Exploring Soundscape Assessment Methods in Office Environments: A Systematic Review

The application of the soundscape approach is becoming increasingly prevalent in the evaluation of indoor acoustic environments, including office environments. However, the formalisation and standardisation of soundscape assessment methods for offices remain in the early stages, highlighting the nee...

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Main Authors: Zulfi Rachman, Francesco Aletta, Jian Kang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-10-01
Series:Buildings
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/14/11/3408
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author Zulfi Rachman
Francesco Aletta
Jian Kang
author_facet Zulfi Rachman
Francesco Aletta
Jian Kang
author_sort Zulfi Rachman
collection DOAJ
description The application of the soundscape approach is becoming increasingly prevalent in the evaluation of indoor acoustic environments, including office environments. However, the formalisation and standardisation of soundscape assessment methods for offices remain in the early stages, highlighting the need for further development. This systematic review explores the methods and factors involved in soundscape assessments within office environments, which are intended to contribute to creating or improving comprehensive and widely accepted protocols. This review includes 41 studies, revealing that questionnaires (n = 36) are the most commonly used subjective tools, occasionally supplemented by interviews (n = 1). Some studies employ a combination of questionnaire and interview (n = 2), questionnaire and discussion (n = 1), or all three methods—questionnaire, interview, and discussion (n = 1). Meanwhile, direct acoustic measurements (n = 28) and cognitive tasks (n = 14) are often employed for objective evaluations. Additionally, the review categorises factors involved in objective and subjective soundscape assessments into acoustic and non-acoustic elements. It also identifies tools frequently used to assess the correlation between soundscapes and physical and psychological well-being. Collectively, this review underscores the critical factors for comprehensive soundscape assessments in office environments.
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spelling doaj-art-31baeb7e68964ef0a95e8a163a313ac92025-08-20T02:08:08ZengMDPI AGBuildings2075-53092024-10-011411340810.3390/buildings14113408Exploring Soundscape Assessment Methods in Office Environments: A Systematic ReviewZulfi Rachman0Francesco Aletta1Jian Kang2UCL Institute for Environmental Design and Engineering, The Bartlett, University College London (UCL), Central House, 14 Upper Woburn Place, London WC1H 0NN, UKUCL Institute for Environmental Design and Engineering, The Bartlett, University College London (UCL), Central House, 14 Upper Woburn Place, London WC1H 0NN, UKUCL Institute for Environmental Design and Engineering, The Bartlett, University College London (UCL), Central House, 14 Upper Woburn Place, London WC1H 0NN, UKThe application of the soundscape approach is becoming increasingly prevalent in the evaluation of indoor acoustic environments, including office environments. However, the formalisation and standardisation of soundscape assessment methods for offices remain in the early stages, highlighting the need for further development. This systematic review explores the methods and factors involved in soundscape assessments within office environments, which are intended to contribute to creating or improving comprehensive and widely accepted protocols. This review includes 41 studies, revealing that questionnaires (n = 36) are the most commonly used subjective tools, occasionally supplemented by interviews (n = 1). Some studies employ a combination of questionnaire and interview (n = 2), questionnaire and discussion (n = 1), or all three methods—questionnaire, interview, and discussion (n = 1). Meanwhile, direct acoustic measurements (n = 28) and cognitive tasks (n = 14) are often employed for objective evaluations. Additionally, the review categorises factors involved in objective and subjective soundscape assessments into acoustic and non-acoustic elements. It also identifies tools frequently used to assess the correlation between soundscapes and physical and psychological well-being. Collectively, this review underscores the critical factors for comprehensive soundscape assessments in office environments.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/14/11/3408indoor soundscapeofficeoffice environmentsoundscape assessment
spellingShingle Zulfi Rachman
Francesco Aletta
Jian Kang
Exploring Soundscape Assessment Methods in Office Environments: A Systematic Review
Buildings
indoor soundscape
office
office environment
soundscape assessment
title Exploring Soundscape Assessment Methods in Office Environments: A Systematic Review
title_full Exploring Soundscape Assessment Methods in Office Environments: A Systematic Review
title_fullStr Exploring Soundscape Assessment Methods in Office Environments: A Systematic Review
title_full_unstemmed Exploring Soundscape Assessment Methods in Office Environments: A Systematic Review
title_short Exploring Soundscape Assessment Methods in Office Environments: A Systematic Review
title_sort exploring soundscape assessment methods in office environments a systematic review
topic indoor soundscape
office
office environment
soundscape assessment
url https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/14/11/3408
work_keys_str_mv AT zulfirachman exploringsoundscapeassessmentmethodsinofficeenvironmentsasystematicreview
AT francescoaletta exploringsoundscapeassessmentmethodsinofficeenvironmentsasystematicreview
AT jiankang exploringsoundscapeassessmentmethodsinofficeenvironmentsasystematicreview