Our bodies are always sensing the world around us. Unwanted sound in our environment leaves a lasting effect on our health and wellbeing, influencing our moods, cognition and behaviour. Hearing loss is not the only thing we should worry about when it comes to noisy environments. Insomnia, heart disease, poor concentration and chronic stress, are all common problems caused by too much sound. According to Julian Treasure, chairman of 'The Sound Agency,' the non-auditory problems caused by noise is growing fast.  Your ears are always on - you have no ear lids.

We love open plan offices, but our ears… not so much. With the opportunity to collaborate, comes the inevitability of noise. Indisputably annoying but often entertaining, hearing everyone’s opinion on ‘The Bachelor’ last night has become an inevitable norm for those working in an open plan office. It works like this; the morning is quiet until someone boots the heater on, computers log on and coffee machines rip into action. People greet each other from across the office, prompting others to join in. They begin talking just a bit louder to

Interpreting sound is instinctive, but understanding the science behind it is incredibly beneficial. To help, we've summarised the basics of how sound is produced and how it travels, so that you can create optimal, peaceful spaces. What is Sound? 'Sound' is a vibrational wave of pressure that travels from a source to our ears. It is, in essence, a rapid alternation of vibrations and silence. ‘Loudness’ and ‘tone’ are the two main attributes of sound. We measure these in Decibels and Hertz. Measurements of Sound The decibel (dB) is the easiest and a most convenient