WELL v2™ SOUND Concept: Designing Spaces That Protect Your Mind, Focus, and Health

Sound is invisible… but we feel it in every fiber of our body.
Excess noise doesn’t just distract—it drains energy, reduces focus, disrupts sleep, and over time, can harm cardiovascular and mental health.

The WELL v2™ SOUND concept ensures that every space—from offices and classrooms to gyms and rest areas—has an acoustic design tailored to human needs, reducing unwanted noise, enhancing privacy, and optimizing speech intelligibility.
Because total silence isn’t always the answer… it’s about designing a sound environment that fuels your well-being.

The SOUND concept of WELL v2™ seeks to strengthen the health and well-being of occupants by identifying and mitigating acoustic parameters that affect the experience of the built environment.

Impact of sound on health:

Outdoor noise (traffic, aircraft, industrial) → linked to sleep disorders, hypertension, decreased cognitive performance, and cardiovascular risk.

Indoor noise (HVAC, appliances, conversations, footsteps, vibrations) → affects productivity, memory, concentration, and privacy.

Excessive reverberation → makes speech understanding difficult, increases mental and vocal fatigue, and is particularly detrimental to people with hearing loss or students.

Benefits of proper acoustic design:

Improved concentration and cognitive performance.

Reduced stress and mental fatigue.

Improved communication and privacy.

More pleasant experiences in educational, work, and leisure environments.

Key WELL SOUND Strategies:

S01 – Sound Mapping: Plan acoustic zones (loud, quiet, mixed, circulation) and avoid placing noisy zones next to concentration or rest areas.

S02 – Maximum Noise Levels: Limit background noise to levels that do not affect health or performance.

S03 – Sound Barriers: Design walls and doors with adequate sound insulation for privacy and comfort.

S04 – Reverberation Time: Adjust reverberation based on space use to improve intelligibility and reduce vocal effort.

S05 – Sound Reducing Surfaces: Use ceilings and walls with absorbent materials to reduce noise buildup.

S06 – Minimum Background Sound: Implement controlled sound masking to improve privacy in offices and hospitals.

S07 – Impact Noise Management: Design floors and ceilings to reduce impact noise (footsteps, equipment).

S08 – Enhanced Audio Devices: Incorporate systems and devices that improve auditory intelligibility and accessibility.

Real example:
In an open-plan office, poor acoustic control can reduce productivity by up to 66%. With a WELL SOUND plan, areas are reorganized, reverberation is adjusted, acoustic barriers are installed, and masking sound is introduced. The result: more privacy, less stress, and better collaboration.

Because sound isn’t just heard—it’s felt. And when designed with intention, it can fuel productivity, rest, learning, and overall well-being.

PRODUCTS

A good product to tie into this blog is a white noise machine / sound masking system, since it’s directly aligned with WELL Sound Feature S06 (Minimum Background Sound).

🌙 White Noise Machine for Offices & Bedrooms
Check it out on Amazon

Why?

• Promotes speech privacy in offices.
• Improves sleep quality in bedrooms.
• Portable and easy to use in different spaces.

📊“Want to design spaces that sound as healthy as they look?
Learn more WELL strategies with 3G WELL.”

👉 [Download Free Mini-Guide: The 7 Pillars of the WELL Standard] SOON