Andrea Harman, Concept developer for Healthcare for Saint-Gobain Ecophon, discusses some of the key considerations and steps to create a quieter, more calming, recovery environment for service-users in mental healthcare settings, and some of the things to avoid
When a space feels comfortable and safe it helps our physical and emotional security, enabling us to relax and feel calm. When entering and using a building our feelings of comfort are based on a variety of sensory inputs, and sound is a key part of this. When we are happy with the sound in a space we don’t usually consider it, but when it has a negative impact it is often a cause of complaint.
Interpretation of sound has evolved through human history, but is also affected by personal memories, experience, social and cultural conditioning, bias, and context. So, our response to sound can be individual; the same sound source can lead to a different response in different people, or in the same person when they are in a different mood, or undertaking a different task.
Drawbacks of alarm sounds long-term
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