In certain environments, such as health-care facilities, multifamily housing and fitness centers, the noise of clanging, banging, footfall, voices, and machinery can be pervasive and seemingly uncontrollable. Ecore, a company that transforms reclaimed materials into performance surfaces that make people’s lives better, now offers a continuing education unit (CEU) focused on unwanted sound as a public health hazard. The CEU program, titled “Secondhand Noise: Can Flooring Solve the Problem?”, is designed to increase awareness of the impact of sound and how savvy flooring specifications can help stop noise at the source.
Suited for architects, designers and building and facility owners in housing, health care, fitness and other settings, this course dives into the considerable negative impact noise has on public health, how noise moves through a building, and how specifying the right flooring has emerged as the most straightforward and cost-effective solution to the problem of unwanted sound generated inside buildings.
“Excessive, unwanted noise will bother anyone, but the health implications associated with noise are far more significant than most of us realize. In fact, studies have shown the negative impacts of environmental noise are higher than exposure to toxins, like radon and lead, and are on par with secondhand smoke,” says Bo Barber, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Ecore. “We’ve found flooring specification to be a lasting solution to significantly reducing noise, and we designed this CEU to provide insight on how making the right specifications can provide a quieter space and better wellbeing for those working and living in high-noise settings.”
Upon completing this CEU, attendees will understand how noise is a major public health issue and will be able to discuss current noise-control approaches, how noise is perceived versus measured, how it moves through a building and the role of flooring in reducing noise in the built environment. Through a series of practical case studies, participants will be equipped with examples of how savvy flooring specification can help to create a superior acoustical environment.
This CEU is registered with The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Continuing Education Systems and the Interior Design Continuing Education Council (IDCEC). Upon completion of this program, all participants will have their credits reported to AIA and IDCEC.