Interioor
Better acoustics start with listening. Poor acoustics in the classroom affect both students and teachers. Children may find it harder to concentrate and learn, while teachers can experience voice problems and become tired more quickly.
Interioor helps you improve the acoustics of classrooms in educational and healthcare institutions, where a healthy sound environment is especially important. Discover together how your space sounds. Only by listening consciously can you truly understand how a space sounds – and from there, make targeted improvements.
A practical tool, developed in collaboration with an architect, a sound designer, and an acoustics specialist. Interioor enables a class or group to listen to the acoustics of their classroom and 'tune' the space themselves.
For anyone who wants to make room for good sound. This workbook and inspiration guide is intended for teachers, but is also of interest to anyone who wants to approach acoustics in a creative, artistic way. With Interioor, we encourage people to personally and consciously adapt their sound environment.
“Sixth graders who attended class in a room next to a noisy subway line were nearly a year behind in reading skills compared to students who were taught in quiet classrooms; a difference that disappeared entirely once soundproofing materials were installed.”
– From: ‘The end of silence’ in The Atlantic.
We spend a lot of time thinking about how our spaces look, but we rarely – if ever – stop to consider how we want a space to sound. Yet the acoustics of a space are just as important; there are plenty of ways to work with them, even on a small scale.
As a teacher, what can you observe about acoustics and do with your students? Download the free Interioor workbook and inspiration guide. Get started right away with practical exercises and simple adjustments that really make a difference. Laat ons weten wat het oplevert!
About Interioor on Radio 2!
On Radio 2, Stijn from aifoon explained how a few simple changes can significantly improve speech intelligibility in the classroom: “One of the suggestions we make, for example, is to hang coats in the classroom during the winter instead of in the hallway. That improves the acoustics.”
A Sneak Peek
The video below from The_Faber (FandF entertainment) shows how sound-absorbing panels can significantly improve the acoustics of a room. The walls of this studio were covered in four phases with 36 square meters of foam panels for a total budget of about 500 euros. So even small changes can make a big difference!
Design for Impact
Interioor was further developed in collaboration with students from the Design For Impact-department of LUCA School of Arts program. They aim to use creative design to bring about social change. Stijn Dickel of aifoon explains the project in the video below.
Design for Impact 2021 from LUCA - Visual Design - Ghent on Vimeo.
Credits
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Interioor Think Tank: Leslie Burm (architect), Sigert De Jean (acoustics expert), Thomas Vertongen (sound designer), and Stijn Dickel (artistic director of aifoon)
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Implementation: Sterre De Vresse
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Reviewed and approved by: Lode Godderis (Professor of Environment and Health, KU Leuven) & Timothy Van Renterghem (Professor of Acoustics, UGent)
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Special thanks to: Marco Andriessens, Sofie Peyskens, Lisa Verniers, Lotte De Vuyst, Eva Coppens, Karen Coppens & Hannes Van Wynendaele (teachers)