Acoustic environment supporting children's development

On September 1st, classrooms and kindergartens across the country once again filled with students. This is, of course, the ideal state from an educational perspective, but full classes have their downsides too. The teaching in them is often complicated by noise. This has a negative impact not only on the health of teachers but also on the academic performance of students, particularly for the younger ones, for whom noise complicates learning mathematics and languages. A solution to poor spatial acoustics during lessons is the installation of suspended panels made of glass wool. This is precisely what the architect relied on when designing the private kindergarten NEMO in Beroun.

According to the conclusions of research conducted during 274 teaching hours, the average noise level in most classrooms was even higher than on an outdoor playground. The noise level should not exceed 50 dB, but some exceeded 75 dB, corresponding to the noise of road traffic. Hallways and cafeterias even approached levels exceeding 80 dB, comparable to the noise of a circular saw for wood at a distance of 10 meters. At the NEMO kindergarten in Beroun, they refused to risk such a situation and decided to invest in optimal spatial acoustics.

“Kindergartens are generally very noisy environments. Teachers often have to speak louder, and sometimes they are even forced to go directly to the children in an attempt to communicate something or wait for their reaction. The need to speak louder to children, of course, strains the vocal cords, and most teachers encounter problems with them during their careers. I am therefore very glad that the acoustics in our kindergarten meet the strictest standards,” says Blanka Nedorostová, director of the NEMO kindergarten in Beroun.

The NEMO kindergarten operates as a facility for the children of employees in the rehabilitation department of Beroun Hospital and is located directly on the hospital grounds. The construction was commissioned by AKESO holding, which operates dozens of healthcare facilities including hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies throughout the Czech Republic. The capacity of the kindergarten is 48 children, and its operation is tailored to the working hours of hospital staff and its shift system.

“As the operator of hospital facilities, we are aware of the impact of noise on the health of our patients and staff. Therefore, it is logical that we dedicate the same care to the children of our employees. The kindergarten has an oval floor plan, which prevents noise from spreading as disruptively, and we equipped the interior with suspended acoustic absorbers. We chose Ecophon Solo Freedom panels for their versatility, allowing the creation of various shapes that fit the kindergarten environment – for example, stars, flowers, or clouds. The absorbers are made from glass wool, which effectively dampens noise. Moreover, they have a non-flammable core and are fully recyclable,” states Konstantinos Tsirtsikos from AKESO holding, architect of the interior of the Beroun kindergarten.