Start with people
Begin by understanding who will use the building—not simply its function, but its occupants and their needs.
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People-First Acoustics
The Framework.
Designing buildings around the people who use them.
A practical framework for making human experience—not compliance alone—the measure of successful acoustic design.
Our belief
People experience buildings—not acoustic specifications. Standards are essential, but they are a means to an end rather than the end itself.
The framework
People before parameters.
People
Communication
Concentration
Participation
Wellbeing
Acoustic design
Architecture
Engineering
Operation
Commercial reality
Standards + evidence
Six principles
A better measure of success.
Design for experience
Create spaces that feel calm, comfortable and easy to communicate in, not only spaces that achieve a numerical target.
Use standards intelligently
Use standards to provide confidence and consistency. Let them inform design without allowing them to replace judgement.
Design for inclusion
Support different ages, hearing abilities and cognitive needs. Inclusive acoustic design creates better environments for everyone.
Balance competing needs
Balance communication, privacy, concentration, comfort, aesthetics, operation and cost rather than maximising a single parameter.
Measure human outcomes
Judge success by how well the acoustic environment enables people to use, understand and enjoy the building.
The design process
From understanding to improvement.
01
Understand people
02
Understand activities
03
Understand the space
04
Design the acoustic environment
05
Measure performance
06
Learn and improve
Five questions
Ask these on every project.
Who are we designing for?
What activities matter most?
What acoustic conditions will best support those activities?
How will we know the design has succeeded?
What evidence supports our decisions?
Buildings are designed for people. Their acoustics should be too.Read the manifesto