In many high-performance homes, energy efficiency and airtightness are prioritized, but acoustic comfort is often overlooked. Acoustic comfort is not only about reducing noise—it also affects speech clarity, stress levels, and overall indoor wellbeing. As open-plan layouts and lightweight construction become more common, sound can travel more easily, and hard surfaces can increase reverberation.
A common misconception is that soundproofing and acoustic comfort are the same. Soundproofing focuses on reducing sound transmission between rooms, while acoustic treatment comfort deals with how sound behaves inside a space. A room can be well insulated from external noise yet still feel “loud” due to echoes and long reverberation times.
To improve acoustic comfort, designers should consider room geometry, material selection, and internal noise sources early in the design process. Simple measures such as adding soft furnishings or strategically placing absorptive surfaces can help, but in many cases, targeted acoustic panels provide a more effective solution. These panels can reduce reverberation and improve speech intelligibility without affecting thermal performance or ventilation strategies.
Ultimately, acoustic comfort is a key component of indoor environmental quality (IEQ). As occupants spend more time indoors, sound quality should be treated as a core element of healthy, high-performance residential design.