important part of world cultural heritage, waterscapes in Chinese classical gardens are renowned for their unique design, rich cultural connotations, and distinctive esthetic value. However, objective studies of their impact on mental health are lacking. This paper focuses on Xishu Garden, a Chinese classical garden, and examines four types of waterscapes (for a total of twelve) using eye-tracking technology and the Perceived Restorativeness Scale (PRS). The aim of this study is to explore the restorative effects of different types of waterscapes with visual and audiovisual conditions, with particular attention paid to their mechanisms of action. The research results indicate that (1) waterscapes with an audiovisual interaction have a greater restorative value; (2) dynamic waterscapes have greater visual appeal than still landscapes do, but the latter have stronger environmentally restorative effects; and (3) the visual behavioral characteristics of waterscapes change during audiovisual interactions. This study contributes theoretical support for the maintenance and enhancement of Chinese classical gardens and the planning and design of modern urban green spaces, and it enriches our understanding of the role of waterscapes in restorative environments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Acoustics and Well-Being: Towards Healthy Environments)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

27 pages, 3004 KB

Open AccessArticle

Designing for Neonates’ Wellness: Differences in the Reverberation Time Between an Incubator Located in an Open Unit and in a Private Room of a NICU

by Virginia Puyana-Romero, Daniel Nuñez-Solano, Ricardo Hernández-Molina, Francisco Fernández-Zacarías, Juan Jimenez and Giuseppe Ciaburro

Buildings 2025, 15(9), 1411; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15091411 - 22 Apr 2025

Viewed by 1232

Abstract

Noise levels in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) significantly impact neonatal health, influencing stress levels, sleep cycles, and overall development. One critical factor in managing noise is reverberation time (T), which affects sound persistence and acoustic comfort. This study, conducted at the Universidad [...] Read more.

Noise levels in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) significantly impact neonatal health, influencing stress levels, sleep cycles, and overall development. One critical factor in managing noise is reverberation time (T), which affects sound persistence and acoustic comfort. This study, conducted at the Universidad de Las Américas in Quito, Ecuador, examines T in two NICU room types—open unit and private room. Measurements were taken in simulated environments to assess acoustic differences between these two designs. Results indicate that T is significantly lower in private rooms compared to open units, suggesting that private rooms provide a more controlled and acoustically favorable environment for neonates. Lower T reduces excessive noise exposure, improving sleep quality and minimizing stress responses in preterm infants. Furthermore, the findings align with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), by advocating for hospital designs that enhance patient health and promote sustainable infrastructure. These results highlight the importance of integrating acoustically optimized spaces in NICUs to improve neonatal outcomes and contribute to a more sustainable healthcare system. Future research should further explore architectural solutions for noise reduction to refine NICU design standards. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Acoustics and Well-Being: Towards Healthy Environments)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Acoustics and Well-Being: Towards Healthy Environments

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

Published Papers (8 papers)

Research

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI